Tuesday “Travels”

Food Allergies and Children

http://blogs.babycenter.com/mom_stories/new-food-allergy-guidelines/

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704156304576003382894873452.html?mod=ITP_personaljournal_0

These articles are a must read for parents of children with food allergies. They explain the latest guidelines published in the Journal  of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and issued by the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NAID) on diagnosing and treating food allergies.

Allergies are complicated and difficult to handle with children especially as they get old enough to go to school and are then exposed to other children bringing foods in their lunch that are potentially lethal to the allergic child.

Over Thanksgiving while we were boarding our flight…a parent was requesting special services because her child had a peanut allergy. I asked her how the airline deals with this situation. She said that they give her time to wipe down the seat and seat belt before her child sits down. The flight attendants then announce to the passengers that someone has an allergy to nuts so it is requested that passengers refrain from eating nuts while onboard. They also do not serve peanuts as the snack.

Allergies to peanuts and other foods are quite serious and parents have to be very diligent dealing with this. Hopefully these new guidelines will help.