But Mommy, I love Cheezies!

I thought it was important to talk about allergies because sometimes allergies can mimic other disorders like ADHD. My oldest daughter developed a rash around her mouth when she was little and would get an upset stomach, diarrhea, headaches and at times would be very hyperactive. Our doctor confirmed that she probably had some kind of food allergy. Without subjecting to her to blood work which I didn’t want to do at the time, we were left to either keep a food diary or do an elimination diet.

We chose to do the elimination diet where she was eating pretty much only plain rice every day and bananas. After a week the rash had completely gone away. Keeping her on that diet was a struggle. I tried not to let her see us eating other foods that she enjoyed and we kept busy during the day so she wouldn’t think about wanting to snack. On the weekend however, she saw her brother eating Cheezies, one of her favourite things at the time and we finally caved and let her have one. The reaction was instant, red rash around her lips and she was very hyper. I knew that she was definitely allergic to something in those Cheezies. It turns out; she is allergic to Monosodium Glutamate. To confirm this we avoided all foods with MSG after this and the rash went away again and she was back to her old self. Whenever she accidentally consumed the MSG we would notice a rash again, but not always around her mouth, sometimes it would be on her arms or stomach. We would give her Benadryl and make sure to be more careful about our food selection in the future.

As a Child and Youth Counselor what I learned from my daughter’s food allergies is that it is important to rule this out when dealing with a child who is having difficulty concentrating at school or is displaying hyperactivity. Allergies and other health problems such as thyroid problems, low blood sugar or an insufficient diet can cause our bodies to act differently so it’s important to see your doctor and rule out these possibilities.

Below are some common food allergies to watch out for:

Milk (cow or soy)

Grains (wheat or gluten)

Additives (MSG, red and yellow dye, sulfites)

Berries (strawberries)

Tree nuts

Chocolate

Tomatoes

Shell fish and other fish

If you suspect your child has an allergy then there are many websites that can help you with elimination diets, food journals, etc. If your child is older or is suffering from a severe allergy, it is best to see your doctor for a blood test.

Dealing with an anaphylactic (life threatening) food allergy is very serious and unlike my daughter’s allergy, a child with this type of allergy must carry an Epi-pen with them that will provide them with some extra time to get to the hospital after coming in contact with an allergen. It is very important that everyone in your child’s life knows that your child has a life threatening allergy and how to administer the Epi-pen.

Whatever your child’s allergy, it is also important to educate your child. Teaching your child what foods to avoid and why will save them a lot of discomfort. They must learn to read labels and speak up when they are at school or a friend’s house about their allergy. The good news is that over the last ten years of my daughter having an MSG allergy, I have noticed an improvement in food labelling, awareness and an increase in MSG free options for her. Overall, a family can help a child to live with a food allergy by keeping the food allergen out of the home, eating simple and healthy meals and snacks and educating others.