As parents and kids prepare for the beginning of another school year, it is a time of excitement and anxiety. For the more than 3 million kids with food allergies — and their parents — the back-to-school anxiety is particularly palpable. Understandable, considering that 1 in 5 children will have an allergic reaction while in school (Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2001: 155: 790-795). What is a regular day for most kids is fraught with danger for children with food allergies. If the peanut-allergic child sits next to a child eating PB&J or the egg-allergic child eats the birthday cupcake brought in by a classmate, the results could be fatal.

Parents worry: Will the teachers remember my child’s specific food allergy? Will the Epi-Pen® be accessible on the playground or on a field trip? What if substitute teachers cover lunch time and will they be prepared to manage an allergic reaction? The reality is they just don’t know…and that’s not good enough.

I know these fears all too well. My son is severely allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. A couple years ago, before his first day at preschool, I met with the teachers and school director, discussed his allergies, signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction and how a reaction should be managed. Two weeks into school, I walked him into class only to overhear the teacher tell another parent that the children would be making trail mix that day. I was astounded, as were the parents of the other two nut-allergic children in the class. At best, the children would have experienced hives and vomiting… at worst, anaphylaxis and death. And the questions followed: How can I make sure the people around my son are constantly alerted to his allergies? And, if there is an emergency, how can I ensure that they will know what to do?

The anxiety is shared by teachers, coaches, babysitters and others who care for allergic kids. They worry too: How will I remember each child’s specific allergies? How will I know if a child is having an allergic reaction? Will I be able to respond appropriately?

To keep your child safer this school year:

1. Clearly identify your child by his/her specific food allergies

2. Clearly label his belongings—lunch bag, backpack—with allergy alerts to prevent exposure

3. Make safe foods available for your child

4. Keep emergency medication available and accessible at all times; make sure that whoever is with your child is prepared to manage a life-threatening emergency

Communication is key… your child’s life could depend on it! Label your child’s lunch bag with his allergies to alert teachers and cafeteria staff. Get a kid-friendly allergy alert wristband that your child will actually wear. Provide the school with safe snacks for your child. Make sure that emergency medication and information is accessible at all times while your child is in school. By alerting others to your child’s allergies, making safe food available and having emergency measures in place, you can minimize the risk of an allergic reaction and maximize the chances of an effective response if one does occur.

Best wishes for a safe and successful school year!

–Robin Davison, MPH, JD, Founder of STAT kids, LLC (www.statkids.com)

My family recently went on vacation, and as usual, we packed a ton of nut-free snacks, brought several Epi-Pens and multiple doses of Benadryl and took several other steps to ensure that our flight would be as safe as possible for our son. As we checked in at the Southwest Airlines desk, the woman behind the counter overheard him asking if a certain type of candy had nuts in it. She asked me if he was allergic to peanuts and, after I told her about his peanut and tree nut allergies, she leapt into action.

She notified the flight crew that there would be a child on board with life-threatening nut allergies (at which point they made arrangements to serve crackers instead of peanuts). As we boarded the plane, we were offered cleaning spray and paper towels to clean off the arm rests and snack tray of the seats in our row. Once on the plane, the flight crew announced that one of the passengers on board had a severe nut allergy and requested that the other passengers refrain from opening any bags of nuts, trail mix, or other nut-containing food items, as this could seriously endanger the passenger.

Needless to say, we are now loyal Southwest fans. It is recommended that you let them know of any allergies at the time you make your reservation or within 2 hours of your scheduled flight. While there may be other airlines that make accommodations for their allergic passengers, I have not experienced such an effort by an airline to ensure the safety of my child. So, if any of you are planning a trip with your allergic child, this might be something to keep in mind as you make your flight arrangements. This was certainly a great start to our vacation!

For more information on Southwest Airline’s peanut allergy policy, visit http://www.southwest.com/travel_center/disability.html#peanut.

–Robin Davison, MPH, JD, Founder of STAT kids, LLC (www.statkids.com)

The Holiday Season in upon us, bringing with it joy, excitement…and intense anxiety for those of dealing with food allergies. The heightened risk of exposure at school parties and family gatherings gives the holiday season a different significance. While there is no substitute for vigilance, there are steps we can take to enjoy the holidays with a little less fear.

1. Always carry an epinephrine auto injector– every second counts during an allergic reaction.
2. When attending parties, tell your host ahead of time about your or your child’s food allergies and offer to bring safe food/desserts.Do not assume that a dish or dessert you or your child have eaten before (and been assured is safe) is okay to eat.
3. Many people spice up their regular recipes with new or special ingredients so be sure to ask about all the ingredients used to prepare the meal.
4. If you are unsure if the food that will be served is safe, give your child something to eat before going to the party and bring some safe snacks/treats he can eat while you’re there.
5. Identify your child by his specific food allergies. This can help prevent well-meaning friends and family from offering your child food to which he/she is allergic.
6. Have a food allergy conversation with family members, teachers and caregivers to remind them of the heightened risk at this time of year.

Best wishes for a wonderful Holiday Season full of love, happiness and health!

-Robin Davison, MPH, JD
Founder of STAT KIDS

A few months ago, my children and I went to the supermarket to pick up a few things. As we walked the aisles and stocked our shopping cart, we discussed the different items we passed. My son, who is severely allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, looked at a large plastic container on the shelf and said, “What are those?” I was surprised that he didn’t recognize the peanuts in the box. Sure, he had seen drawings of peanuts in books, but he had never seen them up close and personal. I immediately realized a major flaw in my plan to keep him safe…by keeping him away from peanuts, he was unable to recognize the food that he must avoid!

He then asked, “What’s in that bag?” I answered, “Those are almonds.” His answer? “Oh, I can eat those. They aren’t nuts.” Again…I was forced to face the fact that in my focused desire to keep him safe, I had not given him the tools to protect himself. Sure, I taught him the words “peanut” and “tree nut”, but cashew, pecan, almond…how could I expect my 4-year old to avoid foods he didn’t recognize as a danger? Unlike walnut and hazelnut, there is nothing about the word “pistachio” that would alert him to the risk.

My lesson: As much as I want to keep my son away from the foods that put his health and safety at risk, it is also my job to teach him to protect himself. Though at 4, he has teachers, counselors, siblings and, of course, his parents keeping an eye on him, he must begin taking on some responsibility to advocate for himself. Knowledge is power…and I want my son to have as much power as possible. Because the day will come when he doesn’t have his mother or his teacher looking over his shoulder, and the responsibility to make decisions about what he will and will not eat will rest solely on his shoulders.

So, to empower my son, I picked up every bag of nuts on the shelf: from peanuts to pine nuts, walnuts to pistachios. We talked about almond butter and Cracker Jacks; we looked at bags of trail mix and dried fruit; we discussed how some popcorn might be popped in peanut oil and how some brownies have walnuts in them. Not the most fascinating of conversations for a child, but educational nonetheless…and quite necessary. I know it will take more conversations such as these to alert him to all of the potential dangers out there, and the likelihood is that we won’t ever cover then all. But every talk we have will further prepare him to navigate the food maze on his own. And though I will always want to protect him, I know it is my job to make sure he can protect himself. Fingers crossed…

Written by Robin Davison, MPH, JD
Founder of STAT KIDS (www.statkids.com)

For kids with food allergies — and their parents — the back-to-school anxiety is palpable. How can we alert others to our children’s specific food allergies? What can we do to prevent an emergency situation? And, if there is an emergency, how can we ensure that those caring for our children will know what to do?

Food allergies affect teachers, coaches, babysitters and anyone else who cares for allergic kids. They have told me that they worry, too. Their heads are filled with questions. How they I remember each child’s specific allergies? How will I know if a child is having an allergic reaction? Will I be able to respond appropriately?

For the millions of children with food allergies and those around them, this time of year is particularly stressful. With new teachers, new classmates and new schools, the risk of exposure is high. Here are some tips for a safer school year:

1. Before the first day of school, meet with your child’s teacher, school nurse and principal to discuss your child’s food allergies and how the day-to-day school environment will be managed.
2. Create an emergency action plan that clearly explains the required response to an allergic reaction. Review it with your child’s teachers, the school nurse, gym teacher, specialists and anyone else who will be spending time with your child.
3. Clearly identify your child by his/her specific food allergies to keep others aware.
4. Clearly label his belongings—lunch bag, backpack—with allergy alerts to prevent exposure.
5. Keep emergency medication available and accessible at all times.
6. Make sure that whomever is with your child is prepared to manage a life-threatening emergency.

COMMUNICATON IS KEY—before you leave your child with a teacher or coach, friend or babysitter, or even a grandparent, it is crucial to have a discussion about your child’s food allergies. And don’t forget to be detailed. The information that we as parents have internalized and which now seems intuitive may not be as obvious to others.

So get back to the basics. Talk about your child’s food allergies and what foods are off limits. Explain anaphylaxis, a serious allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and can cause death (definition from the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network). Make sure to fully explain the symptoms of anaphylaxis, which can begin with a tingling oral sensation and progress to other symptoms, including swelling of the lips, tongue, mouth and throat, wheezing, coughing, vomiting, difficulty breathing, drop in blood pressure and loss of consciousness. These symptoms can start from within minutes of the first contact up to 2 hours, which is why constant vigilance, not just in the lunch room, is so important.

Provide details about foods that are unsafe and those which might contain hidden ingredients. Discuss cross contamination and the importance of hand washing at the beginning of each day, after snack and lunch time. And make sure that whomever will be spending time with your child knows how to use the Epi-Pen. His life could depend on it.

-Robin Davison, MPH, JD
Founder of STAT KIDS (www.statkids.com)

Need a recipe for dairy free chocolate cake? Looking for back-to-school safety tips? Want to know which restaurants are safe for your allergic child? Go online! The internet is busting with website after website of endless information.

With the abundance of online support groups, you can find one that suits your needs. Look for a support group in your area to network with local parents. For instance, the Food Allergy Support Group of Minnesota and Food Allergy Support Group of Tampa and St. Petersburg serve their local communities with meetings, resources, articles, information on legislative efforts and current laws, and other networking opportunities. You can visit Kids with Food Allergies, the largest national online support group dedicated to food allergies. KFA offers food allergy information, a searchable recipe database and busy support forums (message boards) that connect parents who want to share information, tips and emotional support.

Whatever the age of your child or the number of years you’ve been dealing with food allergies, new issues always seem to arise. Now it’s easier than ever to connect with other parents who have “been there, done that.” The internet allows us to benefit from each others’ experiences, pool our resources and connect with other parents. Maybe you can give a mother tips on how to make her toddler’s preschool experience a safe one or give a dad some allergy-friendly restaurant suggestions. By sharing our stories and successes, we can create a community that is stronger, wiser and better able to protect our allergic kids…which is our ultimate goal.

Browser beware! Make sure it is a viable source. Some online information can be faulty or misleading.

-Robin Davison, MPH, JD
Founder of STAT KIDS (www.statkids.com)

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