Mother dismissed by GP as ‘anxious first-time parent’ discovers son has a milk allergy when he CHOKED


  • Hayley Edwards was concerned when her son Nathan suffered a reaction
  • Three-week-old Nathan developed a painful rash and suffered swollen eyes
  • Miss Edwards believed the tot had developed some form of milk allergy 
  • Her GP tried to reassure her she was ‘being an anxious first-time parent’
  • But when she brought Nathan to hospital he was diagnosed very quickly
  • Now Miss Edwards wants GPs better trained to diagnose milk allergies  

By
Anna Hodgekiss for MailOnline

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Hayley Edwards, right, suspected her son Nathan, 14 weeks, had picked up her milk allergy 

A mother who took her baby to doctors claiming he had a milk allergy was dismissed as an anxious first-time parent was days before he was taken to hospital when he started to choke.

Hayley Edwards was brushed off when she tried to tell her GP that her three-week-old boy had an allergy to cow’s milk, despite him being covered in rash and having swollen eyes.

But when little Nathan Hudson began to choke and was rushed to hospital by ambulance it was only then that a paediatrician finally diagnosed an allergy, as well as reflux.

Miss Edwards, 31, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, has now launched a campaign to see GPs better trained in spotting allergies in babies.

Miss Edwards, who also suffers from a milk allergy, said: ‘Nathan was covered in a rash and he had swollen, watery eyes and he was really congested.

‘He was squirming in pain all the time – I knew what was wrong but nobody would listen.’

The mum took Nathan, now 16 weeks, to see a doctor at Kings Medical Centre in Wakefield but was deemed anxious and nervous.

His symptoms only improved after his later diagnosis by a paediatrician at Pinderfields Hospital, when he was started on a milk-free diet and medication for reflux.

A lead GP at King’s said: ‘Even with a thriving baby such as Nathan, reflux or feeding problems can be distressing and it sometimes takes a while to get the right treatment.

‘We are glad that after all the appointments and visits he is doing so much better. We would be very happy to speak directly to Nathan’s mum about this.’

Dr Allison Grove, consultant paediatrician at The Mid Yorkshire Hospital NHS Trust, said: ‘As part of their general paediatric education and training, paediatric doctors at our hospitals are trained in spotting the symptoms of milk allergies and reflux, along with all other common conditions found in babies and children.’

Miss Edwards’ online petition aims to review the system doctors take dealing with babies with potential allergies or reflux, and has so far gathered 3,700 signatures.

The petition can be signed at http://epetition.direct.gov.uk/petitions/68614.

WHAT IS THE CAUSE OF MILK INTOLERANCE IN BABIES?  

Some babies can develop an intolerance to cow’s milk. It is the most common form of food allergy in small children but most will have grown out of it by the time they go to school. 

Babies with an intolerance react to an enzyme in the milk with various degrees of severity. 

In extreme cases the allergy can cause anaphylaxis.

In most cases, babies develop diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach cramps. They can also suffer from eczema.

Source: NHS Direct 

Little Nathan, left, was covered in a rash and was suffering from swollen eyes according to his mother Hayley

Miss Edwards took Nathan to Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield where he was diagnosed with a milk allergy

 

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