EpiPens, for any child with allergies, can be a huge life saver.  However, sending your little one to school with their EpiPen can be rather stressful for a parent. There are a thousand questions that might go through your mind, “Will they be safe even with the EpiPen?” or “Will someone know how to use the EpiPen?”.

EpiPen and Anaphylactic Shock Basics

For those of you who don’t know, anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock can be a life-threatening allergic reaction to specific triggers, such as food proteins and medication. This results in hives or swelling of the throat or tongue, which can lead to constricted airways and/or a dramatic drop in blood pressure.

An injection from an EpiPen is imperative when anaphylactic shock occurs and can save a person’s life.  An EpiPen is a premeasured dose of epinephrine, which is injected into someone’s body during a severe allergic reaction to avoid or treat the onset and symptoms of anaphylactic shock, which provides a window of time to seek further medical attention. ¹

EpiPens at Schools

If you are a parent of a child who is at risk for anaphylactic shock, you probably carry his or her EpiPen with you at all times, in case they are exposed to an allergen to which they are allergic.  This is excellent for when you are with your child; however, your child could be exposed to many more allergens at school when you and your EpiPen aren’t there!

In fact, one study of children and adolescents found that 10 out of 13 fatal or near fatal anaphylactic reactions occurred outside the home.  All the fatalities did not have an EpiPen and those who survived received an EpiPen shot before or within 5 minutes of developing severe symptoms.²

So, what does this mean? EpiPens can save lives!  You need to ensure that the other adults who spend time with your child are trained and able to assist in any situation if you’re not around.

Don’t worry, this isn’t as difficult as it sounds!  I suggest sitting down with your child’s teacher in the beginning of the school year to set up a 504 plan. This will ensure he or she receives proper care and attention when you aren’t there and that all adults that are around your child have the proper training to use an EpiPen if an emergency situation arises.

Also, there is good news for all you Massachusetts residents!  Thanks to your persistent neighbors, starting March 2010, all newly hired school bus drivers in the state of Massachusetts will be required to have EpiPen training. Unfortunately, the law doesn’t mandate the existing school bus drivers to be trained; however, it’s a step in the right direction. Hopefully the other 49 states will follow suit.  Good work Massachusetts!

How have you been able to ensure that your child is safe and can receive the proper care if they go into anaphylactic shock? Did it involve a 504 plan or EpiPen training?

- Nita

References:

1. www.epipen.com/

2. Sampson H, Mendelson L, Rosen J. Fatal and near-fatal anaphylactic reactions to food in children and adolescents. N Engl J Med. 1992;327:380-384.

Through our 1-800-Neocate information line we get a lot of questions but we also hear a lot of great stories from parents who deal with the effects of their child having a milk allergy every day.  We love hearing those stories and we love to share them with other food allergy parents who are coping with the same situations. 

With that in mind the old way of sharing your stories, recipes and photos – via snail mail –  is slow, cumbersome and just a little tough for most busy parents to put together, pack it up and send into us.  So our team of nutritionists has worked diligently to provide all of you with easier ways to share what you love to share the most.

If you have an account on Facebook, feel free to become a fan of our Neocate Fanpage where you can:

• Post questions, comments, suggestions, recipes & stories
• Add your photos (parents love to share their before & after photos of their children)
• Add videos
• Start discussions about relevant topics like the new Texas State Insurance Reimbursement Laws

If you are an avid user of MySpace, we just started our MySpace Neocate profile and you can read snippets of our blog posts over there (so you can decide quickly if our latest informational post is of interest to you), see photos and interact with us there by commenting on our wall.

And for those avid Twitter users out there, we didn’t forget you either.  We’ve got our own Neocate Twitter account where we tweet out links to our latest blog posts, answer questions about Neocate and give suggestions where we can.  We’re also looking into hosting some Tweetchats in the future about dealing with food & milk allergies, so keep your eyes open for that!

We recognize that in today’s busy world sometimes it’s just easier to connect with us through the places where you are already actively participate and we wanted to make it easier for all of you to do so.  So come on over and join the discussions, we’d love to hear what you have to say!

- Sarah

Making sure your little one is getting the nutrition he/she needs is critical – especially when dealing with food allergies and GI issues. As your baby grows, nutritional needs change and different types of diets are required. Knowing what the different stages are is key so you can make sure your baby is happy and healthy.

0-6 months

If you’re breastfeeding a baby with allergies, be sure to:

• Eat a healthy, 2,500 –2,800 calorie diet of fruits, vegetables and plenty of protein.
• Check with your physician to see if you should be taking any supplements. Some women have difficulty getting essential vitamins like calcium, folic acid and zinc while breastfeeding.
• Remove all allergens from your diet. Usually a milk protein is the culprit, so you you’ll need to remove all dairy products but watch out for items with hidden dairy like salad dressing and nutrition bars.

If you choose to feed your baby formula:

• Consider an elemental formula like Neocate that is made up of individual amino acids and is easier for babies with allergies to digest.
• Think about choosing a formula that contains DHA and ARA, two fatty acids that are important for infant eye and brain development (both naturally present in breast milk).

6-12 months

This is when you want to start introducing your baby to solid foods.

• Start adding texture to your baby’s diet with an elemental semi-solid like Neocate Nutra. Mixed with water, it has a similar consistency to pudding.  Once your baby begins to get used to the texture of the Nutra and to eating from a spoon, you can introduce pureed or strained fruits and vegetables like banana and carrots. You may want to even mix them into the Nutra. Definitely consult with the doctor about how to safely test new foods if your child has allergies.
• Don’t wait too late to introduce solids. If you do, it can be difficult for your child to learn important oral skills like chewing.

1-3 years

By this time, your baby will probably have a few teeth and be ready to take on crunchier foods.

• Cereals and raw fruits and vegetables cut into very small pieces are good at this age. But, again consult with the doctor about safely testing new foods.
• The nutrient profile at this age is different than for an infant. If your little one is still on an amino acid-based formula, be sure to switch to one that is specifically formulated for kids over the age of one. 

Hope you find these tips helpful. What have you done to make sure your kids are getting the right nutrition for their age?

- Sarah

As a follow up to our “Failure to Thrive: My child is underweight, what should I do?” blog, I would like to further explain the product Duocal.  It may be a good option for a child with failure to thrive (or FTT) as well as other conditions such as multiple food protein intolerance and conditions related to food allergies such as Eosinophilic Esophagitis (or EE), Gastroesophageal reflux disease (or GERD), and Atopic Dermatitis (or AD).

Duocal is a high calorie, protein-free powdered nutritional supplement that can be added to foods or beverages when additional calories are needed to gain adequate weight. Keep in mind that Duocal is not a formula and should not be used as a sole source of nutrition.

Duocal is made up of carbohydrates and fats. It is flavorless and super soluble so there are no changes to the taste and/or texture of the food it is being added to (which also helps with diet compliance). The Duocal 400g can comes with a scoop which provides about 25 extra calories per scoop.

The reason Duocal is unique is the fact that it does not contain proteins. This is important for a child who needs extra calories due to FTT or weight loss secondary to severe food allergies (keep in mind; only proteins can cause an allergic reaction).

Duocal is 100% milk free and is made in a milk free environment to ensure tolerance. Duocal is for children ages 1 and over. The amount of Duocal you or your little one may need per day is to be determined by your doctor or dietitian. The amount of Duocal needed per day really depends on what the specific nutritional needs are for the patient. Duocal is for children ages one year and older, so it can be used throughout ones life stages.

Duocal can be mixed with a wide variety of foods. Here are some quick tips on how to use Duocal to get you started.

(These are approximations, please check with your doctor or dietitian for exact amounts)

When using Duocal for:

· Beverages: Add 2 scoops of Duocal per 4 fl oz.

· Toddler Foods: Add 2 scoops of Duocal per ¼ cup of food.

· Mashed potatoes: Add 3-4 scoops Duocal per ½ cup of mashed potatoes.

· Soups: Add ~6 scoops of Duocal for a 16 oz serving (or one can) of soup.

The MyDuocal.com site has a lot of helpful recipes and complete nutritional information to help you better understand how to incorporate Duocal into your child’s diet.

Have you tried Duocal before? What kind of recipes did you make with it?

We are always excited to hear of new ways to use Duocal in helping patients thrive.

Christine

This Apple Delite is a tasty treat for your little ones on Neocate Infant.

 Apple Delite

1/2 cup cooked apple (diced)

2 diced prunes

2 oz water

3-4 scoops Neocate Infant

 Add water to apple and prunes and blend to desired consistency. Add the Neocate powder and stir. Sprinkle with cinnamon (if tolerated) and serve immediately.

Yields 1 serving

Calories: 156

Protein: 3

Fat: 3.8

Carbohydrate: 29.6