When peanuts (and milk and wheat and bees) go bad
Here are two stunning articles about the crazy increase in terrifying childhood allergies. Two of the best I’ve ever read:
Newsweek: Fear and allergies in the lunchroom
National Geographic: Misery for all seasons: allergies: a modern epidemic
Does your child suffer from any of these dire allergies? What’s the latest with schools? Do they segregate the highly-allergic kids? Just completely ban peanut (or all nut?) products? Is that the right way to go?
Eric has eczema, so our doctor wants us to wait until Lucy is three before giving her any peanut-related products. We do all other types of nuts, though. I’m very on the fence about this issue, whether it’s right to wait, or better to expose them while they’re young in hopes of preventing allergies. So far, we’ve trusted the advice of our doctor, as she is young and very in tune with the latest research.
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There are currently 5 responses
My niece has the peanut allergy, fortunately she attends a peanut free school. However there is always the problems of unwashed faces who had peanut butter for lunch or unclean hands that weren’t checked before returning to school. This leads to her either having her head in a bucket throwing up or a rush to hospital after using a epi pen and the rest of us hoping she will survive the event. Add mustard and sesame seeds and a host of other products to her list of no no’s.
I think all of the schools in my town are now peanut free. I’m also on the fence about this, coming from a family with no nut allergies. Of course, what’s keeping me on the fence is my rediculous love of all things peanut butter. It was (and is) a staple of my diet and now with these bans, it can not be a large part of Eirinn’s. That makes me sad a little bit.
I can see why peanuts are banned; because the allergic reaction to peanuts is so fast, strong, and deadly, unlike most (not all) other allergies. But I can also see why parents of non-allergic children could get upset (see above).
So, I’m not sure if an all out ban is the right way to go or not. Is it better that we ban the peanuts rather than ban the children with the allergies? Most definitely. Absolutely. But what other option is there? It’s just sad that it has to be one or the other.
Carly will tell you she’s allergic to cauliflower and brocolli .. of all things .. but don’t believe her.
I have someone coming to my place in a few weeks who has severe allergy to peanuts. I’m not sure if I need to throw out the peanut butter and peanuts in my cupboard, or what. Waiting to hear from her. I too cannot imagine life without peanut butter … on toast, on crackers … hmm, I think I need a snack.
Lexy’s school has a no peanut policy. They used to have it in just one class but decided to put it in all four j/k classes.
I can’t even give her a PB&J sandwich for breakfast on a school day because heaven help us if she burps …
One kid in her kindergarten class has a severe allergy and they keep an epi pen in the cubbord nearby.
One of her teachers has a chocolate allergy. Sheesh, shoot me now, I can’t live without chocolate … they can’t bring any chocolate products into the art room…
It’s almost getting silly. Seems like they can’t have any fun being a kid anymore. Mind you if it was my kid that had the allergy, I’d be on top of the schools to make sure it was nut free.
I don’t think there should be a separate school for allergy sufferers .. i’m pretty sure de-segregation is the way to go
Hi Carly
I enjoy reading your blog and haven’t really commented before but today I had to. I’m an adult, married with no kids (yet) and I also have a severe allergy to Brazil nuts (yes, I know…odd.) Other nuts are ok for me but overall I’m not a nut fan. I have an epi pen, although haven’t had to use it in my adult life. My parents discovered my allergy when I was about 3 I think. I have had few allergic reactions when I was in my teenage years…mixed nuts crushed up on desserts, eating the wrong Laura Secord chocolate, etc. That was before epi pens were so popular and I just had anti – histamines (sp?) that I was supposed to take and eventually my throat would open enough so that I could swallow. Anyway, I just wanted to say that until you have the feeling of your throat swelling up so that you have trouble breathing and think you may die, then you really have no idea of what it’s like for the poor kids who do have severe allergies to nuts. If that means that other parents have to spend more time prepping their children’s lunch or cleaning their hands after eating, then so be it. It’s really a terrifying medical condition to have and when the kids are so young, these are just the things that we have to do as a community to keep our kids safe. Just my opinion.