Food allergies

[Randi]

After reading the post concerning the preschoolers touring a bakery, I began to think about the difficulties facing people with food allergies. I can't remember knowing anyone who had an allergy to any kind of food, but I don't deny that some people can become very ill or even die.
However, if it was me or my child, I don't think I would be able to go out into a public situation like school and say to others, do not eat this since I/my child will become ill. Being the kind of person I am, I personally would not want to make it difficult for others and would probaby home school. Even though I realize that all children have a right to attend public school, whose rights should take precedence?
One of my sons would only eat PB& J lunches throughout elementary school. What would he have done if PB were not allowed? Gone without lunch?

It must be so hard for families and I certainly give them credit for coping with it daily.

 

[Dan Murphy]

 

[momof2inPA]

I don't have a problem asking that the kids in my son's preschool not bring in nut/ peanut snacks. It's 2 1/2 hours per day, three days a week, and there are so many other things to choose from. The teachers agree with me and offered to send a note out to the parents without my requesting that they do so. The parents haven't made any negative comments that I've heard, and I do hear them make negative comments about the sugary snacks. They just want to know what's ok to send.

Our CCD classes also ask that peanut/nut snacks not be sent for all the kids with food allergies, as do cub scouts. These accomodations are not just made for my kids, but the many kids in these activities with food allergies.

Food allergies have unfortunately become so common place that people are becoming used to making allowances for the kids with the food allergies. Thanks goodness, as no parent should have to worry about their child dying from anaphylaxis at school, scouts, or CCD, and I don't think any child's food preference should take precedence over another child's safety. Now, if there is a food sensory issue, I would hope something could be worked out.

Note: I do homeschool my older son, but that is not a choice parents should be forced into, nor is it a choice that many parents are even able to make for financial reasons.

 

[disykat]

I think it's a pretty easy choice. Put up with a few kids who have some easily worked around special needs - or find expensive ways to provide for them under the Americans with Disabilities Act. My peanut allergic son does not inconvenience anyone. However, I would consider it an inconvenience to pay taxes for all the accomodations that would have to be provided for him if he was not allowed in the regular classroom. All children have to be accomodated - it's the law.

I am refraining from saying what I think about the OP.

 

[Mermaid02]

My son ate pb&j EVERYDAY until he was 6 1/2 and developed an allergy to peanuts. He found something else he liked. It is possible.

 

[CamColt]

Originally posted by Mermaid02
My son ate pb&j EVERYDAY until he was 6 1/2 and developed an allergy to peanuts. He found something else he liked. It is possible.

This is not in reference to anyone here, but Mermaid, I had to LOL at that comment. Some people I know dont think its possible for their kid to go 6 hours in school without a peanut product. My kids are the pickiest around and they survive without them.

My DS has a peanut allergy and I have no problem with kids bringing peanuts to school. In fact the school serves PB&J on a daily basis and I would never complain about that. What gets me is in Kindergrten we asked and the teacher, and she agreed to send a note home about the allergy. We just asked that if parents send stuff in for parties or birthdays, that they let the teacher know if they contain any peanuts. Would you believe a parent didnt do that and DS ended up taking a bite out of a chocolate/peanutbutter heart on Valentines day. These were the individually wrapped things so no ingredients were listed and it was assumed it was safe since no one notified us about it.

 

[Christine]

I am also the type of person that does not like to inconvenience people. I HATE to impose, so I ask very little for my PA son. Just enough to keep him safe. He currently eats lunch at a table with others who eat peanut butter. He is almost 10 years old now and it is not the same issue it was when he was 2. I don't have to worry about it getting smeared everywhere. So far, I have asked nothing of my son's school. The staff is aware of his allergy and that is that. I definitely had more requirements when he was at a daycare center.

As far as home schooling, it is not that easily decided. In the state of Virginia, at least one parent must hold a college degree for the family to home school. Hmmmm....well, I guess we can't do that. Not an option. My son has a right to get an education. Weigh that right against your child's right to have peanut butter for one meal or snack of the day.

Also, in my experience, the children have ALWAYS been wonderful about the allergy. It seems from what I am reading, it is just the parents that have a problem, although personally I have never run across one parent that had a problem with my child (I only see the negative attitudes on line and I hear of others' problems).

My son just started a new school this year and was invited to his first birthday party/sleepover with a new group of friends. I called the mother to RSVP and asked what she would be serving, yada, yada, yada. She told me she would probably serve an ice cream cake. I said "okay, but please do not let my son have any--I will send him his own snack." She was blown away and so was the little boy. They said they really didn't care WHAT they served at the party, they wanted to make sure that my son could eat the party treats like everyone else. So this woman is buying cake from the "safe" bakery, and "safe" ice cream, etc. I never asked, but they wanted to do it. I am thankful for people like that and always believe that the nasty ones are few and far between.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I have to believe that most reasonable people would have no problem complying with a request from a parent with an allergic child.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Originally posted by Christine

Also, in my experience, the children have ALWAYS been wonderful about the allergy.

I wouldn't be surprised if this was the case in a lot of situations. Usually, little kids are pretty adaptable.

I have a severe allergy that could kill me. Not to food, but to bees. One sting could possibly kill me.

Now, say I'm not *me*okay? Lets for a minute pretend I'm a 7 year old child, YOUR 7 year old child, whose class is going to visit a honey farm.

You can have all the teachers and workers at the farm assure you a hundred million times that they will make sure none of the bees get out of their enclosure and sting me.

Would you take the risk? I wouldn't want to.

I think it's the same thing with schools. Some of these allergies are so severe that you can have all the staff aware and such, and in a perfect world that would be enough. I wish it was because being a picky eater myself, I can only imagine what a kid who only likes peanut butter & jelly sandwiches must have to deal with. But it's not a perfect world, and as much as parents want to trust the staff to make sure nothing goes wrong, some people don't want to take that risk.

It's really a very tough call. I hate to see any food "outlawed" in a school.

But I think the childrens' health and safety needs to come first.

 

[ohanafamily]

No Kids yet, one on the way... I am allergic to Cilantro and Corriander... It is not much fun sometimes, but I will say that WDW makes a huge effort... Boma has like 3 things on the menu without Corriander... The Chef actually made me a plate...

Maricesh made me some onseasoned beef kabobs with steamed rice...

Food allergies are NOT FUN!!!

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

I myself am allergic to milk and milk products. DH is always telling me to take the Lactaid pills, but I hate taking medication of any kind so I find it easier to avoid the milk products.

I am really hoping that DS only ends up with 'normal' allergies like petdander, pollen, grass, that sort of thing. I don't know how I'm going to deal with it if he ends up being allergic to peanuts or something.

I'm so afraid of food-based allergies I wouldn't even give him Soy Formula when the pedi suggested it because DS is lactose intolerant. I read somewhere that if you give an infant soy formula, they run a very high risk of soy/legume based allergies when they are older. Someone even told me that he was allergic to peanuts now because his mother used a peanutoil based creme on him as a child (he had eczema or something).

TOV

 

[dianeschlicht]

I have an egg/poultry allergy as well as MSG, and both are very difficult to stay away from. Eggs are in lots of things, and MSG is sometimes hard to get restaurants to identify.

 

[Christine]

Originally posted by TheOtherVillainess
I myself am allergic to milk and milk products. DH is always telling me to take the Lactaid pills, but I hate taking medication of any kind so I find it easier to avoid the milk products.


TOV

TOV, are you actually allergic to milk or lactose intolerant? If you are truly allergic to milk, then the Lactaid pills won't do a darn thing for you. It is important to understand the difference between a food intolerance (lactose) and a food allergy. Two totally different reactions. If you are truly allergic to a food (or anything for that matter) than your child has an increased risk of allergies to anything also. If you have a history of allergies, it would be wise to introduce the highly allergenic foods at later dates than is normally recommended.

My peanut/egg allergic son was also fed soy formula as an infant. Ten years ago they did not know that soy formula may cause further allergies. I just throw may hands up after awhile because no matter what you do, it seems it is always the wrong thing.

 

[CheshireVal]

My younger brother is deathly allergic to fish. We found this out when he took a bite of a McDonald's fish filet sandwich as a 2 year old and went into a coma!

His doctor said it would be too risky to give allergy tests to determine WHICH kind of fish he's allergic to, so he just avoids all of it. At seafood restaurants or any place that serves fried fish, he always asks if the french fries, chicken, etc has been exposed to fish oil, so luckily his allergy is fairly manageable.

 

[TheOtherVillainess]

I know I have limits. I can have ONE glass of milk (8 oz) or ONE scoop (just one) of ice cream or 2 pieces of pizza and I'll be alright..sort of. I just get all burpy and feel icky for the next 6 hrs. Any more than that and I end up hugging the porcelain for hours afterwards because I am so sick.


And I agree with whatever you do with kids always seeming to be th e WRONG thing. We don't AP (which is all the rage at the moment it seems),so he's going to grow up to be a moron and feel unloved and not be able to trust anybody because we don't hold him 24/7. Crazy AP nazis!

TOV