All the more reason to be allergy aware! The Center for Disease Control recently released a study on food allergies and children. The federal study, called “Food Allergy Among U.S. Children: Trends in Prevalence and Hospitalizations,” is very extensive.

Here are a few of the highlights:
- Four out of every 100 children have a food allergy. That’s about 3 million kids!

- There has been an 18% increase in children with food allergies since 1997 with 1 in 26 children having food allergies.

- The number of children hospitalized for food allergies jumped from 2,600 in the late 1990s to 9,500 annually in the most recent years.

And to see all of the key findings, click here.

Also, here is a great Washington Post blog entry on this topic. It provides real life issues and examples that allergy parents face.

As we always say, be careful with allergies! Keep a watchful eye and make sure everyone around your allergy prone child is just as vigilant.

Be well,
Dr. Y

Gina Clowes is the founder of AllergyMoms.com. We would like to thank her for guest blogging for us and sharing her family’s allergy story.

Note: This article was originally written for Health Central: My Allergy Network.com. To view the article there, click here.

When you become a parent of a child with food allergies, restaurant dining often feels like tiptoeing through a minefield. The potential dangers are usually invisible and you are relying on the vigilance of others to keep your child safe.

Still, we want our children to be able to enjoy the typical and “normal” parts of everyday life, so we venture out to restaurants as nerve-wracking as those experiences may be.

So where do you start?

Find A Restaurant
Usually, by process of elimination. Make it easy on yourself and avoid places that are cross-contamination nightmares for your child’s allergens. Places like Chinese restaurants, seafood restaurants, ice cream parlors, bakeries and buffets should be considered above-average for risk of exposure to the “big eight” food allergens and to cross-contamination in general.

Next, think of the types of foods your child can eat, keeping in mind that simple foods are usually best. A nicely grilled steak and plain baked potato can often be easily prepared without cross-contamination. Some upscale steak houses are extremely accommodating with special dietary needs, although they seem to frown upon my son using the front of his shirt as a napkin and his sleeve as a Kleenex.

Once you’ve identified a restaurant with potential, call them during non-peak dining hours (Fridays and Saturday afternoons are generally super-busy. Try an off, weeknight). Ask to speak with the manager or a chef and find out if they can prepare a safe meal for your child. Some parents prefer to “try out” the restaurant without the children to get a feel for their ability to accommodate. If you get the feeling that they are unwilling, unable or just don’t “get it,” move on.

Some of the chain restaurants, such as Outback Steakhouse, have online menus. If you find something that your child would enjoy, ask the chef exactly how it is prepared. If the chef seems willing and able to prepare a safe meal, make a reservation for a non-peak time.

In the meantime, you may want to prepare a chef’s card that specifically lists your child’s allergies. This adds as an additional reminder, particularly if you are dealing with multiple allergies.

Go Prepared to Eat
Before you leave for the restaurant, bring a few staples in case the restaurant does not have what you need or it is cross-contaminated. I always bring safe food in a thermos or a safe sandwich for my son. We often bring a little of his dairy-free margarine and some vinegar and oil for a salad. (Dressings and oils can contain potent nut or seed allergens.) Make sure you have your child’s EpiPens before you leave.

When you arrive, ask to speak with the manager or chef. Remind him or her of the allergens you are avoiding and, if possible, place your order with the manager or chef.

Do not ever use common sense to determine if a food is safe. Chili, chicken and egg rolls can contain peanuts or nuts; salad dressings can contain egg, fish, or nuts; fried foods can be cross contaminated with cheese, shrimp or fish and any other fried food, and the list goes on.

When the food arrives, ask again to make sure that it does not contain the allergen and visually inspect it. If you are served a food which appears to contain an allergen, ask for the dish to be prepared again but keep the first dish with you. You want to be sure that they prepare a new dish from scratch rather than removing the allergens leaving dangerous traces behind. One study showed that food preparers believed that simply removing nuts from a dish or cooking an allergen would make it safe. Our motto is “When in doubt, do without.”

Desserts are the trickiest part of a restaurant meal. The risk of cross contamination of dessert items is considerable and you may be safer bringing your child his own special ice cream or fancy cupcake. Although most restaurants will not allow your food into the kitchen, some will let you bring your own cake or pie to share at the table. Better yet, prepare and serve a treat for everyone at home!

- Gina Clowes

The four mothers, Laurel Francoeur, Susan Wynn, Christine Mulvey and Jennifer Root each have a young child with life-threatening allergies, ranging from a peanut allergy to a milk allergy to multiple food allergies. They candidly discuss the allergy warning signs, coping with the allergy diagnosis, convincing others of the allergy, handling school and special events with the allergy, the guilt and hurt that comes along with the allergies and the bright side of it all (yes, there is one!). Other interesting topics covered are the sneakiness of soy and the surprising risk with cross contamination.

To see the article and videos, click here.

You may recall the blog entry we wrote a few months ago on an article in Newsweek called “A Plea for My Daughter.” The mother in the article could not understand why other parents treated her child’s allergy as an annoyance. The women that participated in this roundtable discuss this topic openly and it is really a great thing to hear – whether you are an allergy parent or not.

There is a lot that goes into being an allergy parent, but most of all you should know that you’re not alone! It’s ok to be angry or resentful or scared. Use this roundtable as an example, and find other allergy parents to talk to. The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) has great support groups. Click here to find a food allergy event or group in your area.

If you have any allergy questions, I’d love to answer them!

- Christine
 

Kroger is recalling Value Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips because they may contain milk protein that is not listed on the packaging label. They have the UPC Code 11110-86603 and a sell by date of May 30, 2010. If you happened to buy these, you can return them to Kroger for a full refund.

For those who have little one’s with a milk protein allergy, be careful!

For more information, you can call the manufacturer, Barry Callebaut, USA at (866)-678-5221.

- Sarah

Costume? Check. Pumpkins? Check. Chocolate bar? Oh no! If your little one has food allergies, unfortunately, this is probably what you are thinking.

Holidays like this – with so much candy and goodies – can be tough for kids with food allergies (and tough for parents who want to make sure their child enjoys the day). Many of the candies and foods during Halloween contain milk, milk products, and other food allergens. But it is possible to make sure Halloween is both safe and fun for your food allergy kids.

Of course, safety always comes first. But our goal is for you and your family to have a healthy and happy Halloween! Check out the following tips.

First, let’s talk about safety:
- Be prepared in case an emergency happens. Have a set plan in place that all participating people know about before the activities begin.

- Be sure to talk with teachers/other parents about what needs to be done to ensure your child’s safety at any Halloween parties or school activities.

- Remember, even a little bit of a food allergen can cause a reaction. Talk with your child so that he/she understands the dangers of taking just a small taste of a food he/she might be allergic to.

- Always have Epinephrine on hand in case your child has a severe reaction to one of the food allergens.

Now to the fun stuff:
- Have non-food items on hand for your kid to have fun with. Think dollar store toys, stickers and coloring books.

- Plan an alternative activity from trick-or-treating. You can have a Halloween slumber party or a scavenger hunt in your allergy-free home.

- Prepare a container full of safe treats to give your child after he/she has gone trick-or-treating. That way, they can have something to look forward to while out with their friends.

- Consider having a “swap-party” where your child can swap candies he cannot have for “allowed” candies. This way everyone gets what they want!

- Some kid’s food allergies are so severe they rely on an elemental formula like Neocate®—which means they either can’t have any food at all or limited food amounts and types. In these special cases, you can put their formula in a festive cup or mix it with ice for a fun slushy, but you really want to focus on the activities.

To prepare further for Halloween and the upcoming holiday season, check out more tips/resources from Kids with Food Allergy and Allergy Moms.

And for more information about all things food allergies, visit http://www.testforallergy.com/.

Any spooky questions? I’d love to answer them!

Be well,
Dr. Y