Blogcritics Comments on Peanut Allergy

Comment by MaryP on Peanut Allergy

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 22:25:35 EST

Do people think that those of us with peanut allergic children have no lives, jobs, etc? To the woman who said she didn't have time to drive to Whole Foods and buy Sunbutter?? Hello? I'm a professional woman with a busy schedule and family life. I did not ask to have a peanut allergic child. No one in my family has allergies, but my daughter has one. Can I help that? No. Do you think I should then quit my job, severly limiting my household income so that I can keep my daughter at home and homeschool my beautiful, bright, social butterfly daughter all because some selfish, ignorant people refuse to help their fellow parents out and keep their children's friends safe from death by avoiding nuts and nut products? I wish on that woman a peanut allergic child. I'm shaking I'm so upset by some of what I've read tonight. My little girl is due to start Kindegarten in the Fall and as I'm researching my options I'm feeling more and more hopeless. I am not going to feel safe sending her to public school. I can just picture myself in a meeting, wondering if she's okay, wondering if the staff is really keeping her safe, wondering if she'll be offered M&M's or something else that could kill her? I can't handle it and I can't take the risk. I don't want to homeschool - my daugher LOVES school (she goes to a nut free preschool and ADORES it there) and I don't want to quit my job which is in the non-profit sector, I do alot of good and help alot of people, but I'm feeling more and more frustrated. Do you know that all schools in Canada are peanut and tree nut free? Anyways, sorry if this seemed like a disjointed rant, it is. I'm just so sad for my daughter, I don't want her in "alternative school" or homeschool, but more importantly I want her alive and 5 years old is just too little to trust that she can "manage her allergy". I just don't trust people, there will always be the peanut allergy "haters" out there and it's just incredibly unfair.

Comment by Teagans Nana on Peanut Allergy

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 04:28:24 EST

I see both sides of this issue. Before my Granddaughter Teagan was diagnosed as a toddler (now 6) with the severest reactivity of peanut allergy as you can get, I thought that serving peanut butter or peanut products to my own kid was my right as a parent. Its a whole other story when its one of your own. We dreaded the day when we had to make the decision of whether or not to home-school. We chose to try public school because she SO wanted to go to real school! However, she started several months ago and we are constantly thinking we may have to home-school afterall. Teagan LOVES school and her teacher, she looks forward to school every day. In fact, when she was forced to stay home from school recently due to being sick and feverish she cried for an hour because she missed "yellow day" and she missed singing the "yellow song" that they had practiced! Awww!!!! Unfortunately, there is a battle going on regarding her special accommodations regarding her allergies. Not just her life-threatening peanut allergy but she has many, many food allergies as well that are not as severe but cause her to have extremely painful outbreaks of eczema. Its a nightmare but we want her to lead as normal a life as possible. Although they were very concerned and accommodating at first, now her school is trying to down-play her safety needs and is saying they are worrying about her self-esteem and that her special accommodations are singling her out with other kids and is becoming too burdensome for the school to handle. They are worried about her self-esteem while we are worried about her life! Anyone who has researched peanut allergy knows that it is for some reason on the rise and about 5% of school aged kids are allergic to some degree. So people on this site state that they don't feel that they should be inconvenienced by not sending peanut products to school need to realize that most likely at least one person in their child's classroom is going to be allergic. And many, many kids in any sizeable school. We are not saying you should never give your kids peanut products. Just help keep our kids safe! If they HAVE to have peanut butter, have them eat it for breakfast or dinner! Just keep it out of their lunches. Oh, and regarding home-schooling? It is so easy for someone to just say that if you care so much about your allergic kid that much then you shouldn't send them to school. We've looked into home-schooling options quite a bit. Demographics has much to do with successful home-schooling, meaning small groups of parents that share responsibilities and form a network. There is no good network where my granddaughter lives so it would be up to my daughter alone. Sure you can debate social development pros and cons vs learn-at-your own speed, etc. But ultimately, Teagan's happiness in just going to school each day and connecting with her teacher and classmates makes it all the more difficult to pull her out. And we are facing that agonizing decision right now. Except for her food allergies, she is a very normal, smart, exceptionally witty and fun-loving child. We don't want to isolate her and keep her from having the experience of enjoying a semi-normal childhood. So yeah, I see both sides and I don't know at all if we will win our battle with her school. Her safety is definitely our top priority. If she was just moderately allergic we would not worry so much but her docs and our experiences prove that she is unfortunately an extreme case. And if it were JUST my grandkid and she was the one and only peanut allergy kid in the world, yes, I'd agree that we shouldn't inconvenience everyone else. But although she might be one of the most highly reactive, she's certainly not the only allergic kid at the school now nor will she be the last. So some kind of formal policy needs to be established and parents need to realize that its just not okay to send peanut products to school when informed that there is an allergic child in the midst.

Comment by Brenda on Peanut Allergy

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:19:05 EDT

Our school just sent home a letter last week that we have a new child with peanut allergies in our school, which we are a small rural community and will accomodate for this. We were all told that we can no longer send peanutbutter, peanuts or any snack that could possibly have peanut oil in it. Now understand that I feel bad for this child, and I personally understand the plight of these parents. But our school sent home a list of the products that the children can bring to school, which are all high in sugar and carb let alone all have to be name brand. We are a small community, but we are a poor community. My problem is this child has been in our school for less than a week, my daughter has been in our school since kindergarten and is now in 6th grade. My daughter has been a diabetic since she was 18 months old and we control it with diet, nuts and peanut butter are high in protien and good for her, all of the products the other childs parents provided on the list are high in sugar, do we kill one child to save another? Why does my child have to be the one who is forgotten in all of this, I don't want to put her on insulin. Diabetis is also life threatening, What about my kid?

Comment by shar on Peanut Allergy

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 20:03:09 EDT

hi there, as a mom of 3 kids without allergies, i am so thankful for this..BUT i do look after a little guy who had his first peanut reaction at my house, it was terrifying...he now carries and epipen...i have decided just today that i can no longer look after him, i cannot handle the fear that i live with...my kids have been in peanut free classrooms before, and i do support them, and now, after watching this little guy, i do even more...personally, i can no longer deal with the "what ifs"...i have made my house peanut free during the week, and have decided it is no longer fair to my familly, and i keep this little guy in a "bubble", i take him no where as i live in fear...to all u parents of allergic kids, i give you so much credit...my nephew was just diagnosed with many severe allergies, so much so, they were told to feed him NOTHING without the epi right there..talk about scary...i wish all these peanut allergic kids safe and happy school years!!!

Comment by Peanut Allergy Mom on Peanut Allergy

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:32:29 EDT

I am a Mom, who is allergic to peanuts and about a dozen, other things....I just found out today, that my son is in a "non-peanut" classroom. No one on this site, wants to see a child die(hurt or in pain, etc)---but it makes you feel better, making the accusation!!! The plain and simple fact is....the children without allergies, are punished, for the children who have allergies. It isn't just about not having a PBJ at lunch...it is now about, teaching the kids without allergies--they need to have fear of FOOD. Or they need to leave THEIR classroom, to eat their snack or lunch--because 1 or 2 children, have issues. The time they lose, making sure they are peanut free---the story time that the children miss, because they brought in a snack that might be "suspect" and have to leave the room. It is now effecting my child's education.... We have made such strides in this country and now we are segregating, over peanuts--to accommodate, a few. What we are teaching our children, at such a YOUNG age, is FEAR....fear food, obsession(OCD), eating disorders, etc..... If my child had such severe allergies, I would have no choice but to home school....why not be safer, than sorry?? What about that one child who ate peanut butter for breakfast--comes into contact with the allergic child and it is deadly??? Who's responsibility is that(the one who didn't know or innocently ATE their breakfast--or the one who KNOWINGLY took the RISK of exposing their child to their allergens???) Until these children are old enough to take control of their environment (or have a better understanding and handle) and truly understand the issue at hand...they should not be around the other children and I say this, for SAFETY issues--if it is THAT severe....keep them home or in a more controlled environment--it certainly is not in a public school....where most parents are truly not aware of the dangers. You cannot possibly expect, these overcrowded schools, to be concerned with only YOUR child. I love children, I was a teacher....I am a parent of 4 but it is MY responsibility, to make sure my children are safe---no one else. Sorry but it is not reasonable, to expect every other family, in the school district--to worry about the safety of your allergic children. I can totally empathize, I have spent countless hrs., in ER's, for allergies but that is MY responsibility. I don't leave home without my EPI pen, EVER. But I certainly, do not expect others to adjust their lives, around mine...it isn't fair!! The question is...when does the responsibility of YOUR children, become YOURS????

Comment by Lisa on Peanut Allergy

Tue, 9 Sep 2008 16:29:22 EDT

I just got a letter from my sons elementary school nurse "peanut allergy" stating no snacks/foods with peanuts/nut oils. I do not have a problem with this, what I do have a problem with is that NO snacks are listed. I can appreciate with a list I would still need to check ingredients but at least it is a starting point. The parents of peanut allergy child should be providing the list to the nurse to distribute with the warning to check labels in case of changes. I am willing to comply with the request, I resent having to spend an hour reading snack labels in the grocery isle when the parents of this kid already know which ones are safe.

Comment by Bruce Pridgen, CC EMT-Paramedic, CNA II on Peanut Allergy

Sun, 7 Sep 2008 09:11:44 EDT

People need to realize that they have to take responsibility for themselves and their children and stop infringing on the rights of others to provide a false wall of safety around them. Your school and child should have a epi-pen, they should stress handwashing and let the child learn with supervision the precautions he must take, more than likely, for the rest of his life. A ban is not just unjust to the whole of the group but is setting the child up for a false sense of security that does not exist in the world. Almost everyone has a allergy to something and at some point the allergic reaction could turn to full anaphalactic shock. Its easily treated with epinephrine by pen, IV epi if the reaction is so severe that we have to be called, then benedryl and some solu-medrol for the long stretch. I'm allergic to clovers, I wouldn't ask that you destroy all plant life in your lawns. You are socialist thinking if you support banning something because of a simple allergy.

Comment by Amanda Proctor on Peanut Allergy

Tue, 2 Sep 2008 11:39:05 EDT

Oh, and I wanted to add that my now almost eight year-old has been reading labels and asking questions since he was old enough to talk and identify the word "peanut" or "nut". If you ever meet a food allergic child ( mine was also allergic to dairy, egg,chocolate and tree-nuts but has outgrown dairy,egg and chocolate), you'll find they're some of the most responsible children around. We're not putting all the responsibility on others, we are teaching our children to advocate for themselves, but when we can't be with them, we need help protecting them. They are just children. We always have a "safe" snack for him in the little backpack he carries containing his Epi-pen, Benadryl and emergency instructins/contact info. We do all we can, but for our son, he doesn't even have to ingest the peanut. All it takes is trace skin contact or even airborne contact (it happens, he HAS reacted that way). A little understanding and common sense from others goes a long way. For the record, I have a picky eater, too. My middle child is the pickiest child I've ever known. We don't cater to him. He's served the same food as everyone else at the table. He must take a "no thank-you" bite and then he's free to leave the table if he chooses not to eat. He's not dead, he's perfectly healthy and has now tried and liked some foods he formerly swore he'd never touch. It really does work. Oh, and to other peanut/tree nut allergy parents, Sunbutter is wonderful. We love it. If your child isn't allergic to seeds, it's worth looking into. Parents whose non-allergic children attend peanut-free or restricted schools, Sunbutter tastes amazingly like peanut butter. It's just a little sweeter.

Comment by Amanda Proctor on Peanut Allergy

Tue, 2 Sep 2008 11:12:21 EDT

It's because of the hateful, willful ignorance like in many of the comments I've read that we pulled my son out of public school. Before we moved, the principal of our local school met with us and made a major decision to make the school peanut-free. It was done as quietly as possible. People in our town began an awful letter-writing campaign to our local paper attacking the principal, us, and our innocent five year old child. It was the worst time of our lives. Eventually, I broke annonymity and wrote in myself. The editor called me and thanked me and said mine would be the last letter published on the matter and that he was pulling for us. Things settled down after that. The next year, however, the principal of that school mysteriously disappeared ( after only a year) and was replaced. We were informed that peanuts and peanut products would once again be allowed. We didn't want to stir up a hornets' nest, so we nervously let him stay until we moved in the middle of the year. Two states away, a law had been passed taking measures to protect kids with peanut allergies in the schools. The school personnel had been trained and there were several other peanut-allergic children at the school. However, it was evident that the potential for disaster still existed as too many parents rely on peanut butter and it was still offered in the cafeteria. The way I see it, one time is all it takes. There are too many what-ifs. What if they take too long getting to the nurses office and unlocking the Epi-pen (they wouldn't let him keep it on him), what if the ambulance takes too long, what if... . Not with my child. I wouldn't be able to live the rest of my life knowing it didn't have to turn out that way. Fortunately, We've been blessed in that I have the ability to stay home and teach my children. Not everyone has that option. I just want to ask those hateful, close-minded people- how would you feel if your stubborness caused the death of a child? A child who depends on the adults around him/her to keep them safe? The "real world"?! They're children! You'd leave your child alone in a room full of poison or loaded guns because they "have to learn to deal sometime". All I can say, is don't be so quick to judge. It can happen to anyone. Your next baby just might change your whole point of view. What parent wouldn't do all they could to protect their children? We're people just like you whose lives have been forever altered sitting in an allergists' office. Walk a mile in my shoes and then get back to me.

Comment by laf on Peanut Allergy

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 20:40:33 EDT

We are in a class this year with the one kid at a school of 750 who has peanut allergy. My kid is picky and it's difficult to find anything to pack that she will eat, pb&j being one of our mainstays. Well, we are now being asked not only not to pack pb&j, but no nuts of any kind: almonds, cashews, etc. Most snack bars will have some kind of nut, so snack bars are out. PB substitutes I have tried and none of them are good. I'm really not sure what in the world I am supposed to pack for my childs lunch. Children who are hungry do not learn. In addition, the allergic child should not be eating my childs food. She could wash her hands after lunch, which would prevent transfer by hands. I have done some reasearch online and found that studies that have been done on airborne peanut protein find that it does not cause deadly reactions. Here is the summary of one study I found, there are others: "From this number of participants, it can be stated with 96% confidence that at least 90% of highly sensitive children with peanut allergy would not experience a systemic-respiratory reaction from casual exposure to peanut butter. Conclusions: Casual exposure to peanut butter is unlikely to elicit significant allergic reactions. The results cannot be generalized to larger exposures or to contact with peanut in other forms (flour and roasted peanuts). (J Allergy Clin Immunol 2003;112:180-2.)" Here is the whole article. I don't want the other child to be harmed, but I dont' think he would be harmed if my child eats what she wants for her own food. This can be managed without a ban, and without inconveniencing all 750 children and their parents. There should be very good hygiene practices in this childs classroom (washing hands after eating), and he should have a safe place to eat (peanut free table). In my opinion that is enough to ensure that he will not have a life threatening contact with peanuts or other nut products from other people's food. You have to let all the other kids eat. If we ban all nuts, you might as well just ban food, because there isn't much left for normal kids to eat.

Comment by Nick Ulrich on Peanut Allergy

Mon, 4 Aug 2008 14:18:46 EDT

I have a story. My daughter brought snacks into school and yes they had a no peanut policy. 2 days later the school called and asked if we used any kid of peanut in our cookies and my wife had no idea, since grandmas made them. We called grandma and she used a peanut oil. Well a week ago the parents sent us a bill for 1100 to pay what their insurance didn't pay. I say only bring apples and oranges to school for snacks or you could get sued.

Comment by Ermelina on Peanut Allergy

Sat, 2 Aug 2008 22:56:36 EDT

What's wrong with you people,just because your kids do not have any peanut allergy that it is ok to have a child die in a school because your kid brought PB sandwich to school beacuse you do not want to change your kid(s) lunch. You people are heartless. Kids with allergy did not ask for that.

Comment by Now allergic to nuts on Peanut Allergy

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:33:20 EDT

All of my life I have loved peanuts & tree nuts. I wanted them in almost every cake, cookie, or desert I ate. One morning last year I woke up with both of my lips & one eyelid swelled beyond belief. This happened many times with several variations - sometimes one lip swelled, or one eyelid, or tongue & one eyelid, one lip & one eyelid, etc, etc. Fortunately, I was in the hospital recovering from a long-term illness. Unfortunately, the doctors there had no idea what caused this condition. I hadn't changed any of my eating habits, laundry soaps, cosmetic, etc. They diagagnosed it as angio-edema. After researching angio-edema on the internet, I found out that it in many cases just happens for some reason & no allergen can be attributed to it. After leaving the hospital with no idea what was causing the swellings I went on about my life with episodes occurring every now & then. I still had no idea why. Then one day my husband came home with some boiled peanuts. We ate some of those while still oblivious to the fact that I might be allergic. Heck, nuts had always been a part of my diet, so it never occured to me I might be allergic. The next day after eating the boiled peanuts I had a facial swelling episode. Still, the idea of being allergic to nuts didn't occur to me. A couple of days later there were still a few boiled peanuts left in the fridge. I decided to polish them off & did. Well, well, well... the next day came the facial swelling. After a lot of thought I finally figured out that I had "developed" an allergy to peanuts & tree nuts. While I was in the hospital my husband had brought cheese & peanut butter crackers that I would eat as a snack every now & then. Because I'd never previously been allergic to nuts & eating nuts wasn't a deviation from my regular diet, it took longer to discover the allergy. It has evolved & gotten worse since. My husband decided to eat a peanut butter & jelly sandwich one evening. He felt guilty about it, but I told him to go ahead since he wasn't allergic. Later, after getting our showers & brushing teeth we kissed goodnight & went to bed. The next morning I woke with my tongue swollen worse than previously. I couldn't figure out why it had happened. I didn't eat any peanut butter - my husband had - plus, he'd showered & brushed his teeth. But the fact remains he must've still had some residue clinging somewhere on his lips, face, or hands. This episode scared both us more than ever. It never occured to either of us that I'd get a severe allergic reaction to such a minute amount. Since then we have been more careful about the products we buy. I'd known a person could "develop" allergies to things that had never caused an alergic reaction, but it just took some time to "hit" on the fact that it had happened to me. This fact was almost devastating - almost. I CAN live without eating nuts, but I sure am angry about it. I'd just bought a large jar of extra-crunch peanut butter just before I discovered my allergy. UGH! I ended up giving it to a friend with non-nut allergy children. In response to the mother who thinks this allergy is abnormal please consider this - you or your son could wake up one morning with allergy symptoms & not know why until you find out you are allergic to something you hadn't been allergic to the day before. Then you would have to consider yourself or your son abnormal. Think again, then, before you speak of "abnormal" people not reproducing. It CAN happen to "anybody." You don't have to be born allergic to something. The fact is that there are more & more people being born with or developing allergies these days, as well as other conditions. We are seeing more people with asthma, more autistic children, more tourettes, more etc. etc. I've heard that these increases are not just blamed on genetics. Enviroment may also play a major role. There are other factors which may play a role in causing more & more of these conditions, but I am not as informed as I'd like to be. It is a pain to have to accomadate the smaller percent of people who have food allergies, but just remember - any one of you who have no food allergies or a loved one could become one of those people. It's fortunate if you have no allergies. Consider yourself blessed. But have a little compassion for people who have to be extremely careful of how they have to live. No one wants to have to give up something they enjoy. I never wanted to give up nuts. I never thought about people who had those allergies or thought about having to accommodate them. Now I am one.

Comment by Daniel on Peanut Allergy

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 18:18:27 EDT

As a father of a peanut allergy child I worry about this every day. I just hope that enough people become educated about the danger. Thank you all for at least having this discussion.

Comment by Rachelima on Peanut Allergy

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 00:54:36 EDT

As a mother of two children with life-threatening food allergies, I just want to point out how hard it is for those parents with food-allergic children to really discover what is "reasonable" and what isn't. The science is still unbelievably unsure of so much. I read, study, educated myself on food allergies daily and there are still so many basic questions unanswered. I was told airborne allergic reactions were not possible - then a year later not likely - then a year later it was just in theory - then my son had an anaphylactic reaction at public school when a teacher in another room heated peanut butter to its melting point in an experiement. How can I be mad at the school when no one knew this could kill him? I was, however, freaked out that the school did not follow my son's food allergy action plan, NOT giving him an EPI pen nor calling emergency services. Once a reaction happened, it was reasonable to treat him for a reaction and follow up on our agreeed medical plan. And then the school wouldn't give him an IHP or a 504 plan. So, we found a school who would help us protect him (and no, peanuts are not banned at the new school, just smart people who understand the seriousness of food allergies and keep all food out of the classroom, not out of the school). All of this peanut allergy/tree nut allergy/dairy/egg/wheat allergy stuff has so quickly grown in both numbers and in severity. Each child reacts differently. Each reaction is different. In our family, we focus on what to do WHEN an allergic reaction occurs, not if. Prevention is only what we strive for - we get there is no guarantee because we do live in this world, and not a bubble. Personally, I would NEVER send my child to any camp that wasn't peanut and tree nut free - and it is not reasonable to think any camp would be. Kids die because EPIpens are not around to be administered or people are afraid or uneducated in its use. It is bad parenting to think a 17 year old camp counselor can handle this kind of emergency situation in the middle of nowhere without a registered nurse on site 24/7 and an ER within minutes. It is not my child's right to attend camp - it is his right as an American, disabled or otherwise, to recieve a fair education. Remember, there are good parents and bad parents and reasonable parents and educated parents and lazy parents and clueless parents -- don't hate the parents who are trying to educate the public about the seriousness of food allergies in an effort to keep their children alive just because others can't figure out what is resonable and what isn't. Even FAAN does not have all the questions ansered - which is why research is so important to pay for and promote. The difficulty of this epidemic is overwhelming and all the possiblities of exposure are not proven yet by any medical establishment. False answers abound. Fear is everywhere. Why is our food suddenly killing us? We are doing the best we can with a challenging situation. I just hope your hearts can open to help us -- we don't want to be asking for help, we are trying everything we can, we did not sign up for this... Keeping each and every child safe is what good people do. And I will protect yours - can't you help me protect mine, too?

Comment by Counselormom on Peanut Allergy

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 18:30:13 EDT

I'm a volunteer counselor at a non-profit summer camp. We have about 1,200 kids come through in 8 weeks. This summer, we are told that 3 kids are coming to camp during that time with air-borne peanut allergies. These kids will be here during 3 of the 8 weeks. Our camp's decision regarding this? No peanuts or ANY product containing peanuts will be on the property during any of the 8 weeks, whether the allergic kids are in residence or not. Any counselor who leaves the site during their time off and eats peanuts or is around peanuts (?) is to wash their clothing, hair, body and teeth before returning (We get 6 hours off/week). No peanut butter sandwiches for anyone during the 8 weeks,including for the vegetarians. Ready for this one? No s'mores at our summer camp this summer, because the Hershey bars might have been made in a plant where there was peanut oil. (This includes in the unit which is about 1 mile from where the allergic kids will be staying.) Consider this: The children ALL come to camp in ordinary chartered buses. Any of the 200 kids arriving may have eaten peanuts or peanut butter that day before coming to camp. The camp is surrounded by residences where, undoubtedly, someone is eating peanuts. Visitors who come through the camp have not had their clothing or bodies sterilized or certified peanut-free. Many of the children go on field trips from the camp and stop at public restaurants or restrooms. I call B.S. on the parents who are making us jump through these hoops so THEIR kid can go to our camp, even though the above conditions exist. I call B.S. on our camp's policy. I believe it is unscientific and ridiculous.

Comment by KB on Peanut Allergy

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 01:04:12 EDT

I work in an Out of School Care centre where we a have about 4 kids with severe peanut/tree nut allergies. We rent our space from a community league, so we can't call ourselves "Nut-Free," since we cannot guarantee that any of the other renters don't use peanut products. It's hard sometimes, a lot of products you wouldn't expect to have nuts do. We can't buy in bulk, which makes groceries expensive for us, since we're buying for up to 100 children at once. But we do our best to ensure that our kids are aware of the dangers. At one point, we also had a girl in our program from a family who were vegan for religious reasons. She brought peanut butter every day for lunch, since it was the only protein she would/could eat. We made sure she sat across the room from our peanut-free kids, and made her wash her hands and face, and we would wash her spot down. Now, I am very concerned about the "real world" argument. What will happen when these kids with such sever allergies are in high school or university? There's no way to guarantee a peanut-free environment in those settings. I'm not trying to bait anyone. This is a genuine concern. Also, I'm fairly sure that most HOSPITALS aren't peanut-free. Or at least, in Canada they aren't. Responses?

Comment by Mary on Peanut Allergy

Mon, 26 May 2008 11:13:57 EDT

Per peanut allergens being found on 1 out of 13 water fountains, school cafeteria water fountains should not be used by kids with food allergies for this very reason. Regarding soy butters and other peanut butter substitutes, check with your child's allergist first. People who are allergic to peanuts can also be allergic to soy and to tree nuts, ingredients found in many peanut butter substitutes. As for schools being "nut free zones": -- when my child was in kindergarten, her teachers brought coconuts into the classroom for the kids to touch. They cut them open and were feeding them to the children when they remembered my child is allergic to tree nuts. Although allergic reactions to coconuts are rare, they do occur and coconuts were on the list of allergens I provided to my child's teachers. The teachers washed my child's hands and removed the materials from the classromm, but never informed me of my child's exposure to a known allergen. -- for the first grade Halloween party, the kids made spiders by attaching pretzel sticks to peanut butter that had been spread on a round cracker. My child reminded the teacher of her allergy, but was told by the parent volunteer in charge that it would be OK because she didn't have to eat the craft project if she didn't want to. But she would still have to spread the peanut butter on the cracker and possibly come in contact with a substance she is deathly allergic to. My child asked to go to the clinic where she remained until the "class party" was over. -- when my child was in second grade, her teacher kept a bag of peanuts on her desk and ate peanut butter crackers during snack, even though there were two children in her class with peanut/tree nut allergies. She would often walk around the room, eating from her bag of peanuts, while teaching. -- during third grade, my child tried to switch seats with another child at lunch in order to move away from a child that was eating a peanut butter sandwich. The "lunch lady" wouldn't let her, even though that is the school's rule. She said that since my child wasn't eating the peanut butter it wouldn't hurt her. My child develops hives and wheezes when touched by someone who has touched peanut butter. Knowing this, the child with the peanut butter sandwich put it away and raised her hand to go wash up. Why was the child with the peanut butter sandwich able to leave the table to go wash up, but the child with the deadly allergy was not allowed to change her seat? (Don't worry, the other kids shared their food with the child that voluntarily parted with her peanut butter sandwich. We could all learn something from my child's lunch buddies.) -- my older child's middle school science class has on several occasions used peanuts for experiments. During those experiments the student with the nut allergy has to leave the room, sometimes for several days of class instruction, and study alone in the media center. Can't another experiment be found that will teach the same principle, without isolating a student and depriving them of the same education their peers are receiving? I'm not asking for a nut-free school, a nut-free zone, or even a nut-free table. I'm not asking for you to forego peanut butter sandwiches, peanut butter crackers, or that granola bar you just can't live without. I'm just asking that you be aware that my child, too young to speak up for herself, can potentially have a deadly allergic reaction to your food choice. If you choose to eat peanuts/tree nuts, please do your best to stay away from my child and my child will do her best to stay away from you. Unfortunately, that can be difficult in a school environment when the teachers don't even seem to understand the consequences of their own actions. And that, in a nutshell, is why parents ask for nut-free schools. Don't blame my child because yours can't bring a peanut butter sandwich to school, blame the teachers and administrators who fail to take reasonable steps to provide adequate safeguards to protect a child that is in danger until it is too late and they are then forced into a total ban.

Comment by scott on Peanut Allergy

Mon, 12 May 2008 22:31:46 EDT

hey whats up. i suffer from peanut allergies, along with bananas, shellfish, milk, eggs and all dairy. yeah it sucks but i deal with it. and uhh it's great that the school banned peanuts. i was very scared of dieing because of my allergies when i was little. I'm now in grade 11 and am doing fine. My school is not peanut safe however, all of my friends know about my allergies and do not bring peanuts or bananas with them too lunch.

Comment by mema on Peanut Allergy

Sun, 11 May 2008 21:58:12 EDT

I truly feel for you parents that have a child with this peanut allergy, as a grandparent I read all the labels and very much aware of the peanut oil, made at a peanut facility on, on and on, it is very scary how many foods have nut ingredients. I saw on the news how these kids put peanut crackers in someone's lunch box. We all know how cruel and uneducated kids and adults are and can be. My suggestion and question, do they show like a tough love film about how dangerous this allergy is in schools? I know I have been told that they read books, but how about a film that will scare the other kids to know how dangerous this can be.

Comment by Lindy on Peanut Allergy

Fri, 9 May 2008 23:34:09 EDT

Hello Everyone, Wow, there is quite a debate going on. It takes a village to raise a child and lets look at some reasonable solutions to live together. We need to look at ways to reduce the risk of accidental exposure of peanut allergic kids. We don't want any children to die and we don't want any children to watch their classmate die. If we could reduce and eliminate peanut butter and peanuts in the schools, we would be better off. Having parents of non allergic kids to read labels in search of "may contain peanuts" is unrealistic. Lets just eliminate the big onee like peanut butter and peanuts. In our school, families are requested to not send peanut butter and peanuts to school. If a child "needs" to eat peanut butter, they may, but they have to go and eat it in the school office in a room that is separate from the main school areas. These children have a choice to eat something else or eat in the office. This way the risk of getting peanut butter on the tables etc is reduced. The child with the disability is safe and able to be a part of the school community and the child who only eats peanut butter but HAS A CHOICE can still eat it or choose to be part of the school community and eat a cheese sandwich. Telling people to keep their peanut allergic child home is absolutley ridiculous. People need to stop being so selfish and stop whining about their kids that only eat PB. We are only talking about 5 meals out of 21...get a grip!

Comment by kim on Peanut Allergy

Fri, 4 Apr 2008 23:12:50 EDT

why are all these people who don't have peanut allergic kids even on this site? They seem to be uncaring, and unconcerned and very UNEDUCATED on the topic and the allergy. I really find it hard to believe they are even parents of children. Our peanut allergic kids will DIE if exposed. Just imagine 7 minutes of itching, swelling, and not being able to breathe. Wondering why this is happening, and where is my mommy? Then your dead. Could anyone live with knowing they caused that by sending a pb&j sandwich to school with their child? If you can then think of your child, wouldn't that scar the child that brought the peanut butter that caused the DEATH forever? Have you ever rushed your 12 month old into the ER with an allergic reaction? He is completely red from head to toe, I never even had to stop at the registration desk. They took him over a heart patient with chest pains. That is how dangerous this is. At the time we didn't know what casued it. It was as pinch of a peanut butter cup about the size of a red hot candy. I hope that none of you with such a misunderstanding never have to have it cleard up by living with the fear that so many of us live with every minute we are not with our peanut allergic children. I also hope you educate your children not to get their peanut butter near our children and won't be closed minded to learning and teaching your children how to wash their hands after eating peanut butter in school. For the mother of the kid who will eat nothing but pb&j sandwiches I hope he eats vitamins b/c that is not healthy at all. Hopefully he never develops the allergy.

Comment by ilovepeanuts123 on Peanut Allergy

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:52:33 EDT

hey uh nopeanutmom? uh yeah, you suck! you hippie! when iwas a kid, do you know there was no one i knew with a peanut allergy. so you think your little kid is special? ha! grow up. the world won't change for you. the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. teach your kid to be careful not scared. i'm add. i learned to pay attention so i wouldn't get hit by cars.(very hard to do by the way.) So it was hard. I learned how to deal with it. that's what matters. give your kid the tools to fend for himself. mommy won't always be there to hold his hand.

Comment by Momma_of_2 on Peanut Allergy

Sat, 22 Dec 2007 00:20:10 EST

This site is so disturbing on so many levels. I have a 7 yr old, 1st grader, with an anaphylactic peanut tree nut allergy. She has had this since she was two. She has no memory of her first and only reaction. As a result, she desparatly wants to taste PB&J to see what she is missing. I bought a Roasted Soy Butter (peanut butter equivalent) and it tastes great! She wont touch it, she wants a real nut. She knows it will kill her. She thinks the epi-pen will fix everything. I have a very smart child too, but the allergy and the insenstive remarks make it very hard for her. I have no choice to home school or send her to private school, I have to work there is no extra money. My child is in public school. Her classroom is nut free, but the school is not. I live in fear that some stupid kid is going to do something stupid with the nuts and kill her. When I hear about the stupid things and misconceptions that the schools, parents, and teachers have about food allergies I am terrified. But nothing saddens me more than the family members and friends that we have lost over an allergy. Te rules are simple, no sharing of food and no one is allowed to feed my kids, and they are not allowed to accept ANY FOOD without my prior approval. For those of you who really hate having to deal with that stupid nut allergy in your class or on the plane understand that as a parent of a nut allergic child, I would give up my organs, my limbs, my life, to take this deadly allergy away from her. But I have no controll in the matter. The only thing that I can hope for is strangers who are willing to listen and willing to ask me questions and willing to have a little compassion. Please ask questions and be open to a discussion. Peanut/tree nut allergy parents don't want to inhibit anyone, they just want their kid to live.

Comment by suec on Peanut Allergy

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:50:15 EST

My question for other parents with peanut allergy kids is do you restrict your other kids from having PB when they're not with their allergic siblings?. My allergist says it's ok for my son to have a PB sandwich at school or a friend's house if his sister isn't with him. I'm not sure if it's a good idea....any suggestions??