| Question: | | | | as the taste for them will remain for life. Start with |
| My eight-month-old baby girl has had a rash, runny | | | | small amounts of mashed bananas. Alternatively, you |
| eyes, coughing, frequent sneezing and has been | | | | could bake an apple and mash up the fluffy insides |
| regurgitating for three weeks. She eats normally and | | | | or peel, slice and stew in a little water, You can also |
| isn't ill. The doctor suggested eliminating cow's milk for | | | | peel a seedless grape or two and mash them up. |
| I4 days. I switched her to soya formula and bought milk | | | | * Make oatmeal porridge in goat's or soya milk. Start |
| -free baby foods. For a week the rash cleared, the | | | | with a couple of tablespoonfuls, and increase as her |
| vomiting stopped and she seemed to enjoy soya. | | | | appetite grows. |
| Then the rash started again and she now constantly | | | | * Protein intake is also important as the intensive |
| scratches herself. She has also begun to vomit after | | | | growth demands it. Start with soft boiled eggs- Boil a |
| meals. Could she be allergic to soya too? | | | | free-range organic egg for three minutes. When it is |
| Answer: | | | | cool, scoop the egg into a cup. feed her with a small |
| The symptoms suggest that your baby has an allergic | | | | spoon. Try half an egg at first, then increase to a |
| reaction and I think this is due to the artificial ingredients | | | | whole egg daily. |
| in the prepared baby foods you buy for her. You don't | | | | *Chicken broth is also good for lunch or dinner. Boil a |
| say whether you breast-fed her, but every mother | | | | baby chicken for 90 minutes, in enough water to cover |
| should feed their babies for six months until their | | | | and with a couple of bay leaves and a cinnamon stick. |
| immune systems have stabilized, then introduce freshly | | | | Sieve and keep the stock in the stock in the fridge. |
| made, preferably organic solid foods. Remember drat | | | | Take two cups of stock and boil one third of a cup of |
| even though the labels on the food you buy may say it | | | | basmati rice with vegetables such as carrots, broccoli |
| is natural, preservatives have to be added to give its | | | | and leeks, until they are all well cooked. Blend this to |
| longer shelf life. | | | | make a nutritious puree, adding more stock if |
| I suspect that she also has enlarged tonsils, which are | | | | necessary. Gradually' you can introduce minced |
| leading to the vomiting. When you have frequent colds | | | | organic red meat or chicken, or mashed fish and |
| and coughs, as she has, there is postnasal drip an the | | | | Potatoes. |
| back of the throat. This is often infected so the tonsils | | | | * Give your baby water to drink and supplement with |
| try to catch the bacterial from the infected mucus. As | | | | fresh goat's milk. You can also try soya and/or cow's |
| this happens, the tissue of the tonsils swells up. The | | | | milk again, introducing slowly to see if there is a |
| enlarged tonsils act like probes that irritate the back of | | | | reaction. Juice an apple or two and give her small |
| the throat, causing the vomiting reflex after eating as | | | | amount of that diluted with water. Or juice a carrot |
| saliva is swallowed along with the food. | | | | with the apple and see if she likes that. |
| I have seen this in many children enlarged tonsils cause | | | | * You could also give her Vitasorb Multivitamins two |
| great discomfort. If there are no obvious symptoms, | | | | to three drops daily for three months will boost |
| such as fever or sore throat doctors often don't | | | | immunity. |
| bother about treatment. (Some advise surgery as a | | | | * I also advise you to see a homeopathic, who will |
| precaution against tonsillitis, which I don't agree with | | | | treat your daughter's rash and tonsils. |
| unless all natural methods fail.) Some times, as in Your | | | | Early allergies can be caused by birth injuries. |
| case, doctors diagnose these symptoms as food | | | | Forceps or ventouse delivery put strain on the cranium |
| intolerance or nervous vomiting. I remember a case | | | | and tender neck. In India, newborn babies are |
| when a child lost a lot of weight and was dehydrated | | | | massaged daily for about40 days to correct the |
| from being sick I advised the mother to massage the | | | | physical damage of labour. Touching is healing and |
| throat area from outside with peppermint balm and | | | | You must not underestimate the power of that. |
| use a homoeopathic treatment, which cleared up the | | | | Massage your baby with jojoba or sesame oil, |
| problem. | | | | particularly the neck area to ensure good blood flow to |
| It's important that your baby gets home-made food. | | | | the pituitary gland. |
| * This is a good time to introduce fruit and vegetables, | | | | |