At present there is no cure for food allergies.  The safest strategy is total avoidance of allergens and a solid plan in case of emergency.  

Key tools for keeping safe

Avoidance of food allergens
Emergency action plan
Emergency medicine(s)
Medical alerting aides
Communication skills

Avoidance of Food Allergens

The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxsis Network (FAAN) has a great resource for reading labels.  The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) which took effect January 1, 2006, mandates the top eight allergens be declared in plain language either in the ingredients listing or via a "contains" statement.  FALCPA only applies to foods governed by FDA regulation.  FALCPA does not apply to meat, poultry products, and egg product which are governed by the USDA, fresh fruits and vegetables, and alcohol.   For more complete information on allergen avoidance, OFAN has a google document available here.

Emergency Action Plan

It's really crucial that you work with your doctor to develop an emergency action plan.  This is a one page document that should  clarify what medicine to use and  when to use that medicine.  If your child has asthma, diabetes or other medical conditions, those should also be addressed in this plan.

Several organizations offer sample action plans, your doctor probably has a favorite s/he uses. 


Emergency Medicine

The primary emergency medicine is adrenaline.  Epi-pen by Dey and Twinject offer auto-injectors that are quite easy to use.  Most offer free training materials and even training devices to simulate and injection and help prepare caregivers for an emergency.

Always have at least 2 auto-injectors available. It's not uncommon for the first try to go amiss and in some cases a second injection may be necessary to abate anaphylaxis symptoms. 

Both auto-injectors need to be stored around boy temperature.  There are concerns about the integrity of the unit (both injector and drug) at temperatures beyond ambient.  In the winter most folks keep the autoinjector inside a coat and in the summer inside of a cooler.


Medical Alerting Aides

You might consider purchasing a medic alert bracelet.  These come in handy for emergencies as well as to help little ones communicate their special needs to others.  It's an extra layer of security to label lunch boxes and water bottles, and sometimes to even have a button, patch or t-shirt to identify food allergies in a crowd.   A resource list for jewelry, patches, labels, and apparel can be found here.  


Communication skills

You'll want to be sure that anyone you leave your child with has a copy of the action plan, knows how to administer necessary medications, and is prepared to do so!

"You catch more flies with honey than vinegar" definitely applies.  The more delft you are at intra-personal communications the better.  There are so many situations in which you'll need to present the risks and outline prevention strategies; with your loved one, with family, friends, caregivers, classmates, co-workers.  Remember practice makes perfect, each interaction is a chance for practice.  Relax and allow yourself to feel that mama or papa bear, then use that energy to channel constructive solutions to the problem at hand.  It's natural for this to be difficult and that's where the support of your peers, either in person or via on-line discussion forums can help.

Gina Clowes at AllergyMoms has a great article to use as an ice-breaker "Ten Things A Child with Food Allergies Wishes you Knew"

Safe@School Partners has a one-page summary that may be helpful, "My Child's Classmate Has a Food Allergy: What Should I Know?"

Our resource page has more links to articles you might consider in educating those who care for your food allergic child.

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The information contained on our website and in our discussion groups should not be construed as medical or legal advice.  You should always consult your physician on health matters. 


 

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