What is FPIES (Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome)?

You wanted to know what FPIES is. And it stands for Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome, and this is basically a form of a food allergy usually related to cow’s milk or soy protein, and sometimes it’s also related to just solid food, and it usually manifests itself in infancy. The most common symptoms are severe vomiting and diarrhea, and this, of course, can lead to dehydration, and, long term, a child just may not grow like they should or develop like they should, because they’re not getting the nutrition that they need. There are many other things that can cause these symptoms too. Other food allergies can cause it, infections, intestinal obstructions, reflux disease, cardiac, metabolic, and neurologic diseases can also cause these things.
And so, basically, if your baby is having severe vomiting and/or diarrhea, I suggest talking with your pediatrician about it. And based on their ability to ask more specific questions, to perform an exam, and see how your baby is developing and what their weight gain or loss has been over time, they’ll be able to determine if further investigation or intervention is warranted for your baby. If they suspect that it might be an allergy, then the recommendation is likely going to be to eliminate that from your child’s diet entirely to see if the symptoms go away. And if they do, then that may very well be the issue. If a child’s symptoms don’t improve after cutting the suspected culprit out of the diet, then they’ll look into it and consider other possible causes.
Now you specifically mentioned that your child reacted to oatmeal, and so I definitely wouldn’t give that to your baby again before talking to your pediatrician. And also discuss the introduction of other solid foods before trying them with your baby. Good luck with everything, and if you have more questions in the future for me, feel free to ask them on our Intermountain Moms Facebook and Instagram pages, and recommend us to your friends and family too.