Food Allergy Alert
What Parents Should Know About Symptoms, Diagnosis and Living With Food Allergies

For approximately 2 million children in the United States who suffer from food allergies, staples like goldfish, Cheerios, peanut butter, and milk can cause illness, and in rare cases, even death. Although fortunately, most common cases of food allergies are moderate to mild and eventually outgrown, the condition often requires a significant change in lifestyle for both family and child.

Causes And Culprits
Food allergies develop when a child’s immune system mistakes a food for an intruder. While the child’s body is waging war against the food, the child may experience reactions like a rash, hives, wheezing, runny nose, nausea or diarrhea. In rare cases, a food can trigger full blown anaphylactic shock–-a life-threatening swelling of the throat which makes breathing difficult.

Children are most commonly allergic to cow’s milk, eggs, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, seeds, fish, shellfish, and tree nuts (like walnuts and pecans). Nuts and shellfish are the most likely to cause anaphylactic shock and the least likely to be outgrown.

Severe peanut allergies have doubled since 1992. USF’s Richard Lockey, M.D. says that if a child’s parents had any type of food allergy, there’s an approximately 60% chance the child will also have allergies. Because of these factors, many doctors recommend that parents with a family history of allergies not introduce potential allergens (especially nuts) into a child’s diet until after the age of three.

Diagnosis And Treatment
If a food allergy is suspected, an allergist will typically take a detailed history and run tests. Dr. Lockey typically runs a screening blood test called RAST first. If this confirms potential allergies, a skin prick test follows to help pinpoint foods that are allergens.

Unfortunately, the only treatment available is avoiding the offending foods. This is not always easy. Kathi Ellis, PhD, University Of Tampa’s co-chair of the Allied Health American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology, says it can take parents hours to shop after an initial diagnosis because of the complexity of many food labels. For example, a milk allergy means boycotting “casein,” “whey,” “lactalbumin,” “caramel color,” and “nougat.” Ellis encourages parents to call manufacturers if there is any question about a product’s contents.

An antihistamine may ease the symptoms of a mild reaction. Children who have positive RAST or skin tests are usually prescribed an EpiPen® which is injected in case of anaphylactic shock. Florida legislation allows children to carry an EpiPen® to school. Lockey says that the epinephrine in a EpiPen® is a relatively safe drug, so caregivers should not hesitate to administer it if a child is having a severe reaction.

Resources:

Web Sites:
The Food Allergy Anaphylaxis Network
The first place to go to learn about food allergies and obtain expert help on topics like deciphering food labels and educating schools and caregivers.

Mothers of Children Having Allergies

Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

Food Allergy Support Group Of Tampa/St. Petersburg

Food Allergy Initiative

Kids’ Health: Food Allergies

Food Allergy Books For Children:
Experts stress that an important part of management is making sure the child understands why he cannot have certain foods and knows how to avoid them. This can be difficult for younger children but the following books can help:

Allie the Allergic Elephant: A Children’s Story of Peanut Allergies
by Nicole Smith. (Jungle Communications Inc).

Cody the Allergic Cow: A Children’s Story of Milk Allergies
by Nicole Smith (Jungle Communications Inc).

The Food Allergy Network’s Alexander Series

The Peanut Pickle: A Story About Peanut Allergy
by Jessica Ureel (First Page Publications).

Taking Food Allergies to School (Special Kids in School)
by Ellen Weiner (Jayjo Books).

Web site Links Listing Allergy-free Food Manufacturers:
http://www.seattlefoodallergy.org/links2.html#Allergy-Related%20Products

http://www.givemefood.com/category.html?UCIDs=1255992

http://www.allergygrocer.com

Living With Food Allergies
Ellis encourages parents of children with allergies to try to keep the child’s life as normal as possible while still being vigilant. Some suggestions:

• Make your child’s school or caregivers fully aware of your child’s condition and explain how to keep your child safe.
• Provide all applicable caregivers access to and knowledge of how to use an EpiPen® if necessary.
• Meet with your school-aged child’s teacher to determine any potential classroom allergens and discuss alternatives.
• Keep a supply of snacks and treats in the classroom so that your child can participate in parties and special occasions with his own safe food.

Many allergic families bring their own food to most outings like birthday parties, unfamiliar restaurants and playgroups. Because a young child may not understand the severity of his condition, many parents of young allergic children opt to have play dates and sleepovers at their own homes.

Corporate America is starting to cater to consumers with food allergies. Large companies like Disney World now offer allergy-free accommodations and dining, and manufacturers like Tampa’s PhillySwirl manufacture kid-friendly treats that are allergen-free.

Living with food allergies can be a challenge, but most parents cope by educating themselves, being vigilant and keeping perspective. Explains Dr. Lockey, “Allergies can be serious, but they can also be controlled.”