MSPI

Recently I saw a lecture about food allergies and their seemingly increase in our culture. There are multiple theories as to why they are increasing-some believe it is because certain foods are introduced to infants too soon-others believe it is not soon enough. Some believe it all boils down to what the mother intakes while she is pregnant. Some believe it is genetic. There are some theories that suggest it is the amount of processed foods we eat. In any case--there are only theories-no one knows for sure.

It is also important to note that there a difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance. According to the Mayo Clinic, a food allergy is when a body's immune system is literally attacked even after a very small amount of the offending food is eaten. The result is swelling, hives, watery eyes, trouble swallowing, and sometimes cause death. On the other hand, an intolerance is an intestinal irritation caused by the lack of an enzyme in the body to properly digest a certain food or part of a food. It does not cause death, but discomfort. Small amounts of the offending food can be eaten and there will be no instant reaction. Some of the classic cases of food intolerances include lactose intolerance, irritable bowel syndrome, or even food poisoning.

My daughter was diagnosed with MSPI (intolerance to milk and soy proteins) in her first month. My first reaction when I realized the change that would have to take place in my diet, was "How in the world am I going to do that?" After a month, I realized, it is really simple. It is only became complicated when we were invited for dinner somewhere or ate out. As my baby has gotten older, I have become less stringent and will not question what is placed before me when a guest in someone's home. If I suspect there is dairy or soy, I will eat very little. Other than eating at someone's home, I still maintain a strict milk and soy protein free diet. So far that has worked out fine.  

Since MSPI is a fairly new diagnoses for babies, a lot of doctor's still do not test for it in newborns. Thankfully Emma's pediatrician checked for it when I voiced concerns of her fussiness. 

There are many reasons babies cry and fuss, but it is usually a clue that something is not right. Emma was extremely fussy by her third week-to the extent she would scream without any apparent reason. She would drink a little milk--cry and head back for a little more-cry. I alter learned that this is a normal reaction for a baby with MSPI because the milk soothes her for a little bit and makes her tummy feel better, then it hurts again. 

A doctor can tell if a baby has an intolerance to a food by taking a stool sample and testing for blood in it. That shows the baby's intestines are inflamed. The doctor cannot tell what the baby is intolerant to without injecting a small amount of that product under the baby's skin and checking for a reaction. That test is not usually done until after the baby is a year old. So the first thing that is often recommended to be avoided is milk and soy products. Thankfully that is all it was for Emma. After a couple weeks, she was fine. It could have been an intolerance to eggs, peanuts, gluten, or tree nuts. Many mothers struggle for some time to eliminate the right foods from their diet. Some just skip that step and eliminate all of the above. 

It takes about a day for milk and soy proteins to clear the mother's milk, but can take up to two weeks for the baby to healed up depending on how soon the intolerance was detected. Most babies who are intolerant to milk and soy recover by the age of one and are not allergic to either for the rest of their life.

To be of help to other mother's who have babies with MSPI, I have developed a list of foods that do not contain MSPI. It is much nicer to have a "can eat" rather than a "can't eat list" to work from. 

Safe to eat foods and substitute

Dairy

Blue Bonnet Reduced Fat Margarine

Any flavor of rice, almond, or coconut milk-I like rice milk for baking and cooking because of it's bland flavor, but almond milk is my favorite to drink alone or on cereal.

Almond yogurt-available at health food Stores or it can be made at home. It is a good substitute for sour cream in reckless

Dry Goods

Almost all pasta

Rice

Frozen Foods

Van De Kemps fish stick or fillets-too pricy and not all that good for you anyway.

Frozen fruit and veggies are all ok

Fresh fruits and veggies are all good of course

Meat

Non breaded chicken-read ingredients some fresh and frozen chicken is injected with milk to make it more moist-the label tells all

Non breaded fish

Beef 

Pork

Oscar Meyer beef franks

Deli meats and sausages usually have soy products, but Farmland sausage links are safe

Cereals

I have yet to find one that is not ok-they are a safe food

Snacks

Unseasoned potato chips

Corn chips

Oreos

Eating out

I have only listed popular chains-it is also a good idea to double check before purchasing-sometimes ingredients change

Burger King

Only bread served without milk or soy is the Ciabatta Buns

All hamburger patties meat (not buns)

Tendergrill Chicken Fillet (not buns)

Spicy Chicken Crisp Patty (not buns)

Chicken Tenders

BK Fried Fish Fillet (not buns)

Chicken Fries

French Fries

Onion Rings

BK fresh apple pies

Breakfast:

Bacon

Sausage

Ham

English Muffin

Flour Tortilla

Southwest Potatoes

Hash Brown Rounds

Culvers

Chicken Tenders (not the chicken basket)

Sweet potato fries

Coleslaw

Chick-fil-A

Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich - bun is ok too!

Waffle Fires

Cole Slaw

Sauces: Polynesian, barbeque, balsamic vinegar, Italian,Thousand Island, Honey Mustard

Breakfast 

Hash-browns

Multi-Grain Oatmeal w/ or w/o toppings

Kentucky Fried Chicken

Hot Wings

Sandwich Buns

Flour Tortillas

Potato Salad

Potato Wedges

Caesar Salad no croutons

Long John Silvers

Battered Fish

Battered Chicken

Battered Shrimp

Alaskan Flounder

Seasoned Rice

Bread-sticks

Crumblies

Corn Coblet

Coleslaw

McDonald's

Hamburgers-beef patty and bun

Bacon

Buns are ok too!

Chicken Selects-not nuggets

Tortilla

McChicken Patty

McRib Pork Patty

New Grilled Chicken Fillet

New Crispy Chicken Fillet

Side Salad 

NO FRIES-they contain milk

Breakfast:

Breakfast Steak-no biscuits

Bacon

Egg

English Muffin

Potato vegetable Blend

Subway

Cold Cut Combo

Ham

Honey Mustard Ham

Italian BMT

Roast Beef

Turkey Breast

Turkey Ham

Subway Club

Veggie Delight

Breads: all but Honey oat, Wheat, and Deli rolls

Sauces: Mustard, mayonnaise, sweet onion, honey mustard (not Atkins)

Wendy's

Baked Potato-plain

Chili

Regular Sandwich buns are ok-not premium

Kids Meal Hamburger

Krispy Chicken Sandwich
Ultimate Grill Chicken Fillet 

Crispy Chicken Patty

Home-style Chicken Fillet

Tortilla

Hamburger

Natural Cut Fries

Spicy Chicken Fillet

A couple website I found that are very helpful in determining what restraunts serve are:

http://foodallergies.about.com/od/livingwithfoodallergies/a/chainguides.htm
http://www.avoidingmilkprotein.com/USARest.htm