Kids Food Allergies Blog

Call it desperation. Call it guilt.

Since many of the foods to which my firstborn is so severely allergic correspond to the comfort foods I ate in abundance in my first pregnancy (cheese, ice cream, egg-salad sandwiches, and smoked salmon) — I am desperately wondering what I can do differently this time around to prevent making the same mistakes twice.

My daughter’s allergist recommends that I remove nuts from my diet for the duration of pregnancy and breastfeeding.  He also advised me to remove fish from my diet for my last trimester of pregnancy and the first 6 months of breastfeeding.  Some mothers of food allergic children have recommended that I eliminate additional potential allergens (milk, egg, soy) for the duration of pregnancy and breastfeeding.

I am very curious about a study cited by Dr. Robert Wood that describes the beneficial effects of probiotics taken by young children with milk allergies and/or pregnant mothers of children at high risk of developing food allergies. Though the results are inconclusive, it seems that probiotics may have a positive effect in preventing the onset of food allergies. Seems worthy of a call to my daughter’s allergist for a second opinion.

If any of you have thoughts or experience with this, please leave a comment.

Our daughter was first diagnosed with food allergies at 11 months. Her eyes swelled shut from the dusting of cheese on a cracker. Despite strict avoidance of her food allergens, it seems the list of foods to which she’s allergic has grown longer every year. She is now 4 1/2.

We have thus far navigated the food allergy waters with our daughter as a toddler and as a preschooler. We are preparing for her transition to elementary school. At the same time, I am pregnant with my second child and am trying to prepare myself for the different food allergy scenarios that may (or may not) arise.

• Second child is allergic to all the same foods as first child
• Second child is allergic to the only major allergens to which my first child is not allergic (wheat and soy) — and my household cannot share a meal
• Second child has no food allergies

Both big transitions in our lives (kindergarten and having a new baby) have caused us to reflect on the distinct challenges we have faced –as parents– at each stage.

Infants/Toddlers (0-3)

This was a very challenging stage for several reasons.

1. Steep learning curve. Before our initial diagnosis - we knew next to nothing about food allergies. Trying to come to terms with our daughter’s diagnosis and figuring out how it would affect our lives –from what we would eat to how we would raise a happy healthy child– was mind-boggling. Though excellent resources and support groups existed, we slugged through a lot on our own as we tried to sort things out.
2. Parents have to be hypervigilant. Young toddlers like to put everything in their mouths. And young children travel everywhere with snacks. And whatever their friends are eating seems much more interesting than what their parents have packed. Even if they don’t share snacks - they often “share” toys (which go right into their mouths). I would wake up repeatedly in night-sweats over cheddar cheese goldfish at playgroup. It is hard to come up with safe activities/environments for your child — but you know you must — otherwise, you will go crazy, particularly in winter.
3. Small children have limited abilities to communicate. Both symptoms and frustrations. And it is hard to reason with them.

At the same time — this stage can be easier than the preschool years in two key respect: their exposure to social situations is more limited and parents can always be present. If you choose, you can never let them out of your sight. They aren’t in school or camp. They aren’t invited to as many birthday parties or drop-off playdates. I felt safer knowing that my husband or I could always be there to keep a watchful eye — and react in an appropriate manner.

Preschoolers (3-5)

In some ways, this has been more challenging than the toddler phase. Largely, because it has meant ceding total control over my child’s environment (not easy for me).

1. Parental anxiety: How can I trust someone else to keep her safe while watching 12 other kids? What if she has a reaction and I’m not there? What if she feels badly when other kids eat foods she can’t?
2. Child learning curve: How can she learn to take (partial) responsibility for her own allergies?
3. How can I keep up? Birthday parties (both in school and out) are a constant source of stress for me. Invariably, most serve pizza. (My daughter has had several contact reactions to dairy.) Then there are pinatas to worry about. (We have learned that pinatas in the summer with peanut butter can be very dangerous even if your children don’t eat the candy.) There is also limited handwashing and lots of hugging/holding hands. And the baking I need to do to keep up with this stream of events at times seems endless.

Despite these challenges, this stage has been a rewarding one. My daughter has learned to follow simple rules that help her to take ownership of her allergies and to educate people around her to keep herself safe. She is in a nut-free school (which has been a great relief) and has a wonderful teacher who makes me feel at ease. And I believe this practice in a sheltered environment will serve her well as she gets ready to brave kindergarten.

Like most Washingtonians, we’re quite excited to visit the new Nationals baseball stadium opening today.

Of course, with a child with food allergies, it’s always a bit dicey to take the whole family out to the ballpark, particularly since peanuts are so prevalent.

How did we pull it off at RFK Stadium?  We armed ourselves with epi-pens and benedryl, wiped down seats, and brought our own food. And of course, we supplemented with Cotton candy. Yes, our old allergy-free friends: sugar, water, and food coloring. Popularly known as cotton candy. Yes, even allergy kids can eat junk.

Will we be able to do this in the new stadium? No definitive word yet, but so far - it looks good. According to Miss Chatter (hat tip The Presidents Race: Let Teddy Win):

• Factory-sealed One liter plastic water bottles and juice boxes are OK
• All food items must be contained in a single serving bag within a soft sided container or cooler that does not exceed 16″ x 16″ x 8″

One word of caution: the new stadium sells Five Guys food. If you’re allergic to milk, stay away from their hot dogs. They contain casein. We gave our daughter a Five Guys hot dog once — after being assured by the Merrifield branch staff that they were kosher. She threw up all over the place. And that’s even without their French Fries cooked in peanut oil.

Food Allergy Awareness Week is May 11-17, 2008.

Get involved here.

It’s sponsored by The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network.

Here’s what Virginia Governor Tim Kaine said last year about Food Allergy Awareness Week:

WHEREAS, hundreds of Americans die each year as a result of food induced anaphylaxis, and these deaths generally occur when individuals unknowingly consume a food item containing or prepared with an ingredient to which they are allergic; and

WHEREAS, anaphylaxis is a sudden, severe allergic reaction simultaneously affecting several of the body’s major organs and, in highly allergic individuals, it can cause death in a matter of minutes; and

WHEREAS, researchers estimate that approximately 12 million Americans have food allergies, with children being the largest group affected, and symptoms of food allergies can include hives, vomiting, diarrhea, respiratory distress and swelling of the throat; and

WHEREAS, shellfish, fish, milk, eggs, nuts, peanuts, soy and wheat cause approximately ninety percent of food allergy reactions; and

WHEREAS, the majority of anaphylaxis cases occur in restaurants and in school cafeterias when customers are unfamiliar with the ingredients used in preparing a meal; and

WHEREAS,  it is important for people with food allergies to take precautions when dining out, such as asking servers and chefs about their meal’s contents and preparation in order to avoid a potentially fatal allergic reaction; and

WHEREAS,  there is no cure for potentially fatal food allergies and strict avoidance of the offending foods is the only way to avoid a reaction; and

WHEREAS,  the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) is a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public about food allergies and anaphylaxis, a potentially life threatening allergic reaction;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Timothy M. Kaine, do hereby recognize May 13-19, 2007, as FOOD ALLERGY AWARENESS WEEK in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.