Dealing with Food Allergies
Getting your child to eat healthy can be a challenge. But consider the parents of millions of children who have food allergies. The danger of their child exposed to a food substance that they are allergic to is always foremost on their minds.
Food allergies are triggered when the body interprets a food protein as a toxin, sparking off an intense reaction from the immune systems. The most common culprits responsible for causing food allergies inn children are peanuts, shrimp, milk, wheat, soy, shell fish, and eggs. There is no cure for food allergies. The only cure lies in avoiding the foodstuffs that cause them.
The possibility of an allergy attack at school is always present. Although drugs are available in case of an allergy attack, making sure that school authorities and cafeteria staff are aware of a child’s allergies is very important.
Here are some ways to help the school deal with your child’s allergies.
Get your physician to make a list of all the foodstuffs your child is allergic to. Also include the medication he needs to be administered in case of an attack in school. Hand this list over to school authorities.
Also include the contact information of at least three persons who can be called in the event of an attack.
Tell your child to contact a teacher or other staff member for help if he recognizes the signs of an attack. Make sure he knows exactly who to seek out for help.
Make sure that allergy medication is available at school and that it’s stored under optimal conditions.
Teach your child a code that he can use to signal a teacher of an oncoming attack.
The website of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) has more detailed information about dealing with food allergies in children.
Filed under: Child Health
