This article by Gwen Smith of Allergic Living Magazine gives an important message for everyone with children in the school. Whether you are a parent of an allergic child, a parent with a child attending the school with allergic children, or a teacher at that school, you need to read this article.

It goes through many important points to consider for snacks and lunches. Outlines a few facts and dangers associated with food allergies and how we can all get along together if the allergic and non-allergic make a few adjustments.

This is a Canadian site, but these apply to wherever you are.

via CBC News – Canada – What teachers and parents should know about severe food allergies.

Thanks, Maggie!

By, Maggie Pingolt

PHOENIX- Waking up the day of high school graduation is typically a gift from the gods, a chance to leave the confines of an underage life with parents.  For some with food allergies, it’s just another day of heightened awareness.  One misstep at the party buffet and the night is ruined in hives, sneezing or anaphylactic shock.

Going to college is a difficult tradition in and of itself.  In addition to a life threatening condition like food allergies, teens and young adults are at the highest risk of death because of vehicle accidents, drug overdose, and alcohol intoxication.

Chelsey Heath, a freshman at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, has an anaphylactic peanut allergy.  She feels many young adults with food allergies do not practice healthy behaviors.

The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network says, “A study showed that teens with food allergy and asthma appear to be at the highest risk for a reaction, because they are more likely to take risks when away from home, are less likely to carry medications, and may ignore or not recognize symptoms. “

The inability to accurately assess risk is one reason many college students with food allergies disassociate themselves with behaviors that may prevent an allergic reaction.  Some students may find healthy, safe options difficult to find on campus; others may feel they’re invincible to reactions.

“I’m a very type-A person, but the average student who goes and get’s drunk could be in real danger.  How many people would be able and willing to help them if they went into anaphylactic shock?” says Heath.

Anaphylactic shock, the most detrimental of reactions, is categorized by a change in blood pressure, swelling of the esophagus and difficulty breathing.  Symptoms may also include hives, swollen lips and change in skin tone. All reactions within the anaphylaxis range are deadly and must be treated immediately.

Studies indicate those with food allergies are likely to struggle with more than one food allergy and a culmination of other allergies; including medicines, animal danders’ and pollen.

Heath is also allergic to wool, rayon, grass, cigarette smoke, nickel, and her own sweat (which results in a heat rash).  She’s not alone.

“There’s very little conception of food allergies.  Some people don’t always take it seriously and they think I’m just being picky but I respond, ‘Uh, I’ll show you what picky is when I can’t breath.’”

Google.com searches of “college students and food allergies” reveal many different blogs, recipes and online support groups; but are college services up to par?

Jessica Miller a 22-year-old secondary education-biological sciences major at ASU, was diagnosed with a citrus allergy the summer before ninth grade and has a reason to complain.  As she ages her allergy has gotten progressively worse.

Miller says the biggest difficulty is ingesting her allergen without any knowledge of doing so; ASU’s dining hall on the downtown campus poses concerns with soups, sauces or fruit salads.

“I have a problem with some of the ways different restaurants (including the dining halls on campus) can’t give you an explanation about what is in the food.

“If you ask someone, you usually have to wait and see if the chef is available to get a list of ingredients and they’re very inconsistent with their signs,” complains Miller.

Taylor Stelk, second-year food science major at the University of Nebraska, comes from the other side of the fence.

“College campus knowledge of food allergies is (at least to me) surprisingly high.  Perhaps this is because I live on a campus that has a well-based department of food allergies, but dining services do provide meals to those with food allergies,” says Stelk.

As a researcher in food industries’ maintenance of allergen-free products, Stelk rates the general public’s knowledge as decent. “The food industry has begun to create products that are ‘gluten-free’, ‘peanut free’, but I do not the think it is common knowledge of how prevalent some allergens are in a wide variety of foods.

“Many people don’t consider the fact that many food producers create dozens of products in one facility.”

Lindsey Mock, a nursing student at ASU with a shellfish allergy, believes safety and awareness are the responsibility of the person with the food allergy.

“I did not need to make any special arrangements before going to school/living in the dormitories, since I stay away from food products (that may contain shellfish). Products have a list of ingredients, so consumers can check for their food allergy,” Mock says.

However, because manufactured food is such a staple for busy college students, the risk can be high.

The recommended class load for the average student is 16 credits.  With class time, study sessions, regular exercise, work and a social life, preparing meals multiple times a day can be challenging.

Preparing meals multiple times a day on a limited variety of food isn’t any easier.

Dr. Michael Manning, an allergy specialist in Scottsdale, Ariz., responds to the complexity of the disease as the antagonist in finding a cure.

“The allergic reaction to a food is due to a very specific immune response to a particular protein, of a group of proteins, that are found in a food. Typically there is a major protein responsible for triggering the reaction, the allergen is the protein found in the food.

“The more we know about the proteins involved, the more we can target what is needed to turn the reaction off.  However, it is difficult to use the term ‘cure’ with allergic disease because the individual has a genetic predisposition to make allergic antibodies- it is very difficult to completely shut that system down.”

Dr. Douglas Lake, an immunology and allergy expert at ASU explains the genetic predisposition of food allergies in the context of an autoimmune disease.

Problems arise in the most basic aspects of the chemical composition of proteins.  Because proteins are comprised of many different molecular relationships like amino acid sequences, carboxyl groups and R-groups, finding the actual cause is like finding a needle in a never-ending haystack.

Lake points out the difficulty of food allergies in the body’s translation of amino acids.  People’s ability to digest a given protein is written in his or her DNA, and each protein’s particular structure is “written” in the sequence of their amino acids.

All amino acids are constructed from different arrangements of hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon, and oxygen.

Because of the infinite arrangements from such basic elements, it’s especially hard to pinpoint a medicinal direction to study when there’s such complexity in a given protein.

Marc Dufour, a father of a child with food allergies, sees the rising prevalence in media as a positive incentive for more studies.

“There are a lot of interesting theories these days and this is encouraging because it means food allergies are a topic of interest and discussion, and related research is finally on the front burner.”

Sources:

http://www.aafa.org/esg_results.cfm?state=AZ

http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/default.htm

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/short/362/9/779

http://www.allergicliving.com/features.asp?copy_id=67

http://www.foodallergy.org/

http://www2.med.umich.edu/prmc/media/newsroom/details.cfm?ID=521

Chemistry, the Central Science, 11 edition

Sarah and Sabrina Shannon (2003). Picture courtesy of CTV.

As a followup to the terrible article that they printed in their December issue “It’s Just Nuts”, Chatelaine plans to let the readers speak out with a January article from the many retorts they received.

Sara Shannon (Mother of Sabrina and allergy activist) chimes in this time  after writing to the editor of Chatelaine and others involved in the printing of “the article”.

Sabrina Shannon had such an interest in journalism that by the time she was 10, she produced a radio documentary. She hoped to educate people about kids who suffer from life-threatening allergies. Sabrina herself was allergic to peanuts, milk and soy and had to manage it every day by asking everyone what was in the food she ate.

But Sabrina didn't grow up to be a journalist. She died from an allergic reaction to french fries contaminated with dairy at her school in Pembroke, Ont. six years ago.

As Sabrina was on life support at an Ottawa hospital, her mother, Sara Shannon, promised her that she would become an activist for those suffering from anaphylaxis. Sabrina died a day later at age 13.

That is why Shannon, other parents, doctors and medical groups are livid at a magazine article which suggests parents are overreacting to the condition.

The article, called “It's just nuts,” appears in the December issue of Chatelaine. It mainly focuses on peanuts and suggests parents are overreacting to food allergies, anaphylactic reactions aren't as common as people think, and that death rates are low. The headline on the cover refers to a peanut allergy “myth.”

The groups who take issue with the article say it mocks parents who have to work hard to protect kids who can die from even invisible amounts of foods to which they are allergic. And they're unhappy with a photo on the article's front page that shows a boy opening his mouth with a piece of peanut butter sandwich on his tongue.

The article closes saying it isn't clear how big a threat peanuts pose, but with more research and debate, the writer's son might one day be able to eat peanuts at his school where they are banned.

In an email to CTV.ca, a spokesperson for the magazine thanked CTV for the opportunity to respond to the accusations but declined an interview.

“If we feel it is appropriate to respond, we will do so in the pages of our magazine,” wrote Suneel Khanna.

Chatelaine posted a note Monday on the online version of the article, saying the magazine plans to publish reader reaction in the January issue after receiving an unprecedented number of responses from readers.

Read much more via CTV Toronto – Article ‘cherry picks’ food allergy research: angry groups – CTV News, Shows and Sports — Canadian Television.

Gwen Smith of Allergic Living gives her take on the article. This is a good read!

When the top women's magazine in the country takes a snide, cynical run at a serious health issue that affects children, these are truly different times in the publishing industry.

The magazine is Chatelaine, and the hit-and-run article in its December issue is called “It's Just Nuts.”

Gwen Smith is the editor of Allergic Living magazine and was the editor-in-chief of Elm Street magazine, when it ended its seven-year run in 2004.

This story by writer Patricia Pearson begins with the image of parents and schools across the land “cowering in fear of the tiny peanut,” followed by a conclusion disguised as a question: “Are we overreacting to food allergies?”

In the telling, the writer skewers the hard-won accommodations in schools to protect food-allergic children, confuses facts and statistics, and never pauses to speak to a principal or a parent of a child who has experienced anaphylaxis, the most serious form of allergic reaction.

Had she spoken to a teacher, she would likely have heard why restrictions on certain foods are easier to manage in the classroom setting than having to watch, hawk-like, over those who can eat peanut butter and those who can get seriously ill from exposure to even traces of a substance that sticks on toys, doors and shared equipment.

Read more via CBC News – Canada – What’s nuts, Chatelaine, is not to be concerned.

image by Adam E. Moreira

Well with school starting again, I am sure we all have our stories. Even before it started we had a few incidents that make you want to make sure that your child knows what to do.

Playgrounds.

My son was playing outside with his daycare-mates when a school-age boy came around to offer the kids a straw of candy. One of those sugar-filled straws. I believe they are called Pixie Stick. When my son said he could not have that, because he was allergic, the boy insisted it was safe causing my wife to intervene and tell the boy that because we didn’t know what was in it, he could not have it. Even then the boy insisted and now got my son telling my wife “he says it’s safe, mom!”.

Instances like this require us, as parents, to stress how important, no matter how sure you may be, it is to refuse food if you don’t know the ingredients and to not allow a child to challenge your views on the subject. That other child also should be educated but that isn’t always possible.

Field Trips and Washing Up.

A bus full of 50+ kids and a public indoor fun park. Allergy haven I think. The kids enjoyed themselves and there were no instances of any kind. Good trip all-in-all.

After playing in the fun park and before having a picnic lunch one of the teachers started distributing dollops of hand sanitizer gel to each of the kids. While she did this she was telling the kids it was to clean their hands and to make sure there were no allergens left on their hands. My wife heard this and was appalled that the teacher was telling this to the kids.

After the trip, my wife called the school to inform them that a teacher had been doing this and that they should all know that the gel does not remove allergens and that to properly remove allergens you need to give your hands a good washing under running water or use an anti-septic cloth where the allergens are removed to the cloth. The problem with the gel is that all it does is move the allergens around. Unlike a germ, that can be killed by the gel, a nut protein can not.

At my son’s daycare they celebrate every child’s birthday. On most occasions they are accommodating to nut allergies as there are usually a couple children who suffer from this life-threatening condition.

From an early age, we have impressed upon our son how important it is that he is careful with food that is offered to him. He is five years old and on one occasion made us proud that he is so well aware of his situation.

This birthday was no different than any other that is celebrated. The birthday child gets a hat, they sing “Happy Birthday,” and then there are treats, usually a cake. The cook makes everything from scratch to ensure there are no allergens. On this day, she had a lapse of judgement. Someone had given her a bag of candies to top the cake with.

My son has been brought up with a candy called Smarties. These are candy-coated chocolate pieces that are safe from nuts. On the other hand, he has also been taught that the competition to Smarties, M&M candies, are not safe for him.

When he was handed a piece from the cake, before he even took it, he saw that there were little candies with the “M” printed on them. He promptly said that he could not have any because the candies were M&Ms and they will make him sick. The cook at first thought he must be wrong but our son insisted and would not take any cake.

The cook stopped, looked at the candies, and ran to the kitchen to check the bag. She was in shock when she saw the “may contain” warning that she would let something like this happen and then vowed to never dismiss anything that the children say to her again. She was so proud of our son, and she was so affected by the event that she had to excuse herself from the room to gather herself.

When we picked up our son, the cook, who had been waiting for us to arrive, took us aside to tell us what happened and to ensure us that she would never do anything to put any of the children in harm’s way. We were grateful, and with a tear in her eye we gave her a hug and told her it was OK.

We are so proud of the guy in the banner above. He knew to question the adult and to refuse the treat outright.

This event made us realize how important it is to make sure one’s child is very well educated about their condition from the moment they are able to understand your words.

Just as an aside to this, yesterday the morning snack was rice cakes. Our son loves rice cakes but, sadly, these particular ones were Quaker brand, which recently changed production of these and are no longer produced in a nut-free facility. Because our son knows this may happen, he simply told his teacher that it was OK for him not to have any and went off to play.

He’s fantastic and, as I may have already mentioned, we are SO proud of him.

At the FAAN conference last Saturday, I had the pleasure of meeting Felice Farran, a mom of 2 school-aged boys with nut allergies. She also happens to be the co-owner of a company called Litter Free Lunch.

As moms of kids with food allergies, we are all very familiar with packing school lunches! Felice is concerned about the environment as well as her child’s food allergies and she couldn’t find a decent, earth-friendly alternative to paper napkins for her kids’ lunches. So she came up with the idea of offering washable cloth napkins that are perfect for taking to school. The company also has an organic line. Check out their growing product selection at http://www.litterfreelunch.com/.

Many of us will appreciate the “green” aspect of offering washable napkins, and if your child has food allergies, these have a dual purpose. You can ask your child to spread them out on the cafeteria or picnic table to offer an extra layer of protection from allergenic foods that may have been there before. Plus, you’ll save $$. Besides being wasteful, paper napkins are expensive!

In honor of Earth Day, Litter Free Lunch is offering a special discount. From now until midnight on Friday, April 24th, all of their napkins, including organics, will be 15% off. Just use the coupon code EARTHWEEK when checking out.

It was great to meet Felice and learn about her company. I wish her the best and hope you’ll stop by her site!

Disclaimer: My comments are based on personal opinion; I received no compensation for my endorsement.

via The Nut-Free Mom Blog: A “Green” Approach to Your Food-Allergic Child’s School Lunch.

(NEWS CENTER) — Food allergies affect more than three million children in this country. While it’s a condition that’s very common in kids, protecting them from reactions can often be very isolating.

One family in Bath decided to create their own safe place for their son to learn. At nine months old Charlie Strickland did what a lot of babies do. He grabbed a piece of cheese and put it to his mouth. But for his mother it turned into a scary moment.

“He blew up into hives, his face swelled, his eyes swelled, he got red itchy hives all over his face,” said Linda Strickland.

Charlie, it turned out was allergic to dairy, eggs and peanuts. His mother eliminated anything that contained these items from his diet. As her son got older, the biggest challenge became going to public places.

“If he touches a surface that maybe yogurt was spilt on and not cleaned up, he’ll get hives on his hand. but if he puts his hand in his mouth there is a possibility he could into shock,” said Strickland.

That’s because Charlie suffers from Anaphylaxis. A serious allergic reaction that can result in death. For Charlie even the smallest amount of exposure can be fatal. The toddler wears a pouch containing medication called an ‘Epipen’ which is key to helping him survive a reaction.

The three year old wears gloves when he visits children’s museums, parks or even the library to prevent any exposure to his skin. When the family eats in public, his mom wipes down the surfaces, uses a tablecloth and placemat.

Strickland didn’t believe she could find a pre-school where Charlie would be completely safe, so she started one in the basement of this church. No food is allowed at the pre-school. The children and parents avoid eating foods charlie is allergic to. They also wash and disinfect their hands. Nellie Clifford’s son Evan attends the pre-school.

“We don’t eat any dairy, nuts or eggs before we come. We have something else for breakfast,” Clifford said..

“Why not just have it with regular kids who don’t have allergies and let them become aware of it and use it as a learning experience for them and they will all learn how to deal with it together,” Strickland said.

The family is also considering home schooling Charlie. But Strickland is also teaching her son how to look out for himself in public. ‘He always asks is it safe for me? or when he begins to read, making sure he reads the labels and teach him the words he needs to look out for,’ she said. The family says more awareness about fatal food allergies will encourage others to clean up after themselves in public. But Charlie’s mom also hopes other youngsters will become more accepting.

“There are a lot of kids with food allergies and it just becomes part of the daily routine so it’s not a strange think and he is not the weird kids that has allergies, it’s just part of the regular routine.”

A routine that doesn’t keep this little boy from having fun with his friends.

If you would like more information about the ‘Little Wonders’ Pre-school Co-op you can log onto their website at www.togetherwelearncoop.org or you can email Strickland at midcoastmommy@yahoo.com or you can connect with other Moms who have kids with allergies click on Moms at the top of this page.

WCSH6.com | Portland, ME | Family Opens Daycare For Children With Allergies.