Peanut Allergy issue - is this going too far in your opinion?

[binny]

I agree that this is extreme.

I have a latex allergy and a pretty severe one, I cant touch the handles on an escalator.. I deal.
I have to keep antihistamine with me at all times and have had to call 911 on occassion for it. The problem is that latex is on almost everything from underwear to rubber erasers. I have to be relaly careful but I know that I cant control what other people do, nor do I want to. Its bad enought hat my daughter has to say " I cant have a balloon, my mommys 'lergic"

 

[mbw12]

I
Their latest is asking parents to please refrain from giving their children peanut butter for breakfast or lunch at home, in case they come into contact with the child at school. The letter has asked families to restrict peanut butter to "weekends and holidays only."

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I haven't read all of the replies to this yet....so not sure which way this thread is going.
But here is MY opinion. I had a child with a peanut allergy....and even I think it is asking too much for them to request that you not feed your child anythign with peanuts in it at home. I absolutely agree with requesting that you not bring it to school...but what you do in your home is your business...IMO.


ETA: After reading some posts, I won't even address the statement again about a child "starving" if he doesn't eat peanut butter....please...I have been down that road on this board already....(and probably have a few enemies I suppose because of it.) I don't think by requesting that your child not bring in peanut butter or peanuts to school is an unreasonable request. But even I can see where it is unreasonable of them to ask you not to eat it in your home!

 

[vivilasvegas]

I have a question. If an allergy is that serious, that someone eating peanut containing products before going to school can cause the child to have a serious reaction, how do you deal with the problem in the public? Can you ever go on vacation, take the bus, etc?

Seriously, how do you live? It's like a prison sentence...

 

[cardaway]

There is a point when it should be considered a personal issue and all safety percautions should be the sole responsibility of the person with the issue.

When this extended to the home it went over the line.

 

[DisneyPhD]

I can understand the viewpoint from many parents feeling that if their did doesn't eat *SOMETHING* (it could be anything) they woud starve. Yes, we all know they will in fact no you won't die with out it, but kids do tend to stick to what they like.

My DD and I can't eat any milk or eggs, not such a big thing really, but it does turn our eating habits upside down until we adjusted, even now it can be rough. However I get the comment often that "I (or my kid) would starve with out cheese, milk, etc...". It is just a comment that this particle food is a large part of someone diet. There was a time I thought I couldn't live with out it, turns out I can. You do what you have to do (as someone who commented on thier child who loved peanut butter delevolping an allergy.)

What gets rleal trickey is when you have one person that can't eat say peanuts, another that can't eat milk and another with no soy, all in the same family.

I am not sure if the kid should be home schooled, that is harsh too. However to ask people not to eat a common food in their own home is over the top. If that is the ONLY way the child can be safe, then who knows, maybe. We don't have all the details and are only spectualting.

 

[disneysteve]

However to ask people not to eat a common food in their own home is over the top. If that is the ONLY way the child can be safe, then who knows, maybe. We don't have all the details and are only spectualting.

What exactly are we speculating about? The situation in the OP sounds pretty clear to me.

 

[mbw12]

What gets rleal trickey is when you have one person that can't eat say peanuts, another that can't eat milk and another with no soy, all in the same family.

QUOTE]

we may have lived the same life
DD-allergic to dairy products
DS- allergic to peanuts
DH- meat and potato eater
Me- never eats red meat, rarely eats meat at all

I feel like a short order cook most of the time, trying to accomodate everyone.....LOL!!!!!! but it's my life....and we all deal with things the best that we can!!!!!

 

[disykat]

Big difference between a person feeling guilty about something, and someone else accusing him of murder. I know that if peanut residue on my dd's hand caused an allergic reaction which resulted in the death of another child, I would feel horribly guilty about it, whether or not I knew the child was allergic. It would probably affect me for the rest of my life, just as it would if a child dashed out in front of my car and I was unable to brake in time to prevent my car from killing him. This does not equate to taking the blame, or to a murder accusation.

As for "starving" without peanut butter, I know it's not meant that your child would literally starve. Obviously, if pb didn't exist or if your child was allergic to it, he/she would find alternate foods. But I can see how tiring it would get from the point of view of peanut allergic parents, (face it, it always gets said in any peanut allergy discussion), when it most certainly isn't true. Someone said their family was vegetarian, right? Wouldn't it cause you to roll your eyes if a friend of your childs came to spend the night and her parents said she had to eat bacon (real bacon, not that soy stuff) for dinner and breakfast, it's all she'll eat and she'll starve if you don't serve it to her? If it does, then multiply that feeling by about 1,000(??) and maybe that's how a peanut allergic parent might feel hearing the "starve" comment again and again. If not, well, you're a better mom than I I just can't stand such exaggerations.

Oh, and as to the school's request in the OP, I do think it's a little over the top, but it was just a request, not a order. It would have been better to include the request that "if you must have pb in the morning, please make sure your child washes well afterward." I'm sure the child's parents know that not everyone will comply with the request and they will still teach him to be diligent. Reducing exposure is still helpful, though. Just because the risk will never be completely eliminated is no reason to say that schools shouldn't try to reduce it, IMO. That's like saying the nation's highways shouldn't have speed limits because some people will speed anyway.

The voice of reason! Great post - but no one will pay any attention because it's too much fun to assume people are accusing murder, children will starve to death if they don't eat peanut butter, it must be the parents of peanut allergic children who are making these unreasonable demands, peanut allergies are caused by parents who are overzealous cleaners, only parents who don't love their children enough would let their peanut allergic child out it public, etc. These threads drive me nuts!!!!

 

[DisneyPhD]

What exactly are we speculating about? The situation in the OP sounds pretty clear to me.

How severe the childs allergies actually are. Has the child had a life threating encounter with it at the school, when they already thought they were doing all they can? Did the parent request this or the school? How old is the child? (and how responsible for their own wellbeing). For example my DD is 16 months old. She has no clue what she can and can't eat, and likes anything she finds on the floor anywhere better then what is on her plate. This makes me a nut for picking up food at play areas, malls and parks where DD is often on the floor. Her 4 year old DD knows what her sister can and can't eat and is always questioning it. If my DD eats it she gets a rash. If this child comes in contact with it he or she could stop breathing. (or at least we are asuming that by the severity of the rules.)

We don't know if this child is kindergarden, or 5th grade. A big difference in there abilitity to monitor being careful about it.

mbw12, I am relived to say at this time we are only dealing with 3 alleriges, DD eggs and milk, Dnieces seafood and DNephews citrus. However I have talked to many families just like yours and eating can be a challange!

 

[disneysteve]

peanut allergies are caused by parents who are overzealous cleaners,

I'm not sure why you included this in your list of "blame placing." This isn't some wild idea. It is the leading theory amongst physicians and scientists to explain why allergies are so much more common today and it doesn't just apply to peanut allergies but allergies in general and asthma, as well.

 

[disneysteve]

How severe the childs allergies actually are. Has the child had a life threating encounter with it at the school, when they already thought they were doing all they can? Did the parent request this or the school? How old is the child? (and how responsible for their own wellbeing).

JMHO, but none of the answers to these questions would alter my answer to the OP. I think asking people to avoid eating peanuts at home is unreasonable - period. That's why I didn't understand where you felt there was any speculation involved.

 

[Cruisin]

I'm not sure why you included this in your list of "blame placing." This isn't some wild idea. It is the leading theory amongst physicians and scientists to explain why allergies are so much more common today and it doesn't just apply to peanut allergies but allergies in general and asthma, as well.

That's a funny one.

My son has a peanut allergy and I could never ever be accused of being a parent who is an overzealous cleaner.

 

[DisneyPhD]

That's a funny one.

My son has a peanut allergy and I could never ever be accused of being a parent who is an overzealous cleaner.

Yes, I was thinking the same thing, if that was the case there would be no way ever that I could have a child with a food allergy. I can start feeding the baby peantuts now, because an overzealous cleaner is not a word every used to discribe me.

 

[disykat]

I'm not sure why you included this in your list of "blame placing." This isn't some wild idea. It is the leading theory amongst physicians and scientists to explain why allergies are so much more common today and it doesn't just apply to peanut allergies but allergies in general and asthma, as well.

I understand that scientists believe that this could be an explanation for the increase of allergies and bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics, etc. However, they are not saying that it will cause problems to individuals in clean houses. They are saying that the general trend of cleanliness over the last 40 years is causing the problems - not blaming individuals. I think it is definately "blame placing" to infer that someone was an overzealous cleaner and caused their child to have allergies. Saying that certain practices affect change over time is different than saying "if you do this, it will cause this".

My mother did not grow up eating peanut butter. My understanding is that it really wasn't that commonly eaten here until after WWII. I grew up eating it regularly. Nut allergies were rare in people of my generation, but much more common in children now. Again, this doesn't make it my fault that I ate peanut butter, nor does it mean every child will develop peanut allergies if their parent regularly ate peanuts, but it helps account for the general trend.

 

[DisneyPhD]

JMHO, but none of the answers to these questions would alter my answer to the OP. I think asking people to avoid eating peanuts at home is unreasonable - period. That's why I didn't understand where you felt there was any speculation involved.

We are talking about a 3rd party info at best. There is always specuation and info that we are not aware of. Just the way it is.

I agree the request was over the top, but it is possible there is some info we are not aware of, after all there is always 2 sides(or more) to a story, and we don't have everyone.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

One thing that we are speculating on (unless it has been confirmed by the OP and I missed it) is if the parents were truly asked if they would "please be so kind" as to not serve peanut products at home or if the "asking" of the parents was actually a request that they were expected to honor.

Regardless, I think it's over the top to expect people to not eat peanuts in their own home.

 

[Ava83]

I think it is definitely "blame placing" to infer that someone was an overzealous cleaner and caused their child to have allergies.

I am not sure anyone is... the scientific community believes that it may lead to higher allergy rates in children. My Husband works with the leading child allergist in the western suburbs (honest Dr is known through the country) and the Dr told him that...with everything being so sterile now, the children don't develop their immune systems. And that is not bashing the parents they are doing the best for their kids...nothing less. (see I listen to DH when he talks about work!)

No one places blame on a parent for a child's allergies, its a real rough situation to be and what a family goes through with a child that suffers like that is unimaginable

 

[disykat]

I am not sure anyone is... the scientific community believes that it may lead to higher allergy rates in children. My Husband works with the leading child allergist in the western suburbs (honest Dr is known through the country) and the Dr told him that...with everything being so sterile now, the children don't develop their immune systems. And that is not bashing the parents they are doing the best for their kids...nothing less. (see I listen to DH when he talks about work!)

We're saying the same thing. It is not "blame placing" to say that the trend of cleanliness may be part of the problem - it is blame placing to say that someone's kids are sick, have allergies, etc. because their parents are overzealous - which is what was I felt was inferred in the post I refered to.

 

[disykat]

When DD was a baby, we were way less anal about cleanliness than our friends and our DD has turned out to be the healthiest of the bunch among our friends' kids. .

Anal parents = less healthy kids, definately inferred here. I wouldn't have quoted it directly, but Steve seemed interested in why I felt he was "blame placing".

I didn't mean to start an argument over this and I certainly don't want to start a fight with disneysteve - it was just one of many things I mentioned as part of my feeling that people get silly over this issue.

 

[AnaheimGirl]

The voice of reason! Great post - but no one will pay any attention...

Hey, Thanks! I don't think anyone's ever called me the voice of reason before!