Understanding the impact of food allergies on children and their families

Imagine for a moment that a quick trip to the grocery store can never be possible again.

The problem isn’t the squirmy toddler and overtired kindergartner you must appease. The monumental task is that you must check every single label of every single item that goes into your cart.

Imagine that a fun birthday party for your child’s friend turns into you baking the cupcakes. You can’t buy them. You must make them to ensure your child can have a safe treat.

Imagine having to inform a preschool teacher that your child cannot, under any circumstances, eat or come into contact with peanut butter or anything made with peanut butter. It’s not because he has a distaste for it but because if he comes into contact with it … he could die.

You deliver this information gravely and hope you don’t sound overly dramatic. You would give anything not to have to utter those words.

Finally, imagine that none of these tasks and duties is the difficult part. The difficult part is sending your child off to school each day knowing that an innocent treat or a friendly moment of sharing poses a real threat to his life.

This is the heavy burden faced daily by parents of children with food allergies…

Please click here to continue reading this week’s Dr.Mom column over at The Sacramento Bee; then come back and tell us what you wish every parent, teacher, and caregiver knew about caring for a child with a significant food allergy.

How can friends, family, teachers, schools, and classmates make life safer for your child?

6 Responses to Understanding the impact of food allergies on children and their families
  1. Practical Parenting
    November 22, 2011 | 9:13 am

    We are on the same wavelength this week! I just posted about food allergies too! My 4yo has a tree but allergy. Very severe. I wish people knew that it’s not just checking labels of premade food, it’s checking the labels of every ingredient for every recipe…right on down to the flour. Cross contamination is a huge issue today.

    • Melissa
      November 22, 2011 | 9:17 pm

      Great minds or something right Katie? I really loved your food allergy tips for the holidays. Honestly, I cannot imagine how scary that must be and having to be meticulous in your label checking.

  2. Tammy
    November 22, 2011 | 9:25 am

    PLEASE, don’t say “Poor thing.” She would be poor thing if she ATE the offending food. Not because she can’t.

    PLEASE, keep looking at the ingredients lists yourself and let manufacturers know they DO NOT NEED to put additives in your child’s food. Your child is fine, but STILL does not need food dyes, additives, and stabilizers added which are not necessary. It helps us with allergic kids when you also ask for the best quality food for your non-allergic child.

    If I say she can’t have it, quickly change gears. Do not harp on it. I am a good parent protecting my child. I am not trying to prevent my child’s fun. We make snap decisions about food every time we eat, so it means nothing to me or my daughter when it’s “No, this one will hurt your tummy. Let’s find something else.”

    I do get tired of explaining allergies sometimes. Let me have a break when I don’t want to go through the list of things she is allergic to. Let me skip the whole ambassador of allergies sometimes. Let me just say no and leave it at that without teaching you all about allergies so you won’t let your ignorance create a comment that might hurt my child. Just sometimes, though. I know it is my job. But I do need a break.

    And lastly, THANK YOU!!! To all of you who get it. Who understand. Who bend over backwards to find something my child can have and make it look pretty. All the waitresses, store employees, and Trader Joe’s test counter people who want my child to enjoy eating safely. THANK YOU SO MUCH! I am always so pleasantly surprised when you get it and help as much as you can and are honest about what’s in the food being served. THANK YOU!

    • Melissa
      November 22, 2011 | 9:20 pm

      Tammy, thank you for sharing this. Your honesty and heartfelt message is an important one. I agree about the unnecessary additives and hope that we move toward a future with less of them in our foods.

  3. Betsy
    November 23, 2011 | 3:26 am

    For the love of God, I wish people would TAKE ME ASIDE and not ask right in front of my kid why he can’t eat XYZ. He was totally happy with the snack I just gave him, thanks, now he wants what you just informed him he can’t have. And yes, I’m sure he can’t have it. I don’t even need to see the ingredient list – I’ve already done the research. And if I CAN’T see the ingredient list, and it isn’t on our list of approved foods? I’m not testing it out. And no, I’m not paranoid.

    • Melissa
      November 25, 2011 | 12:20 pm

      I sincerely appreciate you sharing this Betsy. I think everyone needs to be more informed about food allergies AND to be more understanding and empathetic to parents and children dealing with them.