August 2003 (Newstream) -- Nearly three million American children have food allergies. The parents of these children are always anxious when it comes to the new school year, and many seek guidance in how to work with school personnel to keep their child safe. The danger of a life-threatening reaction from exposure to an allergen can be found beyond obvious places like the lunchroom. They can also hide in places where kids -- and adults -- wouldn't normally expect them, including field trips, school celebrations or special projects like arts and crafts.
That's why it's vital for parents to meet with school personnel ahead of time to set up an action plan, anticipate any trouble spots, and prepare for an emergency. The "Food Allergy ABCs" help families do just that. Dr. Scott Sicherer (sish'er'er) says the first important step is to get an accurate diagnosis from your child's allergist to establish exactly what the child's allergic to, how to avoid it and how to treat an accidental ingestion if one should occur. Once the meeting at school is arranged -- in addition to cafeteria questions -- parents need to ask about things like snack time, bus rides, arts and craft projects, school trips and who will take on what role in an emergency. Medications used for treatment of food allergies can include self-injectable Epinephrine (EpiPen) and an antihistamine, and their administration should be practiced with the staff.
A food allergy is an abnormal response of the immune system to otherwise harmless foods such as peanuts, nuts, milk, eggs, soy, fish, shellfish and wheat. There is no cure for food allergy and strict avoidance is critical in avoiding a reaction. In the case of some allergic children, just one bite of food can bring on anaphylaxis, a severe reaction that involves the major body systems and can be fatal if appropriate medical intervention is not taken. Symptoms of a food allergy reaction include difficulty breathing, hives, abdominal pain, vomiting and loss of consciousness.
To learn more about food allergies, visit the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, a non-profit national organization at www.foodallergy.org or call 1-800-929-4040.
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Produced for The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network by Time Frame Productions, Inc.
Contact:
Monica Elias, 212-812-7088
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