Kids With Food Allergies: Safety First

There are 32,000 kids with food allergies in Utah alone. Pat Flynn, the principal at Trailside Elementary in Park City, just recently imposed a school-wide ban on nuts for their 500 students. "It comes down to the safety of the kids," Flynn explains, "and I don't care if it's one or eight." So far, several other districts are proposing similar policies and the Utah Food Allergy Network is looking for some sort of uniformity across the state. "Some kids could die within minutes," adds network director Michelle Fogg. Since 2008, kids with severe allergic reactions have been allowed to carry epinephrine injections with them. While you can't count on a school ban to protect your child, you will need to consider various lifestyle changes and coping mechanisms to help your family through these changes.

The most important part of raising a child with a food allergy is to keep them safe. At home, you will need to make adjustments in many of your recipes to ensure that your child does not come into contact with his or her allergens. It's natural to feel overwhelmed and stifled at first, but after a little bit of digging, you'll find alternates for just about all of your families' favorite foods. There are many broad cookbooks, such as The Allergy Self-Help Cookbook, which offers more than 325 recipes free of all common allergens, such as wheat, milk, eggs, corn, sugar and yeast. Then there are also more specifically targeted books, like Amazing Dairy Free Desserts (for a milk allergy), Bakin' Without Eggs (for an egg allergy) or Gluten Free Gourmet Bakes Bread (for a gluten allergy). For a list of books containing food allergy recipes, visit www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/cookbooks.html.

Of course, for part of the day, kids with food allergies are away from home. Therefore, it is important that you know how to deal with a food allergy in schools. When your child enters school, be sure you fill out paperwork regarding your child's condition (including what should be done in case of an allergic reaction, who to contact and what your child may eat while at school). It is especially important that the nurse be informed of your child's condition. It should also be emphasized to your child that he or she must never trade any lunch food with other kids. When your child is in pre-k and kindergarten, it's safe to assume that treats are a part of everyday lessons (birthdays, counting, rewards), so communicating with the teacher at the beginning of the year is very important. Be aware that your child may be left out of some lessons by teachers who don't know how to accommodate him or her, and that children who do not understand may bully or tease your child. It's important that you sit down and talk to your child about these events. You can buy inexpensive e-books at www.allergicchild.com/foodallergyandschools.htm to help you send your child with food allergies off to school safely.

If having kids with food allergies is a difficult diagnosis for your family, then visit the Food Allergy Initiative website (www.faiusa.org) to find support groups in your area. For example, the Food Allergy Support of Sacramento in California is a parent-run group that focuses on networking, peer support and food free events for kids with food allergies to meet other kids like them. The Metro DC Food Allergy Support Group holds family social events, like Halloween parties and Christmas events. The WNY Food Allergy Connection is a volunteer community resource that provides food allergy recipes, coping tips and peer meetings. The Parents of Allergic Kids Support Group in North Carolina holds bi-monthly parent meetings and child activities. Philadelphia's Food and Environmental Allergy Support Team holds guest speaker discussions on allergies in schools or at restaurants, as well as product suggestions, allergy testing updates, psychological effects of allergies, new allergy medication options and alternative therapies.

Related topics about Kids With Food Allergies
Important Information On Infant Food Allergy
There are many online sources of information available to you if you suspect your child has an infant food allergy. You can check out websites like www.babycenter.

Diagnosing Food Allergies In Children
Currently, there are two preliminary tests for food allergies in kids. After going over the child's and family's medical history, a basic physical examination and asking questions about the child's diet, pediatricians generally recommend a blood test. Even though this is not 100% predictive, many allergies can be ruled out this way.

Children's Food Allergies: FAQ
Children's food allergies can be difficult for a parent or adult to understand let alone a child. But educating your child is the best thing you can do. They may have lots of questions about why other kids can eat certain things but they cannot.