Immunology Appointment

The GI Dr. referred Justin to immunology because of the results of his immunoglobulins test. She was concerned with the lower levels of IGA. Low levels of IGA occur in some types of leukemia, kidney damage, problems with the intestines, and a rare inherited disease that affects muscle coordination, all which could increase the chances of developing an autoimmune disease.

Even though Justin's IGA levels are low the Dr. said that they are in the normal range for his age. She asked about his eating habits since he is small for his age. But she's the first specialist to acknowledge that his small stature could very well be due to genetics. Most premature babies experience catch up growth by age 2 but a small number of preemies never fully catch up to where they would have been if born full-term and remain slightly smaller than average throughout their lives.

During her exam she noticed that his skin was dry and mentioned that he may be prone to allergies in the future, but I'm not too worried; after all, it is still winter so of course his skin is dry. She recommended that we stay away from fish, peanuts and eggs until age 3, but other than that we're free to continue experimenting with new foods.