Post by bessie on Mar 17, 2009 11:44:49 GMT -5
I just picked up this link from another forum. I just want to cry.
en.allexperts.com/q/Pediatrics-1429/Digestive-issues-2-year.htm
It is over 2 years old. I wish I knew what has happened since:
Pediatrics - Digestive issues in 2 year old
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Expert: Dr Graham Smith - 8/14/2007
Question
Dr.Smith,
I have a 2 year old daughter who has had digestive issues since birth. I breastfed her for 3 days in the hospital and she was supplemented with milk based formula, they said because of jaundice. I went to exclusive formula feeding on the 3rd day. She cried excessively from about 4 days old, began having major constipation and pimple looking rash on her chin at 3 weeks. At 4 weeks began spitting up large amounts, which should would get choked on. The pediatrician we had at the time was not much help and just advised us to wait it out and put rice cereal in her bottles. That didn't help the reflux or the constipation any. At 6 months we switched pediatricians who felt she should be tested for hirschprung's disease, which was negative on 3 occasions. He also thought she had either milk allergy or lactose intolerance. We first tried lactose free formula, which didn't work. Then we tried hypoallergenic which didn't work, and then on to soy, which did help for about a week. We noticed after this that as long as we switched between milk and soy based formula when she would start getting the rash, which usually took 5 days, she would do just fine. We continued doing this until she was 12 months old.
At 14 months she suddenly started having these black specks in her bowel movements. They resemble grains of sand, and are similar in consistency as they are nearly impossible to completely wipe off her skin, they cling. Sometimes there are also black stringy looking things mixed with the specks, which I realized is the same consistency as the small specks. When she started having these black things, she seemed very ill. She was pale, wouldn't eat(which really was nothing new, and was generally more irritable than she normally was. I went to her pediatrician with a sample of the bowel movement. He tested it for blood which was negative. He said he was clueless except for the idea that it could be intestinal lining or possibly an intestinal parastite. She was treated with Vermox and I saw no changes. This went on for 8 months until he sent us to a GI specialist. The specialist did not even look at the sample I brought, suggested the possiblity of food allergy and said the best course of action was to do some procedures to look in her colon and intestines to check for signs of inflammation, do a biopsy, if there was anything there do allergy testing. I ended up not having this procedure done because he didn't even have a copy of her file and I felt uncomfortable allowing a surgical procedure to be done on my child by a doctor who spent 10 minutes at the most talking with us.
This has continued up until now. She still has the black specks and stringy things in her bowel movements. She still is often pale and refuses to eat. We have tried both regular milk and soy milk both of which she had adverse reactions to. Her doctor has asked me to keep her on a formula until she is able to digest regular soy or dairy, and until she is able to eat a large enough variety of foods.
So, my main concern is what could these black specks be? Could it be from a reaction to the dairy and/or soy? I know that it does not correspond with any particular food she eats,such as broccoli. Are there other diagnostic tests I should look into having? I have worried too many years and just don't know what direction to go at this point. Any advice you may be able to give would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Sara
Doctor's answer:
Answer
You do not say whether she is growing and gaining weight normally as this is the most important thing. If she is not growing then investigation of the problem is necessary and I would see a paediatric gastroenterologist. I do not know what the black specks are if they are not blood.
en.allexperts.com/q/Pediatrics-1429/Digestive-issues-2-year.htm
It is over 2 years old. I wish I knew what has happened since:
Pediatrics - Digestive issues in 2 year old
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Expert: Dr Graham Smith - 8/14/2007
Question
Dr.Smith,
I have a 2 year old daughter who has had digestive issues since birth. I breastfed her for 3 days in the hospital and she was supplemented with milk based formula, they said because of jaundice. I went to exclusive formula feeding on the 3rd day. She cried excessively from about 4 days old, began having major constipation and pimple looking rash on her chin at 3 weeks. At 4 weeks began spitting up large amounts, which should would get choked on. The pediatrician we had at the time was not much help and just advised us to wait it out and put rice cereal in her bottles. That didn't help the reflux or the constipation any. At 6 months we switched pediatricians who felt she should be tested for hirschprung's disease, which was negative on 3 occasions. He also thought she had either milk allergy or lactose intolerance. We first tried lactose free formula, which didn't work. Then we tried hypoallergenic which didn't work, and then on to soy, which did help for about a week. We noticed after this that as long as we switched between milk and soy based formula when she would start getting the rash, which usually took 5 days, she would do just fine. We continued doing this until she was 12 months old.
At 14 months she suddenly started having these black specks in her bowel movements. They resemble grains of sand, and are similar in consistency as they are nearly impossible to completely wipe off her skin, they cling. Sometimes there are also black stringy looking things mixed with the specks, which I realized is the same consistency as the small specks. When she started having these black things, she seemed very ill. She was pale, wouldn't eat(which really was nothing new, and was generally more irritable than she normally was. I went to her pediatrician with a sample of the bowel movement. He tested it for blood which was negative. He said he was clueless except for the idea that it could be intestinal lining or possibly an intestinal parastite. She was treated with Vermox and I saw no changes. This went on for 8 months until he sent us to a GI specialist. The specialist did not even look at the sample I brought, suggested the possiblity of food allergy and said the best course of action was to do some procedures to look in her colon and intestines to check for signs of inflammation, do a biopsy, if there was anything there do allergy testing. I ended up not having this procedure done because he didn't even have a copy of her file and I felt uncomfortable allowing a surgical procedure to be done on my child by a doctor who spent 10 minutes at the most talking with us.
This has continued up until now. She still has the black specks and stringy things in her bowel movements. She still is often pale and refuses to eat. We have tried both regular milk and soy milk both of which she had adverse reactions to. Her doctor has asked me to keep her on a formula until she is able to digest regular soy or dairy, and until she is able to eat a large enough variety of foods.
So, my main concern is what could these black specks be? Could it be from a reaction to the dairy and/or soy? I know that it does not correspond with any particular food she eats,such as broccoli. Are there other diagnostic tests I should look into having? I have worried too many years and just don't know what direction to go at this point. Any advice you may be able to give would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Sara
Doctor's answer:
Answer
You do not say whether she is growing and gaining weight normally as this is the most important thing. If she is not growing then investigation of the problem is necessary and I would see a paediatric gastroenterologist. I do not know what the black specks are if they are not blood.