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Peanut
Allergies
U-M Radio News Service, September 2003, peanut allergies
2:49
URL: http://www.med/umich.edu/opm/newspage/2003/peanutfree.htm
Schools
and parents create “peanut-free” zones to keep
kids safe
(Download audio version) Suggested
Lead: As children head back to school, the daily
grind of packing lunches begins as well. But this fall, children
may be eating fewer peanut butter and jelly sandwiches around school.
Here is Erin Block with more.
TRT 2:49
SOQ
Food allergies, especially peanut allergies, are on the rise among
school-age children and although the common reactions are sometimes
just a cough or a sneeze, these allergic reactions lead to more
than 30,000 emergency room visits a year in this country.
Though most
parents with allergic children can peanut-proof their homes,
it is important that school administrators and staff help
provide a safe environment when children are at school. Since the
risks of exposure are life-threatening for some children, more
schools are looking into creating peanut-free zones in classrooms
and lunchrooms.
By wiping the table of possible peanut residue and making sure
all lunches at the table are peanut free, school cafeterias can
provide children with the food allergy a safe place to eat their
lunch. Also, to avoid a potential reaction in the classroom, a
no peanut policy should be the rule for those students and staff
sharing a room with the allergic child.
Dr. Marc McMorris,
(M.D.), assistant professor of internal medicine and pediatrics
in the division of allergy-immunology at the University
of Michigan Health System tells us.
“Everybody
that has contact with this child and any room this child goes
into has to essentially be made peanut-free. And
that takes a lot of work, and a lot of coordination and it'’ very
important they start early on. You don’t want to wait
until August to start this because it will not work. Most patients
start
in the spring for the next academic year and the letters to
out to all families of children in the classroom. And written
care
plans are put in place. Epinephrine, Benadryl is available,
readilyavailable in the school and hopefully this approach
can be undertaken to provide that pretext for the child.”
Peanut or tree nut allergies affect approximately
3 million Americans and cause some of the most severe food-induced
allergic reactions.
Reactions vary from a few hives or a skin rash, to lip swelling,
tongue swelling, trouble breathing, coughing, wheezing, shortness
of breath or vomiting. The most severe reaction, called an anaphylactic
reaction, can be fatal and includes sudden difficulty breathing
and swallowing and a rapid fall in blood pressure — sending
the person into shock.
McMorris tells us.
“I would say to all parents who have children that are exposed
to these children that it’s important to put yourself in
their shoes. This is just one small factor in life and if these
children have life-threatening reactions to this food, there are
always alternatives. What many schools have done is just fresh
fruit and vegetable snacks using alternative foods and this is
something that’s very important and I don’t think any
of us would want to have a child die in a classroom because another
family neglected to follow the rules that have been laid forth
by the school district.”
Children also
should be aware of their allergy and the ingredients of thefoods
they encounter. When children
go to birthday parties,
sporting events or church outings they should plan on taking their
own food or avoid foods their parents haven’t approved.
Erin Block, U-M Health System News
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