My husband and I, like most first-time parents, welcomed our son Zachary into the world with great joy and excitement. As all first time parents you begin this journey in blind faith that the people you encounter and the advice you gather will be supportive and accurate.
Zachary was exclusively breastfed for the first 4 months. He had reflux and could only consume small quantities, which meant frequent feedings. This didn't overly concern anyone because he was thriving and happy. With the advice of the local baby clinic we started introducing solids and continued breastfeeding. As time went on Zachary loved food and consumed everything and anything, however the folds of his skin and his cheeks seem to be very red, raw and eventually raised, cracking and weeping. It was obvious something was wrong because not only was he showing signs of eczema he was very unsettled. I found myself at my local GP begging for a solution or some type of answer and all I got was "it's eczema and it's just something you'll have to live with". I went away many times knowing in my heart something wasn't right. My GP eventually referred me to a skin specialist who also dismissed my concerns and gave me a pile of steroid creams. Prior to my visit with the skin specialist I kept a food diary because I could tell that some days were worse for Zachary and I had a "gut" feeling it could be the food. These doctors are the people you hope will steer you in the right direction however it was good ol' fashion Mother's intuition that saved our son, and encouragement from our local baby clinic to keep persevering.
The turning point for us was when I tried to wean Zachary and introduce a bottle with regular formula at the age of 6 months. He wouldn't take it and eventually I used a teaspoon so he could sip it. He consumed only a very small amount. I proceeded to give him a bath and as I was undressing him I noticed purple spots from head to toe. Absolutely baffled at what it was, a part of me wondered if it was the formula. Thankfully I had the good sense to hold off weaning him till I tracked down the wonderful paediatrician who took care of Zachary when he was first born. He assisted me in discovering his sleepless behaviour, crying, excessive wind and chronic eczema, was food related. We proceeded to get him properly assessed at an allergic clinic where we discovered Zachary had multiple food intolerances and was severely allergic to egg, dairy, peanuts and seafood. Absolutely shocked and frightened we had no idea what to do next. Thankfully we were allocated a dietician who helped us navigate these uncharted waters. We have no family history of food allergies and it was something we'd barely heard of before. It was scary!
In the last 3 years we've tired our best to get a handle on our new lifestyle and there's no denying it, it's a constant worry. We try not to let it take over who we are as a family but it has definitely restructured our lives. We've learnt there are ways to enjoy life without being around food, grant you society isn't structured that way but we are finding new and creative ways to do so. But let's be realistic. We attend parties, playgroups, etc and there's no way to keep this hidden danger away. When we can not completely guarantee Zachary's safety we watch him like a hawk and you try your best not to look like an over protective parent. You get some interesting comments and some people are not overly supportive but I think that comes from ignorance rather than malice. The best comment I had was at a Christmas party when someone told me to "relax" and then they proceeded to say "give him to me for a weekend and I'll fix him". I thought to myself what a ridiculous comment! There is no way to "fix", just "manage" food allergies. However I have to say more often than not once you explain to those around you about allergies it's incredible to see how interested and supportive they become.
Over the last 3 years my husband and I have discussed how clothing with an allergy alert on it would help give Zachary a voice to protect himself and to inform others without making a big fuss. Neither one of us want to label our child or draw unnecessary attention to him but at the end of the day if we can keep him safe and possibly save his life we'll do it. And so "Allergy Kidz ware" was created as a possible solution. We feel the designs are playful and childlike and my biggest supporter constantly tells me "wow mummy that's great" or "that's a beautiful one", so we'd like to share them with you and your family. I hope your little one enjoys our clothing and accessories just as much as we do.
Julie Smith is Canadian, now residing in Australia where she runs Allergy Kidz Ware.