Peanut free classroom this year...

[camouseketeer]

Well, come to find out, her child had gone and done one of those pin prick allergy tests and came up "allergic to peanuts" but the child had never had any kind of reaction whatsoever to any nuts or being around them. My point is, sometimes (and no need to jump all over this, I'm just saying there is a slight possibility) moms like the attention on their kid, whether it's positive or negative, and do blow their child's "condition" out of proportion.

Sorry, I will jump on this because I disagree so strongly.

There are several things you need to know about skin tests:

1. The tests are scored quantitatively by the size of the welt produced.

2. A positive test MEANS there was a welt big enough to show a reaction.

3. Any positive score, whether high or low, ALWAYS indicates the possibility of anaphylaxis

4. The larger the welt, the higher the chance of anaphylaxis.

My DD has never had anaphylaxis from any foods. Her skin and blood test scores aren't even super high. She had never consumed any peanut products prior to her first testing at age 18 months. But from Day 1 of our testing, my allergist told me to avoid all peanut products (as well as egg, melon, tree nuts, sesame seeds and peas). He said we can NEVER rule out anaphylaxis.

I don't need an ER visit to prove to me that my child should avoid peanuts. No, I am not blowing anything out of proportion. I am doing what I need to to keep my child safe

 

[melancholywings]

Empathy...not sympathy...big difference. A peanut free school, is not the school boards way of avoiding a lawsuit, it is their way of avoiding a child dying over something so stupid. Yes...stupid. I think that you aren't giving parents enough credit.
Just because they are overworked and under paid, doesn't mean they are ignorant.
I don't know what the right answer is. All I know, is that a little boy in my DS's class, Jake, is very allergic to peanuts. Do I want to be the cause of something happening to the little guy....no. So i don't send nut products. It is very simple. Would I want his family to do the same for my son....of course. It isn't rocket science people....just peanut butter. With ALL of the choices of food we have in this country, I can't believe this is an issue. Many kids, in many parts of the world, haven't eaten today. And they won't eat tomorrow. I just don't get it.

My argument isn't an emotional one, it's a logical one. It's impossible for teachers to police everything the students are eating, or have eatten during the day. So accepting that, if a child is at serious risk of death - they should eat at a peanut free table to minimalize that risk of death. A peanut free zone is a utopian idea that realistically can not be maintained.
It's not about being selfish, or uncaring for these kids. But keeping them safe should be dealt with in a honest and responsible fashion. If my DD had an allergy or condittion that might kill her, it would be more important to me to know that she's eating at a well cleaned table and with a group of people who were educated on her condittion than counting on 200+ unknown families and staff to come to school unrealistically peanut free. It's a gamble I wouldn't take with my child's life.
I also find your comment on the 'starving children of the world' to be ironic on a board that deals with planning Disney vacations.

 

[Shelly888]

As a child with severe food allergies, I see it differently.

My son used to be allergic to peanuts, but although this is rare, he outgrew it very young (about age 6). He is still milk and egg allergic, and used to hive up if he touched a table that even had cheese residue on it and wasn't thoroughly cleaned with cleaner. He's had two instances of anaphylaxis, so I can relate to the serious concern of food allergies.

While a peanut allergy is dangerous at times, very dangerous, even making the classroom "peanut free" isn't ensuring the safety of the child completely. Also, telling parents when they are sending in treats to keep them peanut free isn't safe - we always have a stash of treats in the classroom for my son. You can't trust outside food ever with allergies, unless they are prepackaged and clearly labeled.

We had been told at one field trip a few years ago, that they weren't allowed to bring peanut products in their bag lunch. There was no other option for my son - I wouldn't have sent lunchmeat (no cooler packs allowed) and he can't eat cheese. PB&J was the only real option for him. I talked about it with the nurse, and she quickly agreed that it was a silly rule.

I understand keeping a peanut free table, but can't see why you would tell the other kids they can't have peanut butter ever at school. I never told anyone not to eat pizza around my son, he just had to stay away.

How could you
a) tell other kids what they can and can't bring to school, and
b) make the kids eat in their classroom when there is a cafeteria?

Sorry, but even though my son has allergies, I wouldn't mandate what others could bring.

I could not agree more with you. As a child with severe anaphylactic reactions to both wheat and dairy(out grew soy and egg), I find it irritating that play doh is still allowed at my son's preschool, but no nuts. A peanut allergy is not the only allergy out there, but because of all the bans out there, many people equate any allergy other than a peanut allergy, not a true allergy, and it is very irritating!

 

[Shelly888]

it is extremely rare, ive never even seena documented case, of milk, wheat or soy causing anaphylactic shock. i would assume if a child had such a severe reaction to milk they would allert the school. but again, its not a common problem. i even took the time to look it up and found nothing on it.
a peanut allergy is the cause of anaphalxis in millions of people. so it makes sense that a school would choose to be peanut free.

Nope you are wrong. My son, along with millions of others, do suffer from ananphylaxis related to food allergens other than nuts/peanuts. His are specifically to wheat and egg, and in the past year he has had 3 reactions, and one of them was at Disney in February.

 

[Shelly888]

Sorry, I will jump on this because I disagree so strongly.

There are several things you need to know about skin tests:

1. The tests are scored quantitatively by the size of the welt produced.

2. A positive test MEANS there was a welt big enough to show a reaction.

3. Any positive score, whether high or low, ALWAYS indicates the possibility of anaphylaxis

4. The larger the welt, the higher the chance of anaphylaxis.

My DD has never had anaphylaxis from any foods. Her skin and blood test scores aren't even super high. She had never consumed any peanut products prior to her first testing at age 18 months. But from Day 1 of our testing, my allergist told me to avoid all peanut products (as well as egg, melon, tree nuts, sesame seeds and peas). He said we can NEVER rule out anaphylaxis.

I don't need an ER visit to prove to me that my child should avoid peanuts. No, I am not blowing anything out of proportion. I am doing what I need to to keep my child safe

This is incorrect. THe size of the welt does not indicate the severity of the reaction. Same holds true for RAST testing, the higher number does not equate to a more severe reaction.

 

[happymommy]

This is incorrect. THe size of the welt does not indicate the severity of the reaction. Same holds true for RAST testing, the higher number does not equate to a more severe reaction.

This is true, Shelly!

The RAST number only is a guideline, but when the level falls below a certain number (depending on the allergen) they can consider the possibility of challenging it in the clinic. When my son's peanut and sesame went below a certain number (I think it was .4 or something) we did food challenges, and they were successful. His milk and egg challenges went very badly, but we're waiting to try again in a few years.

My son will always test positive for a number of other things that he doesn't react to. It isn't an exact science. He will always skin test positive for peanut and sesame, but isn't allergic to them anymore.

I guess my point is that there are a lot of allergists out there giving out some misinformation, and a lot of parents that have ideas about allergies that are incorrect. Most of the parents that seem all for the peanut free classes also aren't the ones with allergic children. They don't seem to understand that there is no way to guarantee a completely safe environment for the kids; we just have to be extra careful with hygiene and not trusting food that their parents didn't provide.

 

[mlynn]

My 4year old back in Feb. rubbed something in her eye. We went tothe ER (it was a sunday) they ended up keeping her. They think she had a peanut reaction.(DD4. HATES the smell of peanut butter let alone eat it DD6 LOVES peanut butter) Well I take her to the allergist to the prick test. Doesn't get big enough as theylike it to be. But doctor gives me the pens and tells me to carry benadrly(sp?) around with me.Because just because the test didn't show what they need it could be worse next time.
She didn't even eat the food she just rubbed it in her eye and got a reaction.
DD6 still eats peanut butter but knows after eating to wash her hands and brush her teeth(at school she rinse her mouth in the bathroom)I clean the table at 3 times with the clorox green spray.and DD4 had her plastic placemat only her food ever touches.

I can see the classroom being Peanut free because after snack who cleans it up? The kids do and they aren't going to clean it good.
IN a lunch room they have the peanut free tables where a child who has the allergy can have a friend sit with them. They use a cleaning solutions on those tables where the adults clean them after each use throughtly.

Here is a website the allergist signed me up for.http://www.foodallergy.org/

 

[perkinsrose]

I have not expressed my opinion about peanut-free classrooms/schools, etc. one way or the other.

I posted a few things about epipens.

Wanted to clear something up, when I talk about carrying epipens on person or in a autodefibrilator-type emergency box, I was not suggesting a young child should know or expect to be able to tell someone they need it.

I think proximity is critical when the epipen is needed. An epipen in an office down a winding hallway may be a problem. Having the epipen near the child might mean a quicker administration.

Just like when I teach, there are lists for emergencies of which children are asthmatic, prone to seizures, etc., staff around a child who may be at risk for anaphylaxis would need to be aware. Some schools have lists of adults in the building who are CPR trained in case of emergency. Maybe training on adminstering epipens is necessary in some situations.

Though there is a method to perform heimlich maneuver on yourself if you're choking, it would be crazy for elementary kids to be expected to know this. In the same sense it would be crazy to expect kids to give them self the epipen--but you would expect that the epipen be nearby and some of the adults in the school to be trained in this emergency situation whether the environment has been declared specific-allergenfree or not.

 

[BostonRob]

I think your post is stupid (your word!)

Sure let's give all peanut allergic children their own epipens to carry so they can deal with reactions on their own. That seems like a real SMART thing to do. It's their problem, right??? Other people shouldn't be inconvenienced by someone else's issue. Isn't that what you're implying? There'd be nothing like the sight of a five year old struggling to breathe during an allergic reaction and trying to inject a two inch needle into the side of their thigh at the same time just so they could continue living, right? OR they could just stay home??????
In a public school setting...in which ALL children are entitled to an education...the people in charge of their care are responsible for their safety, as it should be. Hopefully you don't work in a school!

First, that was a personal attack. If you're going to preach about people following rules at schools you should be consistent and follow the rules here.
Exactly who would be inconvenienced by a child carrying their own epipen?
I never said the 5 year old would be injecting herself, but assuming there's somebody in school that is capable of doing that, it would happen a lot quicker if they didn't have to run to the office to get the thing. And by the way, an epipen is the simplest thing in the world to use. If my five year old was allergic to nuts, I'd have taught her to use one by now. Ideally somebody else would, but worst case scenario I think she could handle it. And suggesting an epipen is such a safety hazzard that it would prevent other kids from getting the education they're entitled to is ludicrous.

 

[EnchantedPrincess]

i do however think a letter from the child's physician should be submitted.

I don't know about other schools, but my dd's elementary school does require that her pediatrician filled out a form to confirm her food allergy and administration of an epipen should a severe reaction occurs, and the cafeteria manager also must have a letter/form filled from her pediatrician about her food allergies if she was to buy from the cafeteria (but I pack her lunches so that isn't an issue).

 

[cosmicdaisy]

I have not expressed my opinion about peanut-free classrooms/schools, etc. one way or the other.

I posted a few things about epipens.

Wanted to clear something up, when I talk about carrying epipens on person or in a autodefibrilator-type emergency box, I was not suggesting a young child should know or expect to be able to tell someone they need it.

I think proximity is critical when the epipen is needed. An epipen in an office down a winding hallway may be a problem. Having the epipen near the child might mean a quicker administration.

Just like when I teach, there are lists for emergencies of which children are asthmatic, prone to seizures, etc., staff around a child who may be at risk for anaphylaxis would need to be aware. Some schools have lists of adults in the building who are CPR trained in case of emergency. Maybe training on adminstering epipens is necessary in some situations.

Though there is a method to perform heimlich maneuver on yourself if you're choking, it would be crazy for elementary kids to be expected to know this. In the same sense it would be crazy to expect kids to give them self the epipen--but you would expect that the epipen be nearby and some of the adults in the school to be trained in this emergency situation whether the environment has been declared specific-allergenfree or not.

I *still* think your idea is awesome. I'm serioulsy looking into it.

You hit the nail on the head...proximity is so crucial. (which is why my DD has two sets of meds and has her meds go where ever she goes)

ITA with the training. The entire first grade staff has been trained by the nurse on epi pen usage. I actually did not think about it until I met with her teacher one on one and we were discussing lunch and when there might be substitute teachers (which is one of the things I dread where DD's allergy is concerned). Anyways...I'm rambling. It all came down to us realizing that all the first grade teachers should be trained and know about DD's allergy and know how to recognize a reaction and how to treat it. When DD's epipens get replaces, which is in a couple of weeks, I'm going in with oranges so the teachers can practice using a real epipen (the expired ones).

I've mentioned it before but it definitely is worth repeating...Awareness is so important. I am all about awareness and education.

 

[cosmicdaisy]

First, that was a personal attack. If you're going to preach about people following rules at schools you should be consistent and follow the rules here.
Exactly who would be inconvenienced by a child carrying their own epipen?
I never said the 5 year old would be injecting herself, but assuming there's somebody in school that is capable of doing that, it would happen a lot quicker if they didn't have to run to the office to get the thing. And by the way, an epipen is the simplest thing in the world to use. If my five year old was allergic to nuts, I'd have taught her to use one by now. Ideally somebody else would, but worst case scenario I think she could handle it. And suggesting an epipen is such a safety hazzard that it would prevent other kids from getting the education they're entitled to is ludicrous.

As a parent of a child with food allergies and the owner of 10 pens for said child, I have to respectifully disagree. Once you know how to use them and understand the mechanism, I agree they are not complicated. But since they don't have a plunger like hypodermic and other subcutaneous needles do, I think they are a bit confusing at first. One of the first things I went over with DD's teacher was the epipen and how to use it and until I told her a safety cap needed to be removed she assumed the safety cap was a plunger of sorts.

I'm not implying that your 5 yo would not know how to use a pen if you taught her, but since I do have a child that needs an epipen I can say from my actual experience that she is *just* learning to use it...and she's 6.5 yo. She understands it will save her life, but she is also scared of needles. And in all honesty, I'm not sure she would have the cognition needed to administer a shot to herself at this age.

 

[EnchantedPrincess]

If my five year old was allergic to nuts, I'd have taught her to use one by now. Ideally somebody else would, but worst case scenario I think she could handle it. And suggesting an epipen is such a safety hazzard that it would prevent other kids from getting the education they're entitled to is ludicrous.

Obviously you have never had to use an epipen before to suggest a 5 yo would be able to do it when she is having a anaphylaxis reaction.

 

[camouseketeer]

. The larger the welt, the higher the chance of anaphylaxis.

This is incorrect. THe size of the welt does not indicate the severity of the reaction. Same holds true for RAST testing, the higher number does not equate to a more severe reaction.

I never said that the higher the score the more severe the reaction. I said the higher the number the greater the CHANCE of a severe reaction.

I also said that my DD's numbers are all pretty low (both rast and skin). That never rules out the chance of anaphylaxis for us.

The RAST number only is a guideline, but when the level falls below a certain number (depending on the allergen) they can consider the possibility of challenging it in the clinic. When my son's peanut and sesame went below a certain number (I think it was .4 or something) we did food challenges, and they were successful. His milk and egg challenges went very badly, but we're waiting to try again in a few years.

This is exactly my point.

A person can have a horrible allergic reaction despite low numbers on any test.

I guess my point is that there are a lot of allergists out there giving out some misinformation, and a lot of parents that have ideas about allergies that are incorrect.

I'm not sure what misinformation you mean.

 

[Schmeck]

I read through some of these posts and it makes me really sad that this is such an issue - I think somewhere along the way the fact that these children really could die is being lost on everyone. - a child with peanut butter on their hands accidentally touching an allergic child while they are eating is all it takes to cause a reaction - I just don't see where the problem lies.

The problem lies in the handling of the allergy - having a peanut free school does not prevent a reaction from occurring, as the above mentioned child could have had peanut butter at home before coming to school. What needs to be done, instead of banning peanut butter completely, is to have kids frequently wash their hands, and be aware of the allergy, and use common sense to prevent a reaction. Banning a substance does not stop people from using it - think making pot illegal makes people stop using it? The drinking age limit keeps kids from drinking alcohol? Banning peanut butter just gives a false sense of safety, and takes the pressure off the school in a lawsuit.

 

[Mandychelle79]

This is true, Shelly!

The RAST number only is a guideline, but when the level falls below a certain number (depending on the allergen) they can consider the possibility of challenging it in the clinic. When my son's peanut and sesame went below a certain number (I think it was .4 or something) we did food challenges, and they were successful. His milk and egg challenges went very badly, but we're waiting to try again in a few years.

My son will always test positive for a number of other things that he doesn't react to. It isn't an exact science. He will always skin test positive for peanut and sesame, but isn't allergic to them anymore.

I guess my point is that there are a lot of allergists out there giving out some misinformation, and a lot of parents that have ideas about allergies that are incorrect. Most of the parents that seem all for the peanut free classes also aren't the ones with allergic children. They don't seem to understand that there is no way to guarantee a completely safe environment for the kids; we just have to be extra careful with hygiene and not trusting food that their parents didn't provide.

Bradyn has a skin reaction to milk but her RAST numbers were low enough that we challenged and she passed ( 2 yrs ago, Still remember her eating Chicken nuggests for the first time after that test.)

 

[BostonRob]

Obviously you have never had to use an epipen before to suggest a 5 yo would be able to do it when she is having a anaphylaxis reaction.

I've got one for my 2 year old. No, I've never used the real one, but I've used the practice one. And yeah, I'd teach my 5 year old how to do it if she needed it. Why would you argue about this? I'm not suggesting that the best case scenario is that she'd do it on herself, I'm suggesting that she should have it on her person so if she ever did need it, nobody would have to run to the office. And in the worst case scenario, yeah, at least she'd know how to do it. Would she be able to? I don't know. But it couldn't hurt to show her how.

 

[scoochie75]

The problem lies in the handling of the allergy - having a peanut free school does not prevent a reaction from occurring, as the above mentioned child could have had peanut butter at home before coming to school. What needs to be done, instead of banning peanut butter completely, is to have kids frequently wash their hands, and be aware of the allergy, and use common sense to prevent a reaction. Banning a substance does not stop people from using it - think making pot illegal makes people stop using it? The drinking age limit keeps kids from drinking alcohol? Banning peanut butter just gives a false sense of safety, and takes the pressure off the school in a lawsuit.

I agree with you that it doesn't resolve the problem - I guess my statement about not understanding is parents who complain that they are not allowed to send the PB&J sandwich in - I understand in some cases (ie - children with diabetes) that PB&J is necessary in a diet but otherwise I don't think it is that great a sacrifice to ask that the food be kept out. It doesn't 100% prevent the risk of a reaction but it does drastically reduce the risk. My child is in a school that is not peanut free (we have explained to him that the world is not peanut free so we need to learn how to live within our environment). The children must wash their hands when they arrive in the morning and anytime they re-enter the room. Snack has to be peanut free but if an instance occurs where a mistake is made there is a special table for the child with the peanut product to eat and then the teacher has to sterilize the table and child. My son wipes down his desk/chair after they change rooms for reading class even though no one is supposed to sit at his desk. He has an assigned seat in the cafeteria and any children that sit with 3 seats of him must have their lunch checked by the teacher. There are precautions to take - but again I do believe his risk would be decreased if it were a peanut free school.

 

[dawnball]

You would be surprised with what was on the list of acceptable foods. Basic store brand stuff like Cheese-it, Sunshine animal crackers, pudding....all items that I found at the local store. Sure I guess i could go to a place likr Trader Joe's and find more options (and I probably will) but for now there really is no issue with following the policy.

I think if one has an open mind and is willing to give it some effort instead of getting put out of place over it they would find it really is not that big of a problem.

My daughter can't eat any of those things. It's not that normal items without shared-peanut facilities are a problem. It's that when you have allergies of your own - at one point we were gluten free, wheat free, dairy free, corn free, rice free, legume free, soy free (none of which we could tolerate shared facility on for our own health)- adding another "not even shared facility" limitation can be HARD. And it makes an already severely limited diet even more limited.

It's not that I haven't looked. I have. I'm familiar with allergies where shared facility can be a problem. As an adult - I've had reactions to foods other people ate in the workplace despite my efforts to protect myself. I understand the issue. I still think that having an -entire school- no shared-facility with peanuts is an unreasonable accommodation. I don't necessarily think that having a peanut-free school is unreasonable, or that a shared-equipment free class/table would be unreasonable.

 

[dawnball]

im sorry, but dont be ridiculous. a 5yo does not have the ability nor the maturity to understand that being singled out isnt personal. kids take everything personally.
children certainly dont need an adult to tell them they are being left out.

Perhaps I have a remarkably precocious 4.5 year old then. She knows she's being left out. And she knows why. And she makes the choice to be left out without feeling that it's a personal affront. We do make attempts to make as many things safe for her as we can. We try to always have special options for her when the common option isn't a choice. We can't make everything safe for her (any more than we can for ourselves as adults). She sees us make those same choices in our lives without angst.

The *only* times I've seen her get upset about things at school was when her teachers had a bad reaction -first-. They overreacted, she got upset, the other kids got upset, and it was a huge production. If they keep things low key and matter-of-fact, we have no problems. "I'm sorry, this has wheat in it, I'll get you some chocolate from your safe cabinet instead"