Cross Contamination Warnings are Voluntary

I was at a birthday party today, and we were discussing food allergies and school.
Now that Ohio has passed House Bill 1, our school district has a new rule: all treats that are sent into classrooms have to be individually wrapped, with nutrition and ingredients listed on the package. I happened to mention that this was a Catch-22, because now foods being sent in will be from a bakery, where there is a higher chance of cross-contamination. Someone else said 'yeah, but that would be listed on the label'. Well, that's where it gets tricky.
Did you know that cross contamination warnings are voluntary? Even if a company makes cupcakes on shared equipment with cookies that contain nuts (or other allergens), they are not required to state this on their packaging.
So how can you tell if a product is safe for your child with food allergies? Please read Is Your Food Really Allergy Safe? from the Kids with Food Allergies website. And when in doubt, call the manufacturer!

AllerMates Wristbands

I found these great AllerMates wristbands and I think my girls would really like wearing them. The character illustrations are pretty cute and they have humorous profiles for each character. They have wristbands for peanut, egg, tree nut and dairy. $7.99 each, for kids ages 2 and up.

Local 6th grader to lobby for food allergy bill

My mom sent me this article about Lake Ille, a sixth grader at Wilson Elementary, who was selected to go to Washington to help lobby for a food allergy bill. The kids will urge legislators to pass the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act, which calls for voluntary national guidelines to help schools manage students affected by food allergy and anaphylaxis, a serious, rapid allergic reaction that may cause death.

I was really impressed with Lake and his family, trying to make a difference for food allergic children. Rylie will be going to Wilson next fall, so it makes me feel good that he is making a positive impact and raising awareness. I still find myself in conversations where people hint that food allergy parents are over-reacting, or that food allergies are just media hype and not all that serious. I try to share our experiences and hope that it changes their mind.

Back to School - Emergency Action Plan

If you have a school-age child with food allergies, don't forget to provide an Emergency Action Plan to your teacher and school nurse.

In addition to all the medical forms required by the school, prepare with the help of your child’s doctor a one-page “Emergency Action Plan.” This document should include:
1) the foods your child is allergic to;
2) the possible symptoms of an allergic reaction;
3) the treatment that should be administered and under what circumstances;
4) contact information for the rescue squad (911), your child’s doctor, and you;
5) current picture of your child;
6) doctor’s signature.
Here is a link if you need a sample plan, available from the FAAN website.

Provide the school with epinephrine auto-injector(s) and any other medications as recommended by your doctor. Make note of the expiration dates.

Talk with your child. Reinforce the importance of following all the “food allergy rules” you’ve taught her.

Allergy Bracelets

I bought a few of these allergy bracelets from Mediband for Rylie to wear to preschool. She has substitute teachers every once in awhile, so it's a good reminder during snack time. They come in small sizes that won't slip off and Rylie really likes wearing them. She also thought it was cool that they were shipped from Australia. When she gets a little older, we'll upgrade to the Medic Alert bracelet, which allows you to display more information.