Food allergies and anaphylaxis
are on rise, as are peanut-free schools, baseball parks and airplanes. But is
it possible or medically recommended to isolate food-allergic children from
killer proteins?
This hot topic is
spicing up communities throughout the U.S. and Internet forums. As the pendulum
swings from irrational fear to the blatantly cavalier, school-aged kids with
food allergies are left hanging in the balance.
This year,
allergists and community members team up nationwide to help steer the debate
with realistic expectations and evidence-based solutions. Anaphylaxis Community
Experts (ACEs), a program developed by Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of
Asthmatics in partnership with the American College of Allergy, Asthma and
Immunology, conduct free local seminars to increase awareness about anaphylaxis
and treatment and prevention strategies.
Food allergy
anaphylaxis can be deadly but doesn't have to be. Our goal is to prevent
death and anxiety due to anaphylaxis in our community.
A board-certified
allergist should confirm which food allergens are responsible and assess risks
for severe anaphylactic reactions. Parents are instructed to eliminate the food
from the child's diet. But it's one thing to strip the kitchen cupboards bare
of offending peanut protein, for example, and quite another to try to institute
bans outside the home.
Designated
areas such as 'peanut-free zones' can give a false sense of security. For children with life-threatening food allergies, the key is to identify
and treat medical emergencies appropriately -- no matter where they are.
Teachers rather
than trained medical professionals are often first on the scene when
anaphylaxis happens at school. Most fatalities occur because access to
life-saving auto-injectable epinephrine was delayed or nonexistent.
