My son was born 16 weeks ago, and at a week old I took him to our GP with concerns that something was wrong. Since that visit, those concerns were repeatedly minimized. This week, a paediatrician confirmed that my son does, indeed, have an allergy which could have been diagnosed when he was merely a week old. This oversight resulted in 15 agonizing weeks of unnecessary pain and discomfort for my baby, as well as significant anxiety, stress, and trauma for me, his mother.

During these 15 weeks, I repeatedly attended the local GP, called 111 and spent a Saturday in A and E, only to be told each time that my baby was “normal”, there was nothing wrong. These conclusions were made often without examining my baby - in the case of the hospital, they didn’t even glance at him. 

I have summarised a list of things  was told during this time; 

It’s normal
You’re anxious
We’ll pop you on some antidepressants 
We’ll refer you to the cry it out team
Would you like to do a survey based on babies crying 
We’ll refer you to the mental health team
We’ll refer you to the wellbeing team 
You’re overfeeding him
Have you tried this bottle, this teat, paced feeding, wonky feeding?
My favourite - have you tried consoling him? 
We’ll give him this medication 
He’s on the right dose
You’re overthinking this
He’s gaining weight 
You’re a first time mum, what you don’t know is that this is normal
Once he’s weaning he’ll be better
You can’t early wean him 
Is there someone who can take him for an hour for you? 
Have you tried going to baby groups
This hernia was there from birth (it wasn’t)
He isn’t tongue tied (he was). 

This week, after 15 weeks of me pestering for a referral we got to see a paediatrician, whose first words were - tell me what you’ve been going through. 

Within 5 mins he confirmed my son does have CMPA, he did need an increased dose of his medication (double in fact) and that he needed an amino based milk. I had only rang the GP 2 days before asking them to review this themselves. 

3 days on the new milk I have a different baby. Yesterday I cried because my son at 16 weeks old did his first poop that didn’t involve screaming and crying for hours prior for him to pass. I cried again because he passed wind in his sleep and it didn’t wake him up. 

I’ve been made to feel like I’m going mad and it’s made me question time and time again whether I’m a good enough mum. I’ve missed out on 4 months of my son being happy, smiley but most of all content and pain free. I will never get that time back. 

This unfortunate experience is not unique and highlights a critical need in our healthcare system — the urgent need to improve the training and awareness of General Practitioners (GPs) regarding allergies and intolerances in newborns and infants. Babies are suffering needlessly because the crucial first line of healthcare — our GPs — is not sufficiently equipped with the knowledge required to identify and address such issues promptly.

Allergies can manifest in various ways, sometimes leading to serious health issues if not addressed in a timely manner. Early identification and treatment are essential to prevent undue hardship on both children and their families. By raising awareness and reinforcing training for GPs on this matter, we can ensure that countless other families don't have to endure a similar ordeal.

Healthcare authorities and medical boards must take responsible and proactive steps to incorporate comprehensive modules on pediatric allergies and intolerances into GP training programs. This can include workshops, continued medical education (CME) courses, and regular seminars focused on the latest research and techniques for recognizing and treating allergies in young children.

We call upon the relevant health authorities to prioritize this issue and guarantee that GPs are well-equipped to provide timely and effective support to mothers and their babies. Sign this petition to help prevent unnecessary suffering and ensure that every child's health is safeguarded with the appropriate and timely medical attention. Let’s make sure that no other family has to go through what we have experienced.