Peanut Allergy

[weregoingtodw]

OP: FAAN offers some great resources for schools:

http://www.foodallergy.org/school.html

 

[aprilgail2]

I agree. My DD7 is allergic to peanuts. Her school has peanut free tables that she eats at, and the cafeterias do not serve food with nuts in it. That said, we don't believe in a militant approach. The world does not revolve around my daughter, and I think it's not in my daughter's best interest to inconvenience an entire population of students. If she was hypersensitive (and she's not), we would also consider other options like a private school etc.

great post!

I have a 5 yr old dd in kindergarten. thank goodness she has no allergies. however, she is a very picky eater and one of the few things she eats is peanut butter. should she starve all day because of a peanut butter ban in the cafeteria in public school? I see nothing wrong with a peanut free table and classroom.

I agree. My daughter takes peanut butter in some form to school every day- could she eat something else- sure- but she loves peanut butter and that is what she takes. She makes sure she stays away form the peanut kids at the peanut table and luckily this year the peanut kid in her grade is not in her class.

The poster is not suggesting that her child would actually starve people. She is simply saying that one child should not dictate what every other child does.

Is your work place peanut free?? The mall??? The grocery store??? WDW??? No place is completely safe.

How do these people go out to eat or to the movies etc?? You can't call ahead and say "please remove all peanuts from your movie theater beacasue here we come". There are more non peanut allergy kids in the school than peanut kids- why should a few kids dictate the policy for an entire school- if their allergies are that bad perhaps home schooling would be best.

 

[Octoberbride03]

I dunno. Maybe I'm reading this wrong. But aren't you saying that *your* medical issues are more important than hers? That it's more important for you to get your peanut butter so you can live, even if it means the other child has to die? So meat can go bad - why not carry a thermal container like most people carry their lunches in anyway?

I'm sorry, forgive me if I'm missing something. But there has to be a better solution here for everyone involved. Your adamant position that you MUST have your peanut butter is no better than a parent's insistence that the school MUST be peanut-free.

That's not what she said. If her blood sugar drops then Peanut butter is the best thing to bring it and stabilize it. She DID NOT say her life was MOre important than the child's. She gave an example, a very good one IMO, of how a peanut free school may not be the best solution.

NO 1 here said they were any MORE important than anyone else here.

 

[weregoingtodw]

That's not what she said. If her blood sugar drops then Peanut butter is the best thing to bring it and stabilize it. She DID NOT say her life was MOre important than the child's. She gave an example, a very good one IMO, of how a peanut free school may not be the best solution.

NO 1 here said they were any MORE important than anyone else here.

Might want to read again. She said meat is an option but that it would spoil. THAT is my beef (pun intended!). There is an alternative, albeit less convenient.

And mind you, I did not say a peanut free school is a solution either. My point I'm trying to get across here is that one person's illness - or inconvenience - does not trump another's.

 

[ReneeA]

The OP's DD is going to have to carry an Epipen. There are going to be times, whether or not the school goes peanut free, that she is going to be exposed.

Unless she's willing to lock her in a bubble, she's going to have to learn to deal with it and continue to function.

 

[Master Mason]

I don't have a dog in this fight, so I don't have an opinion either way. However I do have an observation.

Would a "peanut free" school, really work, or would it rather be a false sence of security? I honestly can't believe that every single family in the school would comply, so then your thinking that it's safe, and all of a sudden, it really isn't safe.

 

[LaraK]

As the parent of a child with food allergies, I think one of the most important steps you will need to take is to teach your daughter how to defend herself as much as possible. My son's allergies are to unusual foods. There is no way I can expect other people to watch out for him or change their practices when sending in food for their own children, so we've worked really hard with him to get him to avoid his allergins and anything he shouldn't come into contact with. Someone else talked about using wipes to open doors and wipe down tables. Maybe your daughter's class can be extra careful with handwashing.

Good luck. I know it sucks.

 

[weregoingtodw]

Would a "peanut free" school, really work, or would it rather be a false sence of security? I honestly can't believe that every single family in the school would comply, so then your thinking that it's safe, and all of a sudden, it really isn't safe.

NO. Absolutely not. And to anyone who thinks it could work, all I can say is, I hope you carry an Epipen.

 

[Master Mason]

Hey, I have another question. I went to school for a long time as a kid and I did not know a single kid that had a peanut allergy, not a single one.

Does anyone know why this is becoming such an issue now?

 

[ReneeA]

Hey, I have another question. I went to school for a long time as a kid and I did not know a single kid that had a peanut allergy, not a single one.

Does anyone know why this is becoming such an issue now?

People in general are becoming more allergic to lots more things.

It's been speculated that the overuse of antibacterial everything is causing humans to not build up normal antibodies to things they used to.

See this article:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol7no3_supp/levy.htm

 

[Michelle67]

Asking for your child to eat in the nurse's office may be a good solution for you. My honest opinion is that ultimately your child has to learn to live in a society that will not conform to her dietary needs, and your primary goal has to be to teach her to do that, rather than to teach the world to accomodate her. There is no flame, no slam, and no nastiness intended in this, and btw I have a child with severe egg and peanut allergies, so I do understand. But we never kept those items out of our home, let alone tried to keep them out of her school. We simply educated our daughter and everyone who ate in our home to avoid cross contamination, and taught our daughter to read (and ask to read, outside the home) labels as soon as she could read.

 

[dzorn]

I don't have a dog in this fight, so I don't have an opinion either way. However I do have an observation.

Would a "peanut free" school, really work, or would it rather be a false sence of security? I honestly can't believe that every single family in the school would comply, so then your thinking that it's safe, and all of a sudden, it really isn't safe.

It's never safe because children eat peanut butter before school and can have residue on their clothes/hands leaving it everywhere including the bus. Even though a parent may think they are complying but not sending in PB&J or things with obvious nut pieces. Many things are made with peanuts that you would not think about.

Ideally the children should be washing hands before leaving the lunch room too bad they don't make a row of sinks in the cafeteria. Now many school illnesses could be avoided buy more through hand washing.

DD has food allergies also. She often goes without treats that other bring in. She know she cannot have food that someone else has brought. She packs lunch every day because even though the school could be required to accomidate(sp) her with a hot lunch I feel it is safer to have me pack it. BTW DD is also autistic and one of the few food (less that 20 total) she will eat is peanut butter which she eats every morning for breakfast.

OP how many times has the school had to use an epi this year. Without a documented case of a reaction it may be a tough fight to prove the school is the cause.

Denise in MI

 

[Nancyg56]

Hey, I have another question. I went to school for a long time as a kid and I did not know a single kid that had a peanut allergy, not a single one.

Does anyone know why this is becoming such an issue now?

There was a discussion on our local talk radio show this morning. A study is being conducted in England and Tel Aviv involving Jewish children and their peanut allergies. Right now Jewish kids in England suffer a much greater incidence of peanut allergies compared to Tel Aviv. The working theory is that peanut products are introduced much later in England, as in America, than in Tel Aviv and that children are not developing a resistance to peanut products. There is another study to see how introducing dairy in a controlled way ( under the tongue in increasing doses) to children who have not outgrown their allergy may actually help the kids to outgrow the allergy. The Dr did say that some of these "forbidden" foods are introduced earlier than they were previously now and htat may reduce the food allergies that develop.

 

[chisnpeke]

Hey, I have another question. I went to school for a long time as a kid and I did not know a single kid that had a peanut allergy, not a single one.

Does anyone know why this is becoming such an issue now?

I'm wondering this as well. I am only 20 and I never knew anyone in school allergic to peanuts.

 

[Michelle67]

Aside from factors that have already been mentioned, and possibly others (such as pesticides, etc) another factor is recognition. Many of us can remember kids in school who were just "sickly" or "frail" or "fragile" and who were often out sick. Some of them may have suffered from food allergies.

 

[Tinkerbelle'sMOM]

I have mixed feelings on this subject. Peanut butter is a cheap and easy protein and many use it to keep their budgets in check. There are other kids, like my DD who will not eat meat or anything like that who takes a pbj everyday. Sorry, but my kid would be the one eating in the office everyday because she would be bringing her sandwich.

I don't believe in changing the rules for one child. You aren't going to be able to eliminate all peanut oils, but you need to start educating him as other moms have mentioned. This is how it is going to be.

Our school sends the 3 peanut kids to the library where they have a nice lunch together with 2 friends each who have an acceptable lunch. The aides go down and wipe things down before they get there. Maybe this is an option for him. As he gets older and into middle and high school, this is really going to be important as many of the sports teams keep pb on hand for quick carbs before racing and games. Our whole cross country team keeps a jar of pb with them to eat before and after they race. So, education is going to be key with you guys.

 

[Aristomommy]

I think many people think peanut allergy = death. There are many severities and most kids even if they are exposed will survive it with Benadryl and an epipen. It is actually rare to die from peanut exposure, and most of those people fall in the 13-30 age group. This may be explained by kids lacking supervision and getting careless about their allergy. In a school environment kids are more controlled than at the mall, for example. In elementary school, there are no times when children are unsupervised and a peanut free table or a peanut table are effective means of controlling the issue. There is no need to make the entire school peanut free.

I would also love that our schools made sure my kids asthma was kept under control. This would include no vacuuming during the day or within 30 min. of entering school. No child should enter with a runny nose, cough, sore throat as they may have an infection that can cause a trip to the hospital for my child. No strong odors, parfumes, chemicals, paint, markers etc. within a "smelling distance" and no dust anywhere. It doesn't sound reasonable and of course I would never demand this of the school. But I feel fair is fair if parents start demanding allergens to be removed from public schools.

 

[Mandychelle79]

Sorry, unless a school is prepared to go top 8 allergen free, I would be fighting tooth and nail against going peanut free. And I dont send peanut butter to school with my dd. However dd was allergic to milk until she was three ( hives, lip swelling type reaction). At that time peanut butter was one sandwhich I knew I could give her.

 

[sha_lyn]

There was a discussion on our local talk radio show this morning. A study is being conducted in England and Tel Aviv involving Jewish children and their peanut allergies. Right now Jewish kids in England suffer a much greater incidence of peanut allergies compared to Tel Aviv. The working theory is that peanut products are introduced much later in England, as in America, than in Tel Aviv and that children are not developing a resistance to peanut products. There is another study to see how introducing dairy in a controlled way ( under the tongue in increasing doses) to children who have not outgrown their allergy may actually help the kids to outgrow the allergy. The Dr did say that some of these "forbidden" foods are introduced earlier than they were previously now and htat may reduce the food allergies that develop.

Every study I have heard of shows the opposite. That earlier introduction of allergens is causing allergies. IE peanut allergies are more prevalent in children who were treated with certain diaper rash or eczema ointments because the base ointment contains peanut oils.

 

[sha_lyn]

Sorry, unless a school is prepared to go top 8 allergen free, I would be fighting tooth and nail against going peanut free. And I dont send peanut butter to school with my dd. However dd was allergic to milk until she was three ( hives, lip swelling type reaction). At that time peanut butter was one sandwhich I knew I could give her.

What makes peanut allergies different is that the "stickiness" of peanut oils mike the likelihood of cross/accidental contamination more likely.