 |
How do you keep peanut allergic kids safe? |
Nut Safety 101
A few ways to help keep your nut allergic child safe
For many
children with nut allergies merely coming into contact with a nut can be a life
or death situation. It’s not an easy concept for most people to wrap their
brain around. How can you blame them? Really, who wants to think awful things
about a food that is cheap, easy to prepare, packed with protein and has
sustained generations of kids?
The frightening reality is food allergies are on the rise and peanut allergies rank as one of the most dangerous because of the life threatening anaphylactic reaction it can cause (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, March 2006). For many children with severe allergies, it’s not just what would happen if they ate it, but what could happen if they merely came into contact with it – i.e. residue on a tray, a plate, a desk, a toy or the ladder to the slide at the playground.
Since the odds are
not good that the government will ban peanuts from public places like they did
with smoking, parents of these children have to work overtime to keep their
kids safe. Here are some tried and true suggestions:
Teach your child to speak up. Teach your child to always announce and remind people around (especially with new adults) that she has a severe, life-threatening allergy.
Share toys, not food. Train your child never to share someone else’s lunch, never to eat chocolate without reading the label (or asking someone else to), never to eat baked goods of unknown origin (cakes, cookies, pastries and breads).
Reading is fundamental. Teach your child to read labels. Practice with them early and often, show them where to look on a label for warnings and remind them to ask a grown up to double check if they are not sure.
Alert the school/daycare. Most schools and day cares are very understanding and many are receptive to the idea of making your child’s classroom a nut free environment.
Offer alternatives. Be aware of common favorite foods/snacks, supply a list of any that are peanut/nut disguising culprits and offer a list of tasty alternatives. Remember most products with chocolate have been processed in a plant where peanut products are present. Also, many breads now have nuts in them (think Nutty Oat), so even a seemingly harmless grilled cheese sandwich can become a hazard.
Teach the
children well. Early in
the school year, offer to give a talk to your child’s class (with their parents
in attendance would be most helpful) explaining the severity of the allergy and
the dangerous consequences.
It takes a Village. Make sure everyone you know is aware of your child’s allergy. Teach family, friends and caregivers how to read labels and always ask questions about food ingredients and safety when in a restaurant, bakery or other facility where food is prepared. Show them how to use an Epi-pen and carry it everywhere!