If Your Kids have Food Allergies, I.D. Them!
Food allergies seem to be an epidemic these days. They’re popping up more and more among kids. For parents, it’s a nightmare wondering if their children are safe when they go to school, camp, birthday parties and play dates.
I faced this dilemma myself, struggling to keep my son with severe peanut and tree nut allergies safe when he wasn’t with me. After finding no practical, age-appropriate products to help us manage his food allergies, I founded STAT KIDS, LLC (formerly AllergiK ID, LLC) and designed products to identify and protect kids with food allergies and other health issues, including Asthma, Diabetes and Celiac Disease.
What my husband and I have found is that simply letting people know our son has a food allergy is not enough and does little to protect him. What keeps him safe is the constant reminder of his specific food allergies. From its inception, the goals of our product line were to quickly and clearly identify kids by their specific food allergies and keep life-saving medication accessible at all times. This is what makes the difference.
So have your child wear an allergy-specific wristband at camp, or hang a poster in his bunk that identifies him by name photo, and specific allergies. Have a travel 
bag–equipped with Epi-Pen, Benadryl, emergency action plan, emergency contact information, and whatever else your child might need in case of an allergic reaction. Also, make sure that whomever is with your allergic child is prepared. Pack your child’s lunch in a bag that is clearly labeled with his specific allergies to reduce the risk of exposure at lunch time .
Whether you do it yourself or find tools to help, make sure that those around your children can work with you to make them as safe as possible. Nothing is more important!
-Robin Davison, MPH, JD
Founder of STAT KIDS, LLC, Guest Blogger for Kiwilog
July 27th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
This is an excellent idea! I always worry about this when my daughter and I meet up with other families at homeschool group gatherings. When there are a bunch of kids running around, it’s hard to make sure who can eat what (and then keep track that you’re giving the right food to the right child)! The folks who do childcare for my old gym would love seeing parents use IDs and these great bags as well. Best of luck with it!