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Food Allergies and Children

Is It Taking a Toll on Your Family?

By Debbie Vallejo

Grocery shopping and meal preparation become more difficult as the parent wades through labels and recipes to spot hidden ingredients. Childhood staples like pizza, peanut butter and birthday cake are now constantly monitored and potentially "nixed" out of the diet. Something as simple as a friend's birthday party is now a recipe for disaster. Woodward started making cupcakes to take for Cullen to eat at birthday parties. "At least we knew our cake was OK, but we were still constantly having to monitor what he was putting in his mouth," she says.

According to Coss, getting family and friends on board may be a challenge. "Many people may refuse to believe the seriousness of the diagnosis, and may even do things that are potentially harmful, such as offer the child allergenic food," Coss says. It is important that all family and friends watching a child with a dangerous food allergy be taught how to use an EpiPen. "We were constantly giving lessons on how to use the EpiPen," Woodward says. "Everyone was really great about making sure they knew exactly how to handle a dangerous situation."

As a child with a food allergy begins school, parents must gain the cooperation of school personnel in creating a safe school environment. There can be no switching food with other students or sharing a cake during a class party. Woodward had several meetings with school administrators and teachers to discuss Cullen's needs. She also made sure Cullen understood his food limitations. "Now that he's older he understands a little better what he can and cannot eat," she says. "It helps some, but we still have to be careful."

There are several recommendations for parents when beginning a partnership with a school to provide a safe environment for their child:

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