Gluten or all grains?

[beaglemom2011]

Did anyone have a baby that was sensitive to gluten but not other grains? I am trying to figure out if I can eat gluten free bread products. My daughter is almost 7 months old and developed a bad eczema patch around 4 months. She was a spitty baby, but never in pain and she gained weight well and is in the 50%ile. No cream recommended by doctors would relieve it (just made it less scaly). A couple of weeks ago I tried eliminating breads and soy and going semi-Paleo (I'm already lactose intolerant myself). Magically, the patch got better and is close to disappearing. Now I am wondering if I have to be strict Paleo or if I can have gluten free products. How long do you think I should wait to try a gluten free product? I'd ask our pediatrician, but she's on maternity leave and the doctor I did ask didn't think this was food related at all.

[byjove]

beaglemom2011, not all grains contain gluten. There are a ton out there (and quinoa, technically a seed) that are gluten free and that you can eat. Gluten free oats, rice, millet, and the list goes on. Also, most allergies are to wheat, and not gluten (celiac is a different beast)- but gluten is a convenient catch all for wheat containing products. There are gluten containing grains that are not wheat. I wouldn't wait to try (although you may have talked to your doctor by now). Just be systematic in how you do it so you know if she can tolerate some grains and not others. Has she tried any of the baby oatmeal or rice?

Also, if you eliminated soy, maybe it was that? Statistically speaking, soy would be a more likely culprit than gluten, but not to say it isn't or it isn't both.

[beaglemom2011]

Thanks byjove. I'm not entirely certain whether she was reacting to soy, gluten or wheat. I may have been eating hidden soy, but I only remember ditching one specific protein bar that I'd eat for breakfast each day. I'd prefer it if the problem was soy only. It's nice to know of the other options out there if it is gluten or wheat.
We went to another doctor and asked about it when she had an ear infection. However, this doctor also told me that it wasn't my diet and said the creams were finally working. Yeah, I don't believe that because the patch came back pretty bad after I added a lot of eggs to my diet in substitute for my breakfast bar.
I don't know what is going on and I just feel so bad for her when it gets bad and she scratches at it or whips her head back and forth. It happens to be right at the salmon patch on her neck. It has gone down again now though. I'll have to try some experimenting with different foods.
Now I'm struggling with her food. She hates purees unless it's fruit and I'm not comfortable with BLW at daycare yet since she has no teeth. I'd like to try baby oatmeal again if possible just to get her to have more calories during the day. She is up so much at night just to eat!

[byjove]

beaglemom2011, hugs to you. I know there are a bunch of us dealing with these issues. Eggs can be a common allergen too. What foods are you off of right now? And have you considered bringing her to an allergist?

[beaglemom2011]

Well, we haven't gone to an allergist yet, but I think we've pinpointed her worst reactions to egg and foods cooked with egg. I wasn't paying close attention before to all ingredients. Wheat doesn't appear to cause a major reaction and I think I previously connected it based on egg baked into something. Soy and dairy still cause digestive issues, but don't seem to be the culprit for her eczema. Her pediatrician is back now and she wants us to hold off on the foods for a couple more months and then try them to see if there is a reaction (first myself and then Olivia if she responds alright to my BM). If reintroduction causes issues we will set up allergy testing. I'm going to have her try baby oatmeal soon to see about that too. She's been eczema free for a couple weeks now and her skin is so smooth compared to what it used to be. I'm really glad we figured out eggs was the source.