Do you or your kids have peanut (or other food) allergies?

[Logan Sapphire]

We recently found out that our 16 month old has a severe peanut allergy and a mild pecan one (mental note that a scratch test on a wild toddler is NO fun), so we now have an epi-pen and those Benadryl spoons.

This has really shaken me up, for some reason, as I feel totally guilty that perhaps eating peanut butter/peanuts (though I dislike pecans) during pregnancy and breastfeeding caused these allergies. And I'm also annoyed b/c we have no family history of food allergies- heck, I don't even have one single allergy, not seasonal or anything else.

Does anyone else have kids with food allergies? Just trying to figure out if our 3 year old can continue to eat peanut butter around him, etc.

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Re: Do you or your kids have peanut (or other food) allergie

B has a pretty severe egg allergy and we'll be getting him allergy tested and an epi-pen as soon as we are back in the states.

I used to nanny for twins where one had a severe peanut allergy and spent a year handling that (he was 6-18 months at the time).

Check with your Dr/allergist, but if your son has a severe peanut allergy you shouldn't keep peanut butter in the house at all. If someone eats it and kisses him or touches him with any oil on their hands he can have a reaction.

B's egg allergy is such that if we eat eggs and kiss him or touch him he gets a rash and if he eats egg he has breathing issues and his eyes both swell completely shut. If we eat something with egg in it, like pancakes and then carefully wipe our mouths and brush our teeth he's ok, but we try to avoid that too and can't wait to be home to get some more answers.

I know it sounds scary, but it's manageable and not too bad once you're used to it, plus kids sometimes outgrow food allergies, so definitely continue to have him tested around the age of 5.

I know it's easy to feel guilty (the mom I worked for had the same concerns b/c she ate a lot of Thai peanut sauce while pregnant) but her Dr. said there can be many causes and sometimes these allergies can just develop...

 

[Logan Sapphire]

Re: Do you or your kids have peanut (or other food) allergie

Thanks, Bella. Sorry to hear of your bad day, btw.

The confusing thing to me is that DS has been around us eating peanut butter and we've certainly kissed him, touched him, etc. with no discernible reaction. From what I understand (and I know I have a lot of education to catch up on), though, reactions don't necessarily progress linearly so one reaction might be mild, the next severe, the next moderate, etc., which maybe is why it's best to err on the side of caution.

With the child who was allergic to peanuts, did they avoid food that was labeled as being made in a factory that processed peanuts? What about shared equipment? Is one worse than the other?

Again, Drew has eaten a ton of food labeled as both and never reacted (as far as our eyes could tell).

 

[Puppmom]

Re: Do you or your kids have peanut (or other food) allergie

My 20 month old nephew has a severe peanut allergy. They discovered it when SIL gave him a single bite of Reese’s peanut butter cereal. He immediately began to swell and get hives. Since his first reaction was anaphylactic, the doctor wanted to test him asap for the severity of his allergy. He tested positive for allergies to all nuts that they tested so they’ve been advised to avoid all things with tree nuts.

His DC, as most in the area, is peanut free. They do keep peanut butter in the house though. I’m not sure if they were advised against this or not. They avoid places like ice cream shops where cross-contamination can occur so easily. They recently took him to a Five Guys burger joint and he had a reaction because they roast peanuts in the restaurant.

They do avoid products that have warnings on the label that the product was produced in a factory with peanuts.

I know it must be really stressful but there are so many kids with peanut allergies in particular that it’s much easier to live with nowadays. I think your biggest challenge will be when DS becomes a teen and you don’t get to supervise all of his meals.

How did you find out DS was allergic? I hope it wasn’t an ER visit like it was for my poor nephew!

 

[Bella_mezzo]

Re: Do you or your kids have peanut (or other food) allergie

hi logan, thanks, yeah today wasn't so great Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Well, the mom took a while to actually acknowledge that he had an allergy, so there were two more trips to the ER before should would stop giving him take-out Chinese (like egg rolls fried in peanut oil ). After the second ER visit we got rid of all peanut butter from the house and got a soy butter for the 4 year old. This was around 2000 and products weren't always labled as processed in facilty with nuts so I don't remember getting rid of or looking for that then.

Yes allergies are tricky and weird and non-linear. I have an epi-pen for potential anaphalactic Bee allergy and also a pretty unpleasant reaction to mangos and cashews (but it hasn't been anaphalatic yet which is good). I also have skin allergies than can be fine for years and then all of a sudden react

 

[Logan Sapphire]

Re: Do you or your kids have peanut (or other food) allergie

Puppmom, nothing as dramatic as an ER visit, thank God. It actually was 2 random incidents that got me thinking. The first was when he had a tiny bit of a Pad Thai noodle (no fish sauce) and broke out into a pimple-like thing next to his mouth. It reddened and swelled for 1/2 hour, then disappeared. The other time was when DH and I were eating a pizza with Thai peanut sauce on it (again, no fish sauce). DS didn't have any of it, but I think we kissed him and he flushed and got splotchy and red, again for 1/2 hour. That was it. He's been around peanut sauce, peanuts, other nuts, etc. I thought it was odd enough so I mentioned it to his ped at his 15 month visit. She was kind of dismissive and said that if it were a real allergy, he would've broken out into hives all over, had a swollen lip, etc. Something still didn't sit right with me (plus our daughter eats PB&J a lot and I would like to give it to DS), so I took him to an allergist, who did the scratch test. Sure enough...peanuts and pecans. She said to avoid all nuts b/c his histamines were very high and she was worried more nut exposure (even the ones he's not allergic to) would cause a future allergy.

From what I'm reading, sounds like Chinese food should be out completely?

 

[Miss Sparkly]

Re: Do you or your kids have peanut (or other food) allergie

No, kids do not understand not to grab each others food and to not eat. Until they are old enough to understand DO NOT LET PEANUTS IN THE HOUSE! I have a peanut allergy and still allow DH to have his peanut butter. It's a real PITA but I know how much he likes it. We buy separate breads, butters and jellys so that there is no risk of cross contamination. The peanut butter can ONLY be used with the specified ingredients and is not allowed near any other items. Reactions are completely unpredictable. We didn't know that I was allergic to peanuts as a child and thought that I had severe asthma. The reasoning being that the entire class ate outside and it wasn't until shortly after being outside (in reality eating a pb and j) that I would start getting wheezy and cough constantly. Finally I was allergy tested at the age of 14 along with my dad - that is when we found out that our "asthma" had been a mis-diagnosed peanut reaction all along (we were so lucky not to have a life-threatening reaction) Do not feed your child any Chinese food and avoid other Asian food as a precaution. Sunbutter is a savior! It tastes like peanut butter, has the same consistency and is processed in a peanut free environment. Soy butter honestly is nasty stuff

http://www.vitacost.com/Sungold-Foods-Sunbutter-Natural?csrc=GPF-737539191205&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=737539191205

My favorite - Crunchy sunbutter

http://www.plummarket.com/home/sungold-farms-natural-crunchy-sunbutter-16oz.html?p_id=7284&utm_source=google+product&utm_medium=winefeed&utm_term=737539190406&utm_campaign=food+beverages+tobacco+food+items+condiments+sauces&utm_content=sungold+farms+natural+crunchy+sunbutter+16oz&v_traceback=c0816_0430_f0816_0515

Has your child been tested for a pea allergy? Peanuts are not actual nuts but rather legumes. I am also allergic to peas as well as peanuts but can eat other legume family foods just fine.

 

[Miss Sparkly]

Re: Do you or your kids have peanut (or other food) allergie

Another thought...

There are certain peanut oils that are considered safe because of they way that they are processed. As far as my own allergy goes, I don't care. It is not worth a reaction in case the oil was improperly processed. READ labels and research ALL restaurants before eating out. Peanuts are a common thickener in enchilada sauce at Mexican restaurants as well as in chili (Chili's uses it in theirs). I've learned the hard way that no matter what is said about cleaning procedures, Blizzards are not okay to eat Generic brand cereals and cereal bars commonly use peanut flower in place of other ingredients because it is less expensive.

Mini yorks are a tasty candy that can be eaten (I've heard that it depends on where they are produced so always check labels)

 

[Haven]

Re: Do you or your kids have peanut (or other food) allergie

I have a severe allergy to strawberries. If I touch a strawberry or juice from one, I get a contact rash and hives on the spot of contact. If I eat a strawberry or juice from one, my throat swells up and I can't breathe. I know strawberries aren't as prevalent as peanuts, but since my allergy is severe we took a lot of precautions when I was a child.

My allergy runs in my family, so if my future children happen to have it as well I will probably take the extra precautions my own parents took:

- I wore a medical alert bracelet and/or necklace indicating my allergy until I was in my early twenties.
- I wore a button that had a picture of strawberries with the prohibition sign over them to school every day. (There was also some text that said "severe allergy to strawberries" or something like that.)
- I was taught to never eat anything that *might* have strawberries or natural flavoring in it when I was away from my family. So, no birthday cake, no candy, no fruit juices, etc.
- When I was much younger, my parents repeatedly told me that I cannot eat strawberries, and that I should never allow anyone else to touch my food at school (in case they touched strawberries.)

Food allergies are scary, so I think you're right to seek out information from others. Good luck. Now that you know the cause of the allergy, it should be easy to adjust to keep your son safe.

 

[AllieLuv83]

Re: Do you or your kids have peanut (or other food) allergie

My husband is allergic to peanuts, treenuts and amoxicillin. We do not keep peanut butter in the house sunflower seed butter is a great alternative, he does not eat anything that is labled may contain or processed on shared equipment. It definitely makes life a little harder.

 

[zipzapgirl]

Re: Do you or your kids have peanut (or other food) allergie

This has really shaken me up, for some reason, as I feel totally guilty that perhaps eating peanut butter/peanuts (though I dislike pecans) during pregnancy and breastfeeding caused these allergies.

I don't think they've proven this one way or another about eating nuts in pregnancy. There was an NPR special just the other night about this and the physician stated that there is no conclusive evidence one way or another. These allergies didn't exist to the same extent even 20 years ago, so it is probably a change in our environment as opposed to maternal diet.

Here is a really good 30 minute special on food allergies (listen or read):
http://www.npr.org/2011/02/07/133568684/new-guidelines-for-handling-food-allergies

 

[Logan Sapphire]

Re: Do you or your kids have peanut (or other food) allergie

Thanks for the NPR link; will definitely listen.

Also, for those who do have allergies, I understand not taking the chance on things that say "May contain traces of ..." or "Made on equipment that also processes ..." but do you stay away from "Made in a facility that processes...?"

Any tips for instilling in my son AND my daughter that he is not to eat anything unknown, to question, etc...?

How do you carry your epi-pen and Benadryl? I can always keep it in my purse or diaper bag for now but what about when he gets older and I'm not with him?

Any thoughts on international travel where we don't speak the language, in terms of food?

And finally...this one might be harder for people to answer, but would you have him stop being a vegetarian? He's already "that" kid who brings in his own veg school lunches. Will having a food allergy make him a double "that" kid and would he feel less left out if he wasn't veg?

Thanks, and sorry for so many questions.

 

[Miss Sparkly]

Re: Do you or your kids have peanut (or other food) allergie

Quick reply since I'm short on time

On carrying everything around - I have a purse, no issues there. Since he's so young maybe a neutral bag with a handle that can easily be passed between parents, teachers, etc? As he becomes older he'll have some kind of backpack. You could also get an ankle wallet (not sure if they come in child size or if that's even a good idea!).

Teaching your kids - no clue. Don't have kids and I have no idea how their little minds work

Traveling to other countries - Hire a translator, research your area you'll be staying in and plan ahead. That's the best advice I can give. For myself who loves to be impulsive - it sucks - but must be done

I personally feel comfortable eating products that are manufactured in the same facility - but that is a very individual choice to make.

 

[Munchkin]

Re: Do you or your kids have peanut (or other food) allergie

I have multiple food allergies, one of which is peanuts and assorted tree nuts.

I would encourage you to avoid foods that are "made in a facility," at least until your little one is old enough to verbalize any odd reactions. Definitely eliminate all peanut products from the diet of all family members. A little one is too impulsive and you never know when they may touch your food.

I carry my epi pens and benadryl in a purse, but while in school I kept a hard plastic case with me to store the pens. As an adult I still carry the benadryl meltaways because I don't always have water to aid in swallowing a pill.

They make medical alert bracelets now that are nylon and velcro closed. They can be worn in water/gym class/sports fields, etc.

When I traveled internationally, I ordered cards from selectwisely.com

If it makes you feel any better, I was the first in my family to have food allergies and asthma, and I was breastfed until 1 year old.

 

[Inkblot]

Re: Do you or your kids have peanut (or other food) allergie

I have a gluten allergy. I would take a peanut allergy any day of the week over gluten! I work in the school systems, and many school (especially elementary) have procedures in place for dealing with nut allergies in the classrooms. Controlling the environment at home will be a PITA, but at least it's easier to maintain your pantry and what comes in your house. You'll just have to get used to asking questions at restaurants and reading labels carefully. Many food processors clearly label packages, and you can find many peanut alternatives or foods without peanut/tree nut contact in the health aisles at the grocery store. I know this only because I have to read labels like a maniac. I get so irritated while at work when people leave muffin wrappers or cracker packages with crumbs near my desk, on the floor, or miss the trash can. Finally, I put up a big picture of an angry wheat stalk with a "no" symbol slashed through it; in bold Sharpie I wrote, "What, are you trying to KILL ME?!" My co-workers laugh about it, but now they're more mindful of keeping the stuff away from me; in fact, many are even protective of my allergy and ask about certain foods I eat.

I do have a high school student with a severe nut allergy. Surprisingly, his peers are extremely supportive and make sure not to bring peanut candy or peanut butter products into the classroom. They tease him a little bit, but are overall great sports that are mindful of what's in their school bags and are sure to wash their hands if they class with him after lunch.

 

[drk]

Re: Do you or your kids have peanut (or other food) allergie

I think I'm allergic to cashews and pistachios - I've only eaten them a few times, but my tongue starts to feel a little funny, tingly and swollen when I've had them. I just avoid the nuts themselves at this point - I've picked cashews out of dishes at restaurants and had no ill effects, so I think my allergy isn't severe. My Mum is severely allergic to shellfish.
So far, DD isn't allergic to anything that we've noticed. She has eczema, and has had the odd rash pop up, but I haven't been able to relate the rash to any particular food. She was BF for over a year, and I introduced solids just before 4 months. We started out slowly, but fairly quickly progressed to introducing multiple new ingredients at once when I realized she seemed to not be having reactions to the things we'd already tried. I certainly ate PB while pregnant and breastfeeding, and I don't think your intake could be blamed for the allergy.
My first boyfriend was anaphylactically allergic to peanuts. He refused to eat jam at my house in case I'd contaminated it with peanut butter (though I used a separate knife for the PB and jelly because of him). He wasn't able to eat many other things like Campb.ell's soups that contained hydrolyzed plant protein, because he'd react to that as well (I think maybe there was something peanutty in it?). He even had a reaction once because his housemates didn't wash the baking tray well enough after baking something with peanut oil on it. I was able to eat PB, but had to be certain to really flush out my mouth and brush my teeth carefully after eating it before I kissed him.
As far as I know, many allergies become more severe with each exposure to the allergen. I'd get hooked up with benadryl and the epipen. I wonder if a fanny-pack might work for him to carry his own emergency stuff around in when he gets older? I'd also get all peanut products out of the house. It's a much more common allergy these days, so the labeling on products is much better. Certain candy manufacturers don't work with peanuts in their manufacturing facilities - I remember M&Ms were a no-no, but Smarties were safe.
Sorry you're having to deal with this!

 

[ericad]

Re: Do you or your kids have peanut (or other food) allergie

Last winter, at the age of 34, I developed a sudden allergy to corn! Because my reaction takes about 12 hours from the time of ingestion (unless it's a topical exposure, in which case the reaction is immediate), it took months to figure out what was causing it. I get burn-like rashes on my throat and eyelids, and my eyes swell shut. Several exposures in a row (which is what I was dealing with in the early stages, since I didn't know what was causing it) lead to throat constriction. The rashes take 2-3 weeks to heal, after just one exposure - I look like a monster, lol.

When it first started, it was during a trip for a wedding. I drank lots of red wine over the course of that trip, then had another flare up around Christmas, so I initially thought it was a sulfite allergy. I went to the allergy doctor and tested positive for 11 different foods! All tree nuts, peanuts, tuna, shrimp, corn, soy, even oranges, if you can believe it. So then I eliminated all of those 11 foods from my diet and slowly added them back in one at a time starting with the smallest "reaction" (based on the size of the hive at the testing site) and worked my way up the list. Eventually I made my way up to the last allergy item on the list with no adverse reactions until I got to corn, which was the one with the largest hive on my allergy test. That was the culprit! I bit into a single kernel of corn, then spit it out, and for the next 2 weeks I was stuck with a "burn" on my throat the size of my palm.

So I have to avoid all corn products: cornmeal, corn syrup, corn starch, corn flour, corn oil, etc. We live in a corny world, so I need to avoid most processed foods, and even things like face creams and certain dish soaps (for example, I once accidentally grabbed the dish soap instead of the hand soap to wash my hands and my hands got all red and itchy and inflamed. Come to find out that dish soap used "corn based surfactants"), even most vitamins. The result is that I'm eating a far healthier diet than ever before, and now turn to natural products for personal care (apple cider vinegar as toner, organic coconut oil as moisturizer, lol, I smell delightful - like a fermented Almond Joy bar), soapwalla deodorant (from Etsy, I HIGHLY recommend it!), etc.

I've been reaction-free for several months now, so it seems that I've finally figured out what to avoid. Had I known that the last time I ate nachos would be the LAST TIME I'D EAT NACHOS...

 

[Logan Sapphire]

Re: Do you or your kids have peanut (or other food) allergie

Thanks to all who responded! It's certainly a challenge...

I'm worried that although his daycare is a nut-free school and parents have to bring store-bought, labeled items, a teacher won't read the ingredients carefully enough and he'll eat a forbidden item and react. Ugh.

 

[NovemberBride]

Re: Do you or your kids have peanut (or other food) allergie

Logan,

I am not sure what kind of daycare your son is in and if these steps would work, but I can tell you what we did (our 2 year old DD has a severe milk allergy). When she moved up to the toddler room where they are served snacks bought by the school (parents provide lunches), I met with the director and she obtained ingredient lists for all of the snacks for me (ours is a large corporate day care chain that orders all the food from a food service, this wouldn't work as well in a home daycare where the eat whatever the provider buys that week). I reviewed all the lists and gave them a list of the snacks she could not have. On the days they have those snacks, she is given one of the permitted snacks. They also know she cannot eat anything brought in for birthdays, etc. I leave a box of treats at school for her to have if someone brings in snacks, alternatively I will bake something safe for her if it is a day when there are likely to be treats (holidays).

Warning - vent ahead. I have to say, as the parent of a child with a milk allergy, I am jealous of the peanut allergy parents. Where I live, all of the daycares and schools are peanut-free, so not only do the parents not have to worry as much, but the kids aren't singled out by not having the same things as their peers. I realize that it is not possible to ban all food allergens from classrooms, but am often annoyed that peanuts get special treatment. Especially since peanuts are a dietary staple for my kids that can't eat most of the things toddlers like - grilled cheese, mac and cheese, pizza, nuggets (except a few brands that don't have milk in the breading).

 

[Logan Sapphire]

Re: Do you or your kids have peanut (or other food) allergie

Logan,

I am not sure what kind of daycare your son is in and if these steps would work, but I can tell you what we did (our 2 year old DD has a severe milk allergy). When she moved up to the toddler room where they are served snacks bought by the school (parents provide lunches), I met with the director and she obtained ingredient lists for all of the snacks for me (ours is a large corporate day care chain that orders all the food from a food service, this wouldn't work as well in a home daycare where the eat whatever the provider buys that week). I reviewed all the lists and gave them a list of the snacks she could not have. On the days they have those snacks, she is given one of the permitted snacks. They also know she cannot eat anything brought in for birthdays, etc. I leave a box of treats at school for her to have if someone brings in snacks, alternatively I will bake something safe for her if it is a day when there are likely to be treats (holidays).

Warning - vent ahead. I have to say, as the parent of a child with a milk allergy, I am jealous of the peanut allergy parents. Where I live, all of the daycares and schools are peanut-free, so not only do the parents not have to worry as much, but the kids aren't singled out by not having the same things as their peers. I realize that it is not possible to ban all food allergens from classrooms, but am often annoyed that peanuts get special treatment. Especially since peanuts are a dietary staple for my kids that can't eat most of the things toddlers like - grilled cheese, mac and cheese, pizza, nuggets (except a few brands that don't have milk in the breading).

Sorry to hear of your DD's milk allergy. I don't know anything about milk allergies- are they anaphylactic also?

Our daycare is nut-free but our schools are not. I know some parents of allergic children oppose making schools nut-free b/c they feel it teaches the kids a false sense of security and if a child were ever presented with their allergens in "real life," they wouldn't be equipped to handle it. All I can say is thank God my son isn't so allergic to peanuts that if he even shared air with a peanut, he would go into anaphylactic shock.

If it makes you feel better, while it's not the same as "can't eat," we are vegetarian and my kids can't eat most of what is served in school anyway, so I also provide their lunches on most days. I was really annoyed that DS has those allergies b/c peanut butter is (was) eaten a lot in my house, and was a good quick meal for my DD.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Re: Do you or your kids have peanut (or other food) allergie

Hi,
I'd take peanut butter out of the house all together. My kids don't have allergies, but both have been in classes with other kids with peanut/nut allergies and IIRC, there have been both rules of no peanuts in class at all and the other was just don't bring any peanuts/nuts as treats for the entire class during parties, etc., depending upon the severity of the allergy. eta - and I've heard that most of the parents of children with allergies provide the teacher with a supply of treats for their children on days when donuts or other treats are brought in so the child doesn't feel left out - as if, say a child has gluten intolerance, there is still something yummy for the child to eat. (I remember spending 1/2 hour in the candy aisle one year trying to find something that was both not from a nut facility or had gluten so everyone in my son's class could be given the same treat! THAT was a challenge!)

Oh, and don't feel guilty!!! None of my family have allergies and I do. It just happens sometimes. Sucks, but that's life.

 

[Skippy123]

Re: Do you or your kids have peanut (or other food) allergie

I have food allergies and keep an epi pen with me at all times; I don't know if my boys have food allergies yet. I did eat peanut butter during pregnancy. I too wonder if it is hereditary? My dad is allergic to shellfish! I am not allergic to shellfish but am to certain veggies, rice and a few other things. It took awhile to find out all the things I am allergic too. I am sorry you are going through this. hugs momma