Reece Saga Cont.

First, thanks to all the people who have emailed or had comments with helpful suggestions for us with Reece. We really appreciate it.

On a different note, we MAY have figured out what his problem is though! Last week, after we took him off the Nutramagin, and put him back on the Similac Sensitive, I also started giving him his Oatmeal again. Since he was having such a hard time with the Nutramagin, I had stopped his solid foods to try and make it easier on his system. I'm not sure if it was changing him back to the old (milk based) formula or the oatmeal, but all his old symptoms came back, plus some other issues he has had for awhile that I didn't think were related.

A couple of months ago his cradle cap came back (the Dr. said), but much worse than when he was born. It looked also like it had spread to his whole face. One of the reasons he has a hard time sleeping and fights the bottle is because he rubs his face and head sooo much. He's actually made blood come out on his scalp from scratching at it so hard. We've been putting on the prescription cream the doc. gave us and I thought that is what cleared it up. I've also noticed these red bumps (hives I now think) all over his chest and neck from time to time. I didn't think they were anything other than dry skin. Lastly, his stomach issues. He always acts like he has tummy cramps. Pulling up his legs and crying during and after his feedings and arching his back all the time. Well.....when I was talking to my mom on the phone I told her how red and irritated his face was while I was feeding him his oatmeal. She said, I wonder if he is allergic to it. That got me thinking so I went online. Oh my goodness, it may all be a coincidence, but a wheat allergy (which can also been seen in oats or barley) or possibly a dairy allergy can give an infant ALL of these symptoms he's been having. I immediately called the doc. and she said to take him off the oatmeal, but not to change the formula just yet. He has been on soy before, but it made him SO constipated, that they had us change back to a milk based formula. That's also about the time I started introducing the oatmeal, so I'm not so sure what to think. I so torn between feeling a little excited, that we may have an answer to all his unhappiness and feeling stressed at possibly having a baby with, not only a rare blood disorder, but also a major food allergy. We are going to the hematologist on Tuesday to have them take blood (I felt better with them doing it) and they will send off for the allergy test. I just HATE waiting...especially now that I think every bottle I give him is making him sick. After the blood work goes off to the lab, they said it could take a week to get the results.....Uhhhh!!

If anyone has any experience with these (or any type of food allergy) I would love to hear your thoughts on this. It just really all seems too coincidental to me.