Peanut Allergy

Updated on August 07, 2008
L.J. asks from Summerville, SC
17 answers

My 13 1/2 month old had her first peanut butter and jam sandwhich today. She does not have a fever and did not even finish her fruit before she started to vomit. She has been vomitting this afternoon. How do I know if the peanut butter is a part of this? She does not act sick like she does when she had the flu or other virus and still no temperature. Any suggestions or information would be greatly appreciated.

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So What Happened?

Thank you to everyone who responded. My daughter saw the allergist yesterday and completed the skin testing and blood testing. The results of the skin test need to be comfirmed by the blood test to be considered an allergy but peanuts, egg white, soybeans, and shrimp were among the food allergies. Can anyone please give me ideas on menus. I am trying to read labels but am now at a loss for some ideas for menues as I do not want her to eat much process food. Thank you in advance.

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J.L.

answers from Atlanta on

If peanut butter is the only thing that is out of the ordinary, I would attribute the vomiting to that. You should take her to get tested for allergies and they can tell you if she is or isn't. My daughter is allergic to peanuts and had a different reaction, but definitely vomiting is a normal reaction if allergic. Good luck!

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D.S.

answers from Augusta on

I have heard that there are some foods, like eggs, that takes some time for the babies to learn to digest, that is why they are offered late after they start eating solids, maybe your baby was not ready for peanuts yet, it does not have to mean she is allergic, though I would check with a doctor.

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M.

answers from Atlanta on

This happened to my daughter(2 1/2) about a month ago and I had not given her peanut butter because she was allergic to eggs. My husband let her have the smallest bite ever and she threw up within 40 sec. of eating it. My ped. said that throwing up is a sign of food allergies. You need to have her tested and make sure you give her some benedryl now.

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K.L.

answers from Atlanta on

My daughter (now 11 years old) has many allergies to foods (peanuts being one of them)and environmental things. Her first allergic reactions at a year or so were vomitting and rashes on her face and body. If it continues to happen, I would see a pediatric allergist to get it checked out. Don't wait too long to try to figure it out on your own. It can be very puzzling and reactions can vary at times. Good luck!

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G.W.

answers from Atlanta on

i had the same problem with my son when he was that age--he vomited not 2 minutes after the first bite but no rash or fever--i tried a couple of times and then stopped giving it to him.. i asked the pediatrician she said to avoid peanut butter but because he could eat peanuts and other nuts that it didn't seem like an allergy. i read on the web that sometimes kids stomachs are not developed enough to digest peanut butter at that age and that waiting a year or two helps. my son is now three and can eat peanut butter..so maybe just wait a year or two more. However, definitely talk to your pediatrician about it.

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K.R.

answers from Atlanta on

First of all I'm shocked that your Dr has not told you to not feed your baby peanut butter. I have always heard not to give peanut butter until the age of 3. I have read where babies have died from eating peanut butter. You may want to call your Dr. I would advise not to do that again.
I'm a mother of three and one grandbaby. My grandbaby is 17 months and I did remind my daughter not to give peanut butter, but she told me that the Dr had already worn her of that. Good Luck. K.

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H.K.

answers from Knoxville on

That would be the signs of an allergy. My son started vomiting within 2-3 mins of eating when he was 10 1/2 mons. He ended up having peanut/soy/egg allergies. You can also look for dark circles under he eyes, almost like a black eye. Our allergist said that is one of the first signs of an allergy.

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E.B.

answers from Spartanburg on

You definitely need to call your pediatrician. We just found out my grandson has an allergy to tree nuts, in particular cashews. This is different from peanuts, but both can be very dangerous. The only way to tell for sure is to have a test with an allergist. Sometimes the reaction the 2nd time around can be worse and cause breathing problems, etc., so don't take a chance and call your doctor.

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H.M.

answers from Atlanta on

L.-

She need to be seen by a doctor- I am not trying to scare you but a 13 1/2 month old can't tell you what is wrong. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give her some benedril and call your doctor right away (to see what they would like you to do). Reactions can happen right away to several hours later... my son has life threating nut allergies and all he did at first was throw-up... then it got worse. If she does have a food allergy and you need to talk or get advice... please feel free to contact me. But for now... PLEASE call your doctor!

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H.U.

answers from Atlanta on

Call your pediatrician! A peanut allergy can be life threatening. You will be sent to an allergist for testing. If your child does have a peanut allergy, you will have to carry epi-pins with you all of the time, and ask about the risk of peanuts every where you eat. My 5 year old has a peanut allergy. It is very frightening. www.foodallergy.org and www.peanutallergy.com will be very helpful tools, if you need them.

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R.C.

answers from Atlanta on

Hi L.,

I'm hoping that you have been able to contact your pediatrician by now. Vomiting definitely is one if the signs of food allergies. Peanuts can be life threatening. It is important to find out if she is allergic to this as well as anything else. Your pediatrician can request that blood work be drawn to determine food allergies or not. But you can also seek medical advice from an allergist. They can do a skin prick test (sounds worse than it is) to determine if your child has any food allergies (as well as other allergies such pollen, grass etc.) The skin prick test tells you if your child has an immediate reaction while the blood work can show an immediate, delayed or possible reaction based upon the results level. I have been blessed that I have never experienced vomiting with my daughter. She is now 4.5 years old and we have been carrying an epi-pen jr since she was 12 months old. She was diagnosed with multiple food allergies (eggs,peanuts,soy,wheat,nuts,corn) when she was 12 months old. We recently redid her skin prick test which came back negative but her RAST (Bloodwork test) showed a positive reaction to eggs and peanuts. Because nuts can be so dangerous it is important to determine what exactly she is allergic too as she might be allergic to all tree nuts and other cross over items. If you need a substitute for peanut butter, we have been using Sunbutter for the last 3 years. Sunbutter is made of sunflower seeds and has no nuts in it at all and looks like peanut butter. Check with your pediatrician first. Not sure what part of town you live in but if she says its ok, you can find it in Harrys/Whole Foods, Kroger and the Super Target on 141. If you find out she is allergic and would like to contact me please feel free to do so. Once you have a child with food allergies you feel a since of hope and peace when you have other mom's you can talk to and share recipes.

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L.L.

answers from Atlanta on

hi L., my son started vomiting after eating certain foods, and then would be fine afterward...even go back and eat something else. he was tested and we found that he is allergic to alot of fruits and veggies...which stinks, because he's a great eater...but it does sound like your daughter may have had a reaction to something in that sandwich...peanut allergies are scary, so get it checked out before you give it to her again..they say that the second reaction can be worse than the first...good luck.

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L.M.

answers from Columbia on

You really have to be careful about peanut butter allergies, they get worse with each reaction, and vomiting is a major sign of an allergy. I would take her to your pediatrician, and ask their advice, but I would ask yourself if anything else was different that day. My daughter has a peanut allergy, and my mother-in-law has refused to acknowledge it, and it has gotten worse because of it. This can become life-threatening, so don't blow it off, get it checked.

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B.F.

answers from Atlanta on

I understand it's way easier to find out about allergies now then years back. It's a blood test...no more scratches and discomfort as years before. I'm not sure if it's an allergy or not but since that's happened I'd stop in and see the ped and get in to see the allergy doctor to be safe.

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V.H.

answers from Atlanta on

Don't ignore this sign. My daughter has a peanut allergy and one taste of a peanut makes her so sick she will lose the ability to breath, choke and then vomit. The vomiting is the body's way of clearing the allergen before causing more severe reactions like loss of breathing capability. I would not serve her any more peanuts period (I would even let her touch them- some children can even be in the room with peanuts (an airborne allergy-not taste))before I have her tested. Tell you ped. dr. and they can do a simple blood test for a bunch of allergens including peanut. I was lucky to find out about my daughter's peanut allergy before she actually tasted one (she had milk allergy too-I had her tested at 6 months). She is so allergic that I have to carry an EpiPen.

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K.P.

answers from Atlanta on

I'm not sure if you received any suggestions regarding this, I am not a doctor (nor in the field), but I have three girls, of which two have a severe peanut allergy (and I avoid nuts altogether with all three). My discovery occurred similiarly as yours did. My oldest was 18 months old and after two or three bites, she began itching, hiving, and the vomiting started on the way to the emergency room. This is situation is not to be taken lightly. I could have lost her (after two or three bites). I grew out of a peanut allergy and I hope they will as well. The major culprit is tree-nut allergens. Unfortunately, many pediatricians do not like to perform allergy tests on children that young, but they will with certain food allergies. Better safe than sorry! And...from now on...you need to read all labels. Last year, my same daughter ate 1/4 of a glazed donut that was produced on a peanut belt and I had to call the ambulance. Usually, if the child has a reaction to a food item, it may or not be severe, but the more you expose them to that allergen, the worse their bodies will react. In these cases, you could be increasing the severity of the bodies reaction to the allergen. In other words, the more you expose, the worse it can eventually get. I don't know why, but this peanut allergy issue is affecting more people than ever before! BE SAFE...ELIMINATE TREE-NUTS!

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