pink handprints (640x480)Evie experienced her first FPIES reaction at 6.5 months to a rice product. After vomiting for an hour and becoming pale and weak, I called an ambulance. The emergency department professionals were clueless, and suggested Lactose Intolerance.

Over the next month it happened two more times, both of these times involving oats. My General Practitioner told me each time that it was gastroenteritis. I knew it had to be an allergy, so I requested a referral to a pediatrician.

Searching online and googling her symptoms led me to suspect that it was FPIES, but it wasn’t until we were referred to an allergist that it was diagnosed as classic FPIES. We restricted oats and rice in her diet and had no further problems!

At 17 months, her daycare accidentally fed her rice and thankfully, there was no reaction. She appears to have outgrown it!

There is very little information in Australia, as FPIES occurs so rarely. I was so appreciative of the information on The FPIES Foundation’s website, as it gave me the confidence from the beginning to insist on seeing a specialist, rather than putting my infant through the scary tests, such as barium swallows they initially requested.

Page published: Sept.10, 2013. Copyright © 2012,The FPIES Foundation