It’s easy to love your kids. It’s much harder to talk with them. Watching the Connect with Kids programs takes the pressure off.

Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008

| CWK Producer

Six-year-old Michael Tralongo is allergic to peanuts. If he eats even a trace, he could stop breathing.

“When I did hear that he had a peanut allergy, we were very worried,” says his mom, Elizabeth. “First, you just want to keep him in this protected bubble.”

Until a week ago, Michael could not buy food from the school cafeteria. He had to sit on the end of the table, where the lunch his mom made wouldn’t mix with the other kids’.

“I just wanted to eat the lunch like everybody else and be like everybody else,” says Michael.

Studies have found that kids with food allergies often feel alone, different or stressed out.

“It’s a lot of responsibility for a young child with an allergy,” says Elizabeth, “because they really do have to become very responsible for their own safety.”

Some kids in the study became overly fearful – afraid that any new food would make them sick. Other kids had behavior problems.

“There was a group of children who were a bit more rebellious,” says Dr. Jon Stahlman, a pediatric allergist, “[who] perhaps were trying to rebel against the constraints of having their diet monitored so closely.”

Experts say parents should explain that lots of kids have food allergies.

“I think the idea is to make them feel not different but special,” says Stahlman.

"What I would always do," says Elizabeth, "was at the class, I would always have special snacks set aside for Michael in case there was a birthday snack that was brought in. That way, there would be a special snack that Michael loved waiting for him in the classroom."

Now, Michael can buy food from the cafeteria – as long as his mom looks at the menu the night before. And when Michael goes through the line, the cashier’s computer flashes a warning: Check his plate.

Tips for Parents

In a survey, members of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) were asked about their experiences with food labeling – the list of ingredients on packaging that could help identify whether or not a food product contains allergens.  The survey reported the following results:

• Of those surveyed, 98% said the labels don’t give them enough information.
• Approximately 88% said the labels are difficult to read.
• And 80% said they have called food manufacturers for more information.

According to an editorial in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Consumer magazine, food ingredient labels are written “for scientists, not consumers.”  Words such as potassium caseinate, albumin and seminola all appear on labels.

“Good for scientists,” editorialist Anne Munoz-Furlong writes, “but for consumers it takes detective work, or the experience of a reaction, before we learn that these words indicate the presence of milk, eggs and wheat, respectively.” 

Those ingredients can cause severe reactions in children with food allergies. According to FAAN, a food allergy is an immune system response to food that the body mistakenly believes is harmful. The next time a child eats that particular food item, the immune system releases massive amounts of chemicals, including histamine, in order to protect the body. The chemicals trigger allergic symptoms that can affect breathing, the skin, the heart and gastrointestinal tract.

A child can be allergic to any food, including fruits, vegetables and meats.  FAAN says that the eight foods listed below are the most common allergens, accounting for 90% of all allergic reactions to foods:

• Eggs
• Milk
• Peanuts
• Tree nuts (walnuts, cashews, etc.)
• Shellfish
• Soy
• Wheat

FAAN cites these additional important facts about food allergies:

• Scientists estimate that between 6 and 7 million Americans suffer from food allergies (between 2% and 2.5% of the population).
• Three million Americans suffer from peanut or tree nut allergy.
• Peanuts are the leading cause of severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), followed by shellfish, fish, tree nuts and eggs.
• Individuals who have food allergies and asthma appear to be at an increased risk for severe allergic reaction.
• Food allergy is the leading cause of anaphylaxis outside the hospital setting, accounting for an estimated 30,000 emergency room visits and 2,000 hospitalizations each year.
• It is estimated that as many as 150 to 200 people die annually from food-allergy reactions.

Anaphylaxis, or anaphylactic shock, is the body’s overreaction to a foreign substance.  According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (ACAAI), this severe allergic reaction can happen moments, or even seconds, after being exposed to a triggering substance.  Initial symptoms can be deceptively mild: a runny nose, a skin rash all over the body or a nondescript “strange feeling.” The ACAAI lists these additional symptoms of anaphylaxis:

• Sense of impending doom
• Hives
• Pale, clammy skin
• Tightness of the throat and a hoarse voice
• Swelling in the throat (around the mouth or eyes)
• Wheezing or difficulty breathing
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Abdominal pain and/or diarrhea
• Lightheadedness
• Confusion
• Seizures
• Cardiac effects, including a rapid drop in blood pressure and irregular heart beat

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the best way to prevent food-induced anaphylaxis is to avoid “trigger foods.” Check label ingredients carefully, and be especially cautious when eating in a restaurant. If your child has a severe food allergy, make sure his or her school is prepared with an emergency plan of care and a shot of epinephrine in case of an allergic reaction.

According to Dr. Carden Johnston, an emergency room pediatrician at Alabama Children’s Hospital, simple allergic reactions are generally limited to one organ system. If a child breaks out with an itchy rash, parents can give an antihistamine, like Benedryl.  Anaphylaxis involves more than one organ, so not only is the skin affected, but also maybe wheezing affects the lungs, vomiting affects the stomach or the fainting affects the heart. If there is more than one organ system involved, visit your doctor or the emergency room immediately or call 9-1-1.
  
Many pediatricians recommend that a child’s caretaker have an anaphylaxis kit, including epinephrine and an antihistamine. If your child has a food allergy, ask your pediatrician if you need an anaphylaxis kit.

References

• American Academy of Pediatrics
• American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
• Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration

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