food alergy/intolerence tests

hampshirebabe · 7 December 2008 at 9:51AM

I think my 2 year old daughter has a food alergy/intolerence of some kind. I wont go into detail and am not after medical advice, but wondered if anyone has experience or knowledge of any of the different ways of testing for it? The doctor has put us on the waiting list for skin !!!!! test's but I've been told they are very nasty, esp for toddlers, and the results are, according to the nhs website, only 55% accurate anyway. I'm thinking of trying kinesiology testing, or theres one where you send off hair samples. anyone tried those?
Mary

Browntoa · 7 December 2008 at 9:58AM

http://www.which.co.uk/advice/the-truth-about-allergy-tests/kinesiology/index.jsp

Our findings

These test proved to be wildly unpredictable and unreliable and there was no overlap of results for either researcher by the two practitioners. Becky, who is lactose intolerant, was told to avoid three foods by one practitioner and eight by another, with no overlap. Only one practitioner told her to cut down on cows’ milk, but not to avoid it, and didn’t mention other dairy products.
Clare, who has no known allergies or intolerances, was told to avoid or cut down on seven foods in total, including wheat and dairy. One practitioner told her to definitely avoid peanuts, as she would react very badly to them. But Clare regularly eats peanuts with no ill effect.
The researchers also felt that some kinesiology practitioners applied more pressure on their limbs for certain foods – those they were later told to avoid.

Experts’ verdict

Our experts believe that the complete lack of consistency in results for both researchers shows that this technique has no use as a diagnostic tool.
They felt that the recommendations given by practitioners were worrying.

full article

http://www.which.co.uk/advice/the-truth-about-allergy-tests/allergy-tests-the-facts/index.jsp

Browntoa · 7 December 2008 at 10:00AM

Hair analysis

Experts’ verdict

‘Despite exhaustive research, using hair analysis to diagnose food allergies has never been proven,’ Dr Morris said. Integral Health claims that no two people are the same and that their test results are 98% accurate. ‘But Becky and Dee both received standardised reports advising them to avoid similar foods,’ said Andrew Williams.

hampshirebabe · 7 December 2008 at 11:24AM

So in otherwords, you cant win. You cant reliably test for food intolerence, but if you cut out foods you suspect, you dont get a balenced diet.
Thanks for the links though.
Mary

Mojisola · 7 December 2008 at 12:20PM

hampshirebabe wrote: »

So in otherwords, you cant win. You cant reliably test for food intolerence, but if you cut out foods you suspect, you dont get a balenced diet.

It depends on what is causing the allergy. It's quite possible to cut some things out of your diet and still have a good balanced diet.

Have you tried keeping a diary of your daughter's food and drink intake and her behaviour/health? This might help point to the problem and doesn't cost anything.

hampshirebabe · 7 December 2008 at 12:59PM

I'm doing that at the moment, so far I'm thinking it might be chocolate, which is unusual, but not uncommon. But we go to lots of playgroups, and she goes to a childminder once a week, so its not as easy to keep track of everything she eats as it would be with me. The other thing that's makes it a bit more complicated is that I'm breast feeding her, so it could even be something I eat or drink that passes through to her. It would make life so much simpler if some one could say, avoid this or that.
We'll persevere with the food diary for a while longer.

Mojisola · 7 December 2008 at 2:47PM

hampshirebabe wrote: »

I'm doing that at the moment, so far I'm thinking it might be chocolate, which is unusual, but not uncommon. But we go to lots of playgroups, and she goes to a childminder once a week, so its not as easy to keep track of everything she eats as it would be with me. The other thing that's makes it a bit more complicated is that I'm breast feeding her, so it could even be something I eat or drink that passes through to her. It would make life so much simpler if some one could say, avoid this or that.
We'll persevere with the food diary for a while longer.

That's very difficult if she is having food in different places because unless they tell you the brand names of the food and you have time to look up all the ingredients, you may miss something!

I hope you can find what the problem is and help your little one.

Savvy_Sue · 8 December 2008 at 2:13AM

If you think it might be chocolate, that's easy enough to eliminate without giving an unhealthy diet, surely? Even at the childminders or playgroups, she surely won't be the only one who can't have chocolate for some reason.

hampshirebabe · 9 December 2008 at 9:09AM

Yes I've cut chocolate out for a week, but it could be other things too, I'm not sure, and it can stay in your system for 2 weeks. She's been better since no choc, but it could be coincidence. The problem is at toddler group, they all nick each others snacks.

soolin · 9 December 2008 at 10:53AM

Lactose intolerance appears to be on the up and this would of course mean chocolate. However I have seen too many reports on the various lab tests through the post that suggest that they are at best wildly inaccurate and at worse dangerous to suggest that trusting a childs well being to one would be a good idea.

Personally I would see if you can get a nurse appointment or even see a health visitor to discuss going through a proper exclusion diet. An exlcusion diet if done properly and rigourously would confirm or deny any intolerance, however I would urge you to see a medical practitioner before hand to make sure that a good diet is still eaten.

soolin · 9 December 2008 at 10:57AM

As for the playgroup they should be monitoring food better, the idea that children can share snacks is not on. I have coeliac disease and many others that I know with the same have children who are coeliacs as well and rely on a good nursery to ensure that children only eat the correct foods. It would not be acceptable for a child with coeliac disease to be at a nursery where they are able to eat sandwiches or biscuits from another childs snack box. This would also apply to young children who are diabetic and require their food monitored, or even children with nut allergy where the wrong food could kill them.

food alergy/intolerence tests

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