Junior High and Allergies

[shelby101301]

And for the record, we are not a peanut or tree nut allergy. My older child is has a non life threatening allergy/reaction of sorts to food dyes and preservatives...thankfully not a life threatening allergy like my youngest.

But for that reason, i need to send and make lunches every day for the first time as he enters first grade. He only like peanut butter, and won't touch lunch meat and i am certainly scrambling and planning to find something to send every day that will pack in a lunch bag (I usually cook him lunch every day at home)

So I am inconvenienced, and it's taking something away from my child, making him "do without". But I looked my child in the eye at his complaints over sunflower seed butter and said, "Would you like someone at your school to get sick like your brother because you brought peanut butter?" He shook his head and said "No mommy!"

And he ate his replacement sandwich. I'm proud of him for it too. I'm glad he's not selfish and is compassionate to others.

 

[Hannathy]

For all those arguing, argue away. But face it, the world has changed, You may not like it, but for school at least, I believe it's only a matter of time, or a death, or a lawsuit before the no peanuts is the norm for all districts.

I guess I am just kind of disgusted by the lack of compassion for those dealing with these types of issues. As usual, heaven forbid we try and look outside ourselves and our own creature comforts in order to help someone with a legitimate lie threatening health concern.

Ok so should you look outside yourself and forbid shellfish? strawberries? None of you have answered where does it stop? You can't adjust the world to you you have to adjust to the world. Why just peanuts? Isn't that being selfish also?

 

[shelby101301]

To die from eating a cookie they would have to ingest the crumbs, not something a Jr High kid is going to do that knows they have an allergy. Not sure about the special cleaner will have to read more. I do doubt that a table wiped off that only had a crumb or two is going to transmit enough peanut protein to kill someone, How do they open any doors or use a computer in the library, touch a music stand, those are not all cleaned with special cleaner. Like I said in high school they eat at the same table and a boy with a peanut allergy sat there all year while they all including his brother ate peanut butter. In fact his brother ate a lot of peanut butter because he is a vegetarian.

That's how it is *now*. Like I said, argue all you want. When the first child gets really sick or heaven forbid dies, it's all going to change. Better get used to it. It's coming whether you want things to change or not.

 

[badblackpug]

Ok....where do we draw the line? When does it become a personal responsibilty and not a public one? Jr. High? High? College? The work place? Is it limited to school or does it includ all school activities? Can the kids no longer go to the zoo or the circus because there are peanuts? What about sporting events? What about the school carnival? The truth of the matter is that once you make an accommodation for one you are going to need to make it for all. Now a lot of people don't believe that, but human nature being what it is, you know that once you accommodate Johhny's allergy parent X will want you to accommodate Suzy's, too. Cross contamination is a possibility with all allergens. Poor disinfection techniques are a possibility with all allergens.

A PP who is allergic to nuts wrote a very intelligent post. She described how she has learned to deal with her unique needs. She described how she takes the responsibility to go out of her way to ensure that she is safe, she doesn't expect others to shoulder that resposibility. It is probably inconvenient, and in many cases more expensive, but it is a fact of life.

...and yes, though it may not be a popular view, or politically correct, money is a factor, especially in public schools. Schools need to work within a budget, that budget may not accommodate everyone's wants.

I still think the point, here, that a lot of people are missing is that this is a jr. High student. This is a child that is old enough to know, understand, and initiate any precautions that he may need to keep himself safe.

 

[shelby101301]

Ok so should you look outside yourself and forbid shellfish? strawberries? None of you have answered where does it stop? You can't adjust the world to you you have to adjust to the world. Why just peanuts? Isn't that being selfish also?

Because peanuts are unique in the way they make people sick. the others are not. Am I asking my school district to restrict eggs and wheat and strawberries from their cafeteria because of my child? No. I have 4 years to teach my child to eat only what I send, and that he as to eat on a mat I send.

My older son can't eat any cupcakes and goodies because of the preservative/dyes thing. Did I demand his class not have any of that? No, after he came home crying for being excluded from the Thanksgiving feast, i asked the teacher to inform me ahead of time of such events so I could send in things safe for him. And she took it a step further and allowed me to send some for her to keep on hand for things like other kid's birthdays.

If the egg thing or whatever new allergen became airborne, then yes, I guess that's next. We've changed our food supply over the last 40 years, and with that comes consequences. That's just a fact you cant' avoid.

 

[mjkacmom]

Some 90 percent of all allergic reactions to food in the U.S. are caused by eight culprits: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish (7 million Americans are allergic to fish and shellfish, the most common being shrimp).

Okay, not much soy and shellfish in schools anyway. Has anyone died from a sip of milk? Eggs and wheat can be serious (my nephew is allergic to both), but they are in SO many things, it would be close to impossible to eliminate it from a school menu. So, that leaves nuts as being an ingredient that could be deadly to some (has anyone croaked over a strawberry?). There are so many foods that DON'T contain nuts, that it is easy to have a nut-free menu.

 

[Hannathy]

But they aren't asking to not have the whole school not open a bag of peanuts all at the same time they want no peanut products served at all-overkill. I can understand in preschool but not older kids. Peanut allergies are yes inhaled but not unless the person is close to the peanuts not a cafeteria away. and eating peanut butter does not cause airborne allergens.

 

[Leajess99]

yes, the whole school should change for one child.

What if it were your child? What if one of those peanut items accidentally contaminated the non peanut items and that one child ended up dead?

When you have rushed your child to the ER watching their airways swell and close and see their faces slowly turn blue like I have...then you will understand how serious allergies can really be.

There was a child a few years back that had to be rushed to the ER from the elementary school as she had eaten an item that had been cross contaminated. She was very sick and missed the rest of the week. I am very cautious with what I send into the school as I do not want to be responsible for making a child have a bad reaction. I have been this way since my oldest was little and feel that a little caring goes a long way. There are other alternatives for sandwiches than just Peanut Butter and Jelly.

 

[Leajess99]

Exactly! We avoid places we know are at risk. I carry wipes and such to wipe and clean surfaces before my child touches them... No my child can't go to public play centers like his older siblings... He has limitations for the outside world. But it is the law to send your child to school, and I am certainly not qualified to home school. Surely it's not to much to ask that the school actually be a safe place to attend?

Yes an older child can control what s/he puts in their mouth but what about what has been on the table? And mistakes do happen. I don't know how often I've asked someone "Is this egg free?" and then say yes, and then upon further inspection, it's really not. I have to see it in writing on the package labeling for myself and speak to a mgr before i trust anything we eat in public. 98% of the time, we just bring our own. Just every once in a while, my child wants to be like everyone else, though. Is that so much to ask? To occasionally want to eat something everyone else is? Especially in middle/High school!

In reference to the bolded, we had an incidence here in which my mom's coworker found out that a local restaurant was using peanut oil a little too late. He started reacting immediately and that was when it was discovered (even though they had asked the waitress and nothing in writing claiming it was used) that the restaurant was using peanut oil. Not everyone pays attention and it can really have devastating effects.

 

[fimac]

Some 90 percent of all allergic reactions to food in the U.S. are caused by eight culprits: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish (7 million Americans are allergic to fish and shellfish, the most common being shrimp).

Okay, not much soy and shellfish in schools anyway. Has anyone died from a sip of milk? Eggs and wheat can be serious (my nephew is allergic to both), but they are in SO many things, it would be close to impossible to eliminate it from a school menu. So, that leaves nuts as being an ingredient that could be deadly to some (has anyone croaked over a strawberry?). There are so many foods that DON'T contain nuts, that it is easy to have a nut-free menu.

This story is about a death due to milk http://www.allergicliving.com/features.asp?copy_id=17

The schools round here are all now nut restricted

 

[princessmom29]

Because peanuts are unique in the way they make people sick. the others are not. Am I asking my school district to restrict eggs and wheat and strawberries from their cafeteria because of my child? No. I have 4 years to teach my child to eat only what I send, and that he as to eat on a mat I send.

My older son can't eat any cupcakes and goodies because of the preservative/dyes thing. Did I demand his class not have any of that? No, after he came home crying for being excluded from the Thanksgiving feast, i asked the teacher to inform me ahead of time of such events so I could send in things safe for him. And she took it a step further and allowed me to send some for her to keep on hand for things like other kid's birthdays.

If the egg thing or whatever new allergen became airborne, then yes, I guess that's next. We've changed our food supply over the last 40 years, and with that comes consequences. That's just a fact you cant' avoid.

Not true at all. The allergic mechanism is exactly the same no matter what the allergen, and all of them, dairy, egg, shelfish, strawberries,even wheat ect CAN AND DO become airbnore. My DH reacts to airbore shellfish. I have a child in my room at shool who reacts to airborne dairy. There is really no difference at all except the fact that the peanut allergy crowd screams louder and longer about getting peanuts banned. The rest of us seem to find a way to live with it and keep our kids safe.

 

[Mandychelle79]

Not true at all. The allergic mechanism is exactly the same no matter what the allergen, and all of them, dairy, egg, shelfish, strawberries,even wheat ect CAN AND DO become airbnore. My DH reacts to airbore shellfish. I have a child in my room at shool who reacts to airborne dairy. There is really no difference at all except the fact that the peanut allergy crowd screams louder and longer about getting peanuts banned. The rest of us seem to find a way to live with it and keep our kids safe.

Thank you. This is what I was trying to say

 

[Hannathy]

Not true at all. The allergic mechanism is exactly the same no matter what the allergen, and all of them, dairy, egg, shelfish, strawberries,even wheat ect CAN AND DO become airbnore. My DH reacts to airbore shellfish. I have a child in my room at shool who reacts to airborne dairy. There is really no difference at all except the fact that the peanut allergy crowd screams louder and longer about getting peanuts banned. The rest of us seem to find a way to live with it and keep our kids safe.

Well said!

 

[disneyandme]

Not true at all. The allergic mechanism is exactly the same no matter what the allergen, and all of them, dairy, egg, shelfish, strawberries,even wheat ect CAN AND DO become airbnore. My DH reacts to airbore shellfish. I have a child in my room at shool who reacts to airborne dairy. There is really no difference at all except the fact that the peanut allergy crowd screams louder and longer about getting peanuts banned. The rest of us seem to find a way to live with it and keep our kids safe.

Again continuing to spout off misconceptions. Please inform yourself on why nuts are different than other allergerens. Go back and read all the posts and find out more about the cleaning process for nut versus other foods.

 

[mjkacmom]

This story is about a death due to milk http://www.allergicliving.com/features.asp?copy_id=17

The schools round here are all now nut restricted

Very sad - and while most deadly allergies are the result of peanut allergies, this shows that even a careful allergy kid can have issues. The problem with milk is it is in everything, unlike peanuts, which can easily be left off of the menu.

 

[Hannathy]

Again continuing to spout off misconceptions. Please inform yourself on why nuts are different than other allergerens. Go back and read all the posts and find out more about the cleaning process for nut versus other foods.

The study I read said that ordinary cleaners like 409 did just fine getting rid of the residue. And seriously if your child is so sensitive that a micro amt of residue left over after cleaning is going to kill them they will not be able to exist in the outside world, In fact even water got rid of some of it. If you have a specific study or two please say where it can be read.

 

[livndisney]

Again continuing to spout off misconceptions. Please inform yourself on why nuts are different than other allergerens. Go back and read all the posts and find out more about the cleaning process for nut versus other foods.

What "misconception" are you talking about?

What do you think is "different" about other life threatening allergies?

 

[princessmom29]

Again continuing to spout off misconceptions. Please inform yourself on why nuts are different than other allergerens. Go back and read all the posts and find out more about the cleaning process for nut versus other foods.

I am a biochemist. I KNOW what I am talking about. The allergic mechanisms are EXACTLY the same. Peroid. Allergic individuals have a histamine reaction to a protien contained in the allergen. The release of histamine causes their symptoms. After the histamine is released, it is irrelevant what caused it. The treatment is the same. The ONLY reason nut residue is harder to remove is the oil component, and as another poster just pointed out, all it takes is a grease cutting cleaner like 409 to get rid of the residue. With any allergen and any cleaner there is a chance of leaving a residue behind and that residue causing a reaction. Peanuts are not special in that respect. Sorry to dissapoint.

 

[Hannathy]

"Comparing how well assorted cleaners or plain water remove Ara h 1, the most common peanut allergen, the Hopkins researchers showed that most products performed well, although dishwashing liquid left tiny traces of Ara h 1 on some cafeteria tables, and alcohol-based hand sanitizer left residual allergen on half of the hands tested.

"It's possible that dish soap creates a film over eating surfaces, making it difficult to clean underneath," says Children's Center pediatric allergist Robert A. Wood, M.D., senior author of the study. "But our results suggest that even if a child licked the table vigorously after it had been cleaned with dish soap, he probably still couldn't get enough allergen to cause a reaction."

This is from a Science Daily article and I think it show that cleaning for peanut residue is no big deal.

 

[disneyandme]

To clarify- once again- the cleaning process for nuts is different that other allergens thereby making nuts a unique case when it comes to schools. Most schools wipe tables with a damp rag between classes and do not use cleaners until the end of the day. For most foods, this is sufficient to eliminate the food protein from the surface- not for nuts. As far as parents of nut allergic kids yelling the loudest, that's just inflamatory.
Each parent is responsibile for making sure their child is safe at school and if eliminating nuts form the cafeteria menu is necessary for a child, then so be it. If another parent can show that it is necessary for another food to be eliminated from the cafeteria due to past reactions, I'd be willing to make those accomodations. This is not a parent trying to take the easy way out- food allergies are never easy. They take constant attention and care.