How old when you realized it was airborne?

We first began to suspect when my daughter was 2. She had already had a major anaphylactic reaction, however... and had [b]M[/b]FA.

Looking back, I'd say she was probably aerosol sensitive from the time she was about 14-16 months old. Mystery hives when she couldn't possibly have touched the source.

Her egg allergy has followed what seems to be (anecdotally) a more typical pattern for PA persons who develop aerosol sensitivity. At first, she could not tolerate any ingestion, even traces... then she began to get mystery hives from contact, then began to react systemically from being places where they were heated/mechanically disturbed. Now she reacts to them if they are eaten warm anywhere near her.

HTH. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]

DS' first known reaction was. He was maybe 14 months--I can't remember exactly how old he was, but it was a few months older than a year. I prepared his lunch and put him in his high chair. Then I prepared mine--PB on a rice cake. I was sitting a couple of feet away, and he developed hives on his face. I called his pedi immediately and was told to give him benadryl for the next 24 hours.

I knew he was PA and I knew it was not a good thing but didn't fully realize the implications. For instance, there were times I continued to ingest peanuts, and I was still nursing DS. And nursing was his first exposure, BTW.

He had similar reactions in day care before age 2 when he was sat near other kids eating PB and I know he didn't touch their food. Now I can't be certain that it wasn't the daycare workers touching the PB kids' lunch first and then getting DS' food ready, but it happened several times. It helped when they finally put the PB kids at another table.

He's reacted in a SW airplane when he and everything is covered and was wiped down by me--developing hives on his neck, chest and belly. (hour long flight with benedryl given prophylactically before flight)

He's reacted during a ballet performance to someone eating peanut M&Ms in the row behind us and two seats over (one seat over from me). That was with coughing--and cleared up when the offender put the M&Ms away after I turned around gave a dirty look (he wasn't supposed to be eating in a performance anyway).

That coughing symptom is more typcial for him during an airborne reaction.

I think I'd rather him be airborne reactive than contact if I had a choice.

He put his hand in a bag last year and there was a PBJ sandwich inside, and it got on his finger. DH was with him and cleaned it off immediately--even under the fingernail. And DS didn't react!! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img] So I'm wondering if he isn't touch reactive. However, we tell folks to assume he is.

[This message has been edited by McCobbre (edited December 23, 2006).]

My son was diagnosed at age 5. First reaction age 14 but first airborne reaction at 17 or 18.

He always ate around kids eating PB at school. He always had an aversion to the smell but never reacted to airborne till 17.

Peg

My son was positively diagnosed at age 2 1/2 (though we really knew earlier), and never had airborne issues until age 3 1/2 when he had a reaction on a plane. He was fast asleep when the food service began and everyone opened their bags of peanuts. He started coughing and scratching at his neck; when I turned on the lights he was covered in hives.

Amy

My first confirmed contact reaction was at age 6. I always had issues with my eyes swelling shut for no reason from the time I was very little, but my first confirmed airborne reaction was age 13. My first injestion reaction was before the age of two and was anaphylactic.

DS's first airborne reactions started when he was about 3.

Rebekah