Peanut Allergy continued…

NOTEWORTHY WEDNESDAY!

Peanut allergy is on the rise…it can cause a severe reaction which is life threatening.

Unexpected sources of peanuts:

  • sauces, chili sauce, hot sauce, pesto, gravy, mole sauce, and salad dressing
  • sweets like puddings, cookies, and hot chocolate
  • egg rolls
  • potato pancakes
  • pet foods (reactions may occur after being licked by a pet that has consumed peanut)
  • specialty pizzas
  • Asian and Mexican dishes
  • Some vegetarian food products, especially those advertised as mean substitutes
  • foods that contain extruded, cold pressed peanut oil, which may contain peanut protein
  • glazes and marinades
  • salads and salad dressings
  • barbecue sauce
  • breading for chicken
  • pancakes
  • meat-free burgers
  • pasta
  • honey
  • fish dishes
  • pie crust
  • mortadella (may contain pistachios)

Things to keep in mind:

  • Alternative nut butters may be processed on equipment shared with peanuts…contact manufacturer about these products.
  • Discuss with allergist whether to avoid tree nuts…cross contamination with peanuts is always a risk.
  • Ice cream served in ice cream parlors should be avoided due to cross contamination…always tell the manager that you have a nut allergy.
  • Sometimes foods that contain other nuts also contain peanuts.
  • Peanuts go by other names, such as beer nuts, ground nuts or monkey nuts.
  • Ask your doctor if you should avoid peanut oils.
  • Peanuts can be found in many foods and candies, especially chocolate. Check all labels carefully and contact the manufacturer with your questions.
  • Peanuts can cause severe allergic reactions. If prescribed, carry epinephrine at all times- lean more about anaphylaxis.

Some children actually can outgrow a peanut allergy…check with your doctor.

via: DuPage Medical Group- Asthma and Allergy Center, 1801 South Highland Avenue, Lombard, IL 60148 – 630 545 7833 

links: http://www.foodallergy.org/

Related posts:http://parentingintheloop.wordpress.com/2011/08/17/kids-and-allergies/

Kids and Allergies…

NOTEWORTY WEDNESDAY!

KIDS AND ALLERGIES

Allergies are serious and especially so in children.

The vast majority of allergic reactions to foods affect the skin in one way or another. The severity of symptoms can change quickly and there is always potential for a severe, possibly life-threatening reaction.

This week I had a crash course in allergies and children. The fact that ingesting a food such as a peanut could be life threatening is truly  a scary situation.

There are ways to minimize the potential risk and prevent accidental exposure to the foods that cause an allergic reaction.

Here are some of the family’s responsibilities when they have a child with a food allergy:

  • Notify the school of the child’s allergies
  • Work with the school team to develop a plan that accommodates the child’s needs throughout the school including in the classroom, in the cafeteria, in after-care programs during school sponsored activities and on the school bus as well as a Food Allergy Action Plan.
  • Provide written medical documentation, instructions, ad medications as directed by a physician using the Food Allergy Action Plan as a guide. Include a photo of the child on written form.
  • Provide properly labeled medications and replace medications after use or upon expiration.
  • Educate the child in the self-management of their food allergy including:
  1. safe and unsafe foods
  2. strategies for avoiding exposure to unsafe foods
  3. symptoms of allergic reaction
  4. how and when to tell an adult they may be having an allergy-related problem
  5. how to read food labels (age appropriate)

– Review policies/procedures with the school staff, the child’s physician, and the child (if age appropriate) after a reaction has occurred.

– Provide emergency contact information.

excerpts: from DuPage Medical Group – Asthma & Allergy Center

NEXT:  School’s responsibility

Related Posts: http://parentingintheloop.wordpress.com/2010/12/07/food-allergies-new-guidelines/

Food Allergies…new guidelines…

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.