Jerseygirl

She isn't a child any more...but she still has a peanut allergy.

scrubbedexpat099

So how do you manage it in a non school environment?

Pulaski

Look out for yourself, and carry an epi-pen.

WEBlue

So true. The OP may not remember parents being worried about this when he was growing up, as many of us don't either...because there simply weren't as many children with severe food allergies 20-30 years ago.

But the numbers are rising every year. Reported cases of childhood food allergies have doubled since 2007 in the US, according to the link below:
Food Allergies Rising in Kids — Health Hub from Cleveland Clinic

So it's not outside the realm of possibility the OP may have a grandchild (or two) with the problem some day.....

Jerseygirl

Are you asking me? If so...at the first sign of a reaction she would move away from that area. She would inform the person that she has a peanut allergy and ask them to stop eating them and put them away. As Pulaski said...she always carries an Epipen.

Uncle_Bob

where is the scientific proof regarding these allergies? why are they so common now? there is no explanation, its all fluff.

Personally I'd rather see seat belts on school buses rather than all the fuss over a peanut, i call it common sense. And yes i have raised my concern over this issue.

Pulaski

Excuse me! Children ending up in hospital and in some cases dying is not "fluff". Your lack of empathy with children who have a potentially life-threatening condition is shocking! ..... You are not being asked to sever your right testicle, just to help reduce the risk to a child, your assistance in this matter is not too much to ask. I hope you are thoroughly ashamed of yourself for "raising your concerns", because in my opinion you are exposing yourself as an arrogant, ignorant jerk.

AZ_Alba

All the school is asking you to be aware of how your actions may endanger someone 's life. The other actions such as balanced diet for your children are something you can achieve without impacting others. But you seem to think your right to eat peanut butter sandwiches at school is greater than your responsibility not to endanger others.

kins

Yep.

My daughter has a serious peanut allergy. To answer some questions...

It's not a rare condition. She is not particularly unusual. She has had reactions not just to ingesting peanuts but also (for example) when her grandmother ate peanut butter then kissed her ten minutes later.

On the bus to and from school eating snacks is banned. She carries an epipen and also has a tag on her rucksack to tell the driver that she has an allergy and that there's an epipen in her bag. The drivers are all trained to administer epipens.

On school trips, if snacks are eaten on the school bus, the allergic children sit with the teacher, who carries an epipen.

We are very careful when eating out, and if in doubt we don't eat in establishments where we can't guarantee the food will be peanut free.

When she goes for playdates I inform the parents about her nut allergy and explain how to use the epipen and describe what she can or can't eat.

I'm not just careful about preventing her from eating peanuts - I take measures to stop her from being run over, hit by lightning, etc too.

AZ_Alba

I do not remember the large number of peanut products back home growing up as I see here.

kins

I ate pretty much everything except liver in all three pregnancies. I have one child with severe allergies and two with no allergies.

retzie

Is now the time to point out that almond butter is delicious?
(Obviously, doesn't help much with a full tree nut ban.)

Someone I know has a severe peanut allergy. Now in her early thirties (having survived two episodes of anaphylaxis - the one in her twenties almost fatal), all I can say is it is a lot of work. She works in hospitality and will not work in an establishment that serves peanuts (as in, anywhere in the building); she will only eat out at restaurants that guarantee peanut-free, or where she personally knows the chefs and is only served food that is prepared from scratch while she's on the premises ("I don't want my meal to contain anything that was made earlier, where someone could have eaten a Snickers and forgotten to wash their hands"); her long-term friends won't allow peanuts in their houses. She is very pro-active about keeping herself informed and educating others (including calling out BS in both directions). To have her in your life, you have to accept the responsibility that comes with the allergy as well.

ETA: She said the second episode was what made her really take this seriously. She didn't remember much of the first one, so thought of the allergy as "a thing my parents told me about". Apparently, her second attack was much worse (even with the epi-pens she always carries) and she now has adult memories of being rushed to hospital and being so close to the edge. This is why she is such an advocate of continuing education: "you avoid things and manage to stay safe, so it becomes something from a long time ago when the drugs worked. But the drugs don't always work and you can't ever take for granted that you are safe."

Uncle_Bob

I'm surprised by your insults. Over 2000 people have viewed this thread, apparently only 3 are unfortunate enough to have a child suffering from allergies, and that is sad. But I'll have you know that my wife works at the largest childrens hospital in sixth largest city in the USA. In 10 years she has not seen a single death by peanut. And we proudly contribute financially to the Hospitals many causes, more than you do, i guarantee it. So there is no need to question my empathy towards children, the ones that need it

WEBlue

Did you grow up in the UK? The numbers of reported allergies in children have also increased dramatically there too. Adults may not remember knowing many suffering from allergies, but for the many children who now have them they are very real.

This is from the website allergy.uk:

Childhood Allergy - An Introduction - Allergy UK

lizzyq

My daughter and I are both allergic to the adhesive in traditional elastoplast, the pink fabric type, to the extent that wounds won't heal until the allergic reaction has subsided. As this is not in the life threatening category it can be difficult to get other people to take it seriously and why my first aid box at work contains a wide variety of adhesive dressings. My hospital notes have "allergic to tape" written boldly across them.

As I child I was an oddity in having an allergy other than hayfever.