Peanut Allergies

Parent Cafe
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<p>With so many food allergies out there, it would be near impossible to avoid all foods that someone is allergic to. As mentioned above, while I am mad at Delta for introducing peanuts back to their flight, I can not be sure someone doesn’t have peanuts with them before they board; if I didn’t have a child with peanut allergies, I would have PB&J sandwiches for my other children on flights. How many of us have been stuck on a plane on the ground for hours without food? Can you imagine a screaming child that would be made happy if he just had a sandwich or snack? I always had food for my kids when we traveled. I can not expect everyone to cater to my child’s needs, but I think the public can be made aware of those with allergies. </p>

<p>I know parents that wipe the tables, chairs, etc. where their child would be. I didn’t go that far as we never had a problem with my daughter having a reaction from touching something; usually she had to have eaten something that either had peanuts or touched peanuts. For some reason her body knew that peanuts were a foreign object, so she would throw up violently almost immediately; unfortunately breaking many blood vessels in her face. She use to stay home from school for a day or so just because she looked like hell!! As she aged, her reactions became more severe. She would have a secondary reaction hours after the first; now she gets to sit at the hospital for at least 6 hours after a reaction to watch for a secondary reaction. </p>

<p>I will never forget the first time that happened-I was a bad parent! My daughter came into my room in the middle of the night and said she was coughing (she was about 14.) I said go get some water. She tried that and when back to her room. A few minutes later she returned and said she still was coughing; I said try a cough drop. She returns again to say her eyes feel funny. I am a bit ****ed as this is my child that can find more things to complain about. I turn on my light and see my child’s face swollen; her eyes were almost swollen shut!! Well, I felt like a fool for not believing her; she was coughing because she was having trouble breathing!! Luckily my husband is a physician so we talked to one of our friends, an ER doctor. We were able to stay home that night, but it was a bit scarey. The next day the allergist told me how lucky we were that she woke up coughing; most don’t wake up at all!</p>

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<p>Wow, I feel so sorry for people with such severe allergies. I don’t think life would be worth living if I couldn’t eat peants or dairy products. Chunky peanut butter is my favorite food and I eat it almost every day for lunch. I also drink milk nonstop.</p>

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<p>Man, I’m so glad I’m not the only one with severe allergies anymore. In fact, allergies in those of a younger generation are often more severe than mine. It used to be a pain to explain my allergies in restaurants back then, now it’s so common that I have to tell them that I am not allergic to “may contain traces of …” or peanut oil.</p>

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<p>As some parents on the board have done, we also put our son in charge of his allergy very early. He learned very quickly not to eat the offending ingredients, and although he has had a couple of reactions, they were not as bad as the initial one when we were rushed ahead of an emergency room full of people (his second birthday!). </p>

<p>So, I have dealt with this as a parent, but I am also a primary teacher, so have dealt with this professionally as well. Teachers are not allowed to breach the confidentiality of the allergies list we receive at the beginning of the year. It was a huge deal to have the lists distributed in whole to the entire grade level, but since we have reading groups which are composed of students across the grade level, teachers insisted that we must know who all of the students are so that we can act accordingly. Our nurse would have a nervous breakdown if anyone “published” this information, esp. by placing a sign over the door! </p>

<p>Also, teachers are human, too, and when you have a severe diabetic, two kids with allergies to peanuts, one allergic to bug bites, etc. etc., well, the pressure is pretty intense. Most of the ideas that have been listed are very good practice; instituting a routine for where epi-pens are kept, practicing good hygienic practices in the classroom, and, most importantly, making students feel comfortable in the environment and with advocating for themselves when they are having a reaction. Good stuff.</p>

<p>BTW–our principal says we are not the food police and we cannot dictate what parents send for their children to eat for lunch. Period. She believes that if we were to do this this we would be a) overstepping and b) creating a false expectation that the environment will be allergen free. </p>

<p>Thanks for a great discussion!</p>

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<p>What causes so many peanut allergies? This was unheard of 20 years ago. What could have possibly changed in the last 20 years so as to spark an outbreak of peanut allergies?</p>

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<p>There are many theories about why there are so many allergies to peanuts, etc these days. </p>

<p>I have 2 nieces - niece #1 turned one this past January and their pediatrician said that they should introduce peanut butter products soon so she would not develop allergy - was eating PB crackers at the beach this summer - niece #2 turned one this past May and their pediatrician said they should not introduce peanut butter for another year because allergy might be due to early exposure to PB!! </p>

<p>There is the thought that our immune system is developing different allergies since we no longer use it to fight pathogens everyday since so many products ahve antibacterial stuff in them.</p>

<p>The biggest reason that kicks around my D school is that peanut allergies (and other food allergies) are more common now because we recognize warning signs earlier, we have a better understanding of the anaphylactic proces (we know that each exposure to the allergen creates a more severe reaction), we have better treatments (just think of the number of epi pens prescribed), and we have better food labeling policy (we are more aware of the allergy since we see warning labels on the side of products). </p>

<p>I am not really sure if any are correct!</p>

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<p>deleted .</p>

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<p>“BTW–our principal says we are not the food police and we cannot dictate what parents send for their children to eat for lunch. Period. She believes that if we were to do this this we would be a) overstepping and b) creating a false expectation that the environment will be allergen free.”</p>

<p>I agree with this principal. In our district the school administration has been trying to dictate what may and may not be brought to school. Some families are not listening, and are bringing PB/peanuts to school anyway. It definitely does not make sense to say no peanuts at lunch, and then allow parents to send in party foods (some with peanuts in them) for the classroom, and not to safeguard the cafateria from peanut products that are brought in by students anyway.</p>

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<p>As a person with food allergies, I feel that it is the responsibility of the parents and the child to police themselves, even if this means homeschooling to avoid the potential allergen.<br>
The school is there to teach, not police any food that could enter the school. That is extremely difficult to do and in my opinion, not their job.</p>

<p>Try telling a 6 year old that they cannot take their beloved PB&J for lunch - when that is what they love to eat. What is their recourse?</p>

<p>I know all too well the results of an episode, been there, done that…I just think the individual family needs to handle the situation, not make everyone conform for them.</p>

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<p>Northeastmom,</p>

<p>Know what you mean about the “liquid gold”. <grin> In our case, we had to continute forking over this expense until my son was 6 or 7, because my son had gotten used to this horrible taste as “normal” and had used it on his cereal, as his beverage of choice, etc.</grin></p>

<p>Actually, we were thrilled when my son “advanced” to this product. We were actually “mixing” his formula - using a product called 32-32-A, a special oil, and something else that escapes me - all which had to sent to us by the formula manufacturer. Obviously, when they didn’t even bother to give the product a name, it was not too popular!</p>

<p>Wow - I had forgotten about this.</p>

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<p>My oldest had severe reflux, and was on a very limited diet. (“Had” - past tense, because he’s since had surgery). He had much trouble in middle school, where kids were served pizza and Coke at every event - school, church, friends… S could not have spicy food, caffeine, or carbonation, to name a few. (Also took a ton of meds, slept with elevated head, meals were rigidly scheduled, was not allowed to do anything that would turn him upsidedown - like at amusement parks or swimming, etc. The reflux was severe enough to choke him, which led to ambulance rides. I still sleep through alarms but wake up the minute he coughs.) </p>

<p>I remember when one thoughtful teacher showed up at an event with a Sprite for my S because the teacher remembered S couldn’t have caffeine; didn’t know or forgot about the carbonation part. S drank the drink anyway, too embarrassed to turn it down.</p>

<p>Fortunately, it wasn’t an allergy, so there were other steps S could take to minimize the effects. We all really appreciated the teacher’s efforts to be considerate of his needs.</p>

<p>My point is that even the most well-meaning people can’t keep track of everyone’s individual needs - there are so many different ones. Kids need to be taught as early as possible to be self-sufficient and self-protective. Sometimes we had to keep him home from events (like field trips) when his safety couldn’t be assured. He didn’t always like it, either.</p>

<p>He’s been fine since his surgery; I wish others’ problems were so “easily” solved.</p>

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<p>As of this week I am getting a real education on the subject of food allergies. I was already very aware of the issue, as I’m close to someone with peanut allergies, but this week, my D, who is out of the country, had a very serious reaction to a single bite of a piece of fruit she’s eaten her whole life. She’s OK, but it was very scary. </p>

<p>Anyway, in my travels online to look into this, I happened to come across a study that showed the prevalence of peanut allergies in children doubled (from .4% to .8%) in a mere five year period of time, between 1997 and 2002. The thought is that if another study was done today, it would show an even higher incidence than that (maybe even over 2%) , based on what clinicians are seeing. </p>

<p>There are several theories for why this is the case (and some apply to food allergies in general, not just to peanuts):</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Roasted peanuts are much more frequently marketed and consumed than in the past. The roasting process itself and the higher temperatures, can cause a much greater allergenicity. In other countries where peanuts are not roasted, but consumed raw, boiled or fried, there is a much lower incidence. </p></li>
<li><p>Children are exposed to peanuts when their immune systems are too immature, setting the stage for allergic reactions down the line.</p></li>
<li><p>Increased use of topical ointments and lotions containing peanut products.</p></li>
<li><p>Cross reactivity to soy. Many kids who are allergic to peanuts were also allergic to milk as babies and used soy formula. Early exposure to soy is theorized to sensitize the immune system and lead to an eventual allergic response to peanuts.</p></li>
<li><p>All the advances in vaccines, antibiotics, antibacterials etc. have led to immune systems that are basically just looking for something to do. This has led to the epidemic of allergies we see today.</p></li>
<li><p>Better diagnosis and awareness and more people are open and discussing.</p></li>
<li><p>Not proven to be the case, but some people feel that maternal consumption of peanuts, use of peanut based skin creams or breastfeeding while using these products can have an effect on the baby.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Peanut allergies are of the most concern in a school setting because of their potential to be the most deadly and the fact that some kids can be triggered by the smell or touch, alone. In our district, there are peanut free zones. In addition, a letter is sent home to try to raise the awareness of parents. No peanut based products are allowed to be sent for class celebrations or school-wide events. In addition, our school district is experimenting with making a sunflower oil based spread, very similar in taste and texture to peanut butter, but more expensive to produce. As of now, the kids can still bring a PBJ sandwich into school, however.</p>

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<p>Okay, to ban or segregate is absurd…both are too extreme</p>

<p>binx makes my points…kids need to be taught, and to learn NEVER to take any food that is not theres</p>

<p>if the class has parties, the parent of the kid with allergies should send in a supply of safe treats to store in the class, so the student can join in the fun of noshing</p>

<p>If a person is allergic to airborn peanuts on a plane, are there not masks she can wear, protections she can take on her self…</p>

<p>ps- I checked there are masks…has the lady with the airline problems used them</p>

<p>I mean, if I buy a peanut cookie on a plane unwittingly, is it my fault someone in the back has an attack</p>

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<p>There are just too many things/allergens out there that people have problems with to justify banning or segregating. If it is done for one condition, there’s likely to be questions about why isn’t it done for others. For instance both my D. and myself get terrible migraines when in close quarters with people wearing strong cologne or perfume—should we ask that all people be instructed not to wear these in public places? (Actually I did ask Abercrombie to quit walking around the store spritzing the air–but got no where!).</p>

<p>Another friend has anaphylactic reactions to tomatoes–should the school cafeteria not be allowed to serve sphagetti or pizza if her child has the same problem?</p>

<p>It certainly is a scary condition and teachers should be advised of conditions and instructed on Epipen, etc.</p>

<p>My D.s new roommate has severe nut allergy to most nuts. My D is so paranoid, she has removed any nut containing products from the kitchen and keeps her beloved PB in her bedroom and only uses throwaway utensils that she takes outside to dispose of.</p>

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<p>How does the roasting process turn peanuts into allergens? Are roasted peanuts THAT new? I thought roasted peanuts have always been commonplace. Then again, having read about the changes and increased consumption of processed food in the book <em>Fast Food Nation</em>, I wonder if processed food has anything to do with peanut allergies and other health problems that have escalated rapidly just in the last few years. We already know that high fructose corn syrup is a bigger health hazard than sugar and has been linked to diabetes.</p>

<p>Haven’t babies and pregnant and lactating women always been exposed to peanuts, or is this a very recent phenomenon? Are topical ointments and lotions that new? What is it about peanuts or young immune systems that starts the allergy? Why don’t we ever see allergies to Coca Cola or coffee?</p>

<p>How does early exposure to soy lead to a peanut allergy? Hasn’t vegetable oil with soybean oil in it always been in use?</p>

<p>Haven’t we had vaccines, antibiotics, and sanitation for decades? If these led to allergies, then wouldn’t peanut allergies have proliferated back in the 1950s instead of waiting until today?</p>

<p>The medical community needs to find out what causes peanut allergies. Something must have changed just in the last few years. Something is seriously wrong when so many kids have to live in a peanut-free bubble.</p>

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<p>I think having a life-threatening peanut allergy can be characterized as a disability under the Disabilities Act, if a parent wants to challenge a non-responsive school system. Having a life-threatening allergy is not the same thing as getting a migraine. One recovers from a migraine eventually; death is permanent. Using an epi-pen doesn’t always work. I think the school and fellow classmates should make every effort to accommodate a life threatening allergy. It’s being considerate, if nothing else. Everyone can go home and eat their peanut butter there. I personally would do this without being asked to.</p>

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<p>I found this on Wikipedia…

</p>

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<p>My son is among those who have outgrown a documented peanut allergy. I question the 25% figure though; outgrowing a peanut allergy is quite rare, and most allergists have not seen it. </p>

<p>jhsu, I don’t know the answers to all of your questions, but I do know that allergens are proteins (thus, no allergies to Coke or coffee). Peanut or nut oils are not, in themselves, allergens, but they can contain some of the protein, especially if they are cold-pressed. I wasn’t aware of a relationship between soy exposure and peanut allergy (quite a few people are allergic to soy itself), but it may be true that soybeans, like peanuts, are legumes. If so, then cross-reactions are likely.</p>

<p>Researchmaven, food allergies do fall under the Disabilities Act, and schools have been successfully sued for refusing to accomodate children with allergies. I appreciate your attitude toward children with life-threatening allergies. Another issue is that each time an allergic person is exposed, the reaction is likely to be more severe. So reducing the number of accidental exposures will also reduce the probability that there will eventually be a fatal reaction. And, as you point out, Epi-pens don’t always stop the reaction.</p>

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<p>As with other aspects of the ADA, what was once a method of assuring fair and equitable treatment of people with disabilities has become a noose for the non-disabled.</p>

<p>While I completely appreciate the fear that accomanies severe food allergies (because my husband’s are also life threatening, although he manages them exceptionally well), forcing all of the children in a school to comply with one child’s need makes no sense, particularly because it is absolutely a false sense of security. One cannot, in any way, guarentee that an allergic child will be safe, even if no peanuts are allowed, because of cross allergens, etc.</p>

<p>Do we really think that compromising the needs of the whole for the needs of one or a few is appropriate? It might be PC, but is it “right”?</p>

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<p>ALLmusic-Eating peanuts is not a “need,” it’s a “want.” I think it’s important to teach our children the difference between the two in this situation as well as others.</p>