tomato reaction

[mrs f]

hiya,

my baby is 9m and has had a slight reaction to tomato a few times - localised blotches on his face where is comes into contact with his skin...

sometimes it is not at all eg last night he had pasta with tomato sauce and he was fine but having the same for lunch today he is a little botchy

Question is should I just avoid it alltogether or persist with it in small quantities?

Thanks

[rachel83]

Tomato allergies are quite common in babies and young children. My daughter had this when younger but has grown out of it. We just stopped giving her tomatoes for a while and then she probably start eating them again when at nursery around 16 months. Tomatoes are part of the nightshade family meaning an allergy to tomatoes could also mean an allergy to potatoes and other veg/fruit but I can't remember which ones. Some info is here:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/547936-a-tomato-sauce-allergy-in-kids/

[ClareC]

Oh, this is really interesting. My son is 8 mths and I've noticed the same. He gets red blotches round his mouth.

[Ole]

My son had exactly the same, we just kept an eye on it and would have some 'cooling off' days when I didn't give him anything with tomato. He is 2 now and has grown out of it. He would also get red blotches on his hands and fingers where he held the tomato.

[Ole]

Rachel83 - yes my son had a severe allergy to potato! He even had to go into hospital a few times because instead of getting just a bit blotchy as with the tomato, when he ate the slightest bit of potato he would vomit non stop for hours. I kept him completely off potato until recently and now he is fine with potato too.

[rachel83]

I wish I was allergic to potatoes - then I'd be forced to stop eating so many chips and crisps!!!

Tomato and other nightshades allergy tend not to persist too much beyond the early years, although everyone is different.

[Saffron]

Sometimes the reaction you see is an irritation and not a true allergy. Babies and children have thin delicate skin, and some foods are more likely to penetrate the skin surface and lead to irriation. With age, the skin becomes more hardy and the effect is no longer apparent. If you're concerned that this is a true allergy, watch for other allergic signs and symptoms when giving this food. xx

[ClareC]

That's helpful, I've not stopped giving him tomato, just limited it and tend to avoid fresh tomato (worse effect, maybe it is just a skin reaction).

Fingers crossed he grows out if it, tomato is in so many things!

[Jagger]

Hi ClareC

I am an adult with a tomato allergy (my 4-yr old is also allergic to tomatoes). I can however eat organic vine-ripened tomatoes (ok ok how middle class etc...) without my lips swelling and mouth blistering as a rule. It has been explained to me that tomatoes can produce histamines in reaction to chemicals, disease or pollution and it is this that the body reacts to.

Hope this helps.