How parents, schools, and childcare centers can work together to keep kids safe and healthy
A new school year approaches, and worries about the coronavirus are subduing…but for the parents of children with food allergies, particularly in the case of severe allergies, taking precautions is something that continues to require diligence.
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention reports that one in five students will have an allergic reaction in school at some point, and Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital estimates that, on average, two children in every classroom have food allergies.
As awareness of allergies grows, more schools and early childhood education (ECE) centers—along with after-school activities, youth sports leagues, and other organization that cater to kids—are making efforts to reduce the risk, create emergency reaction plans, and create overall more inclusive environments surrounding food.
What Are Food Allergies?
Parents of children without allergies might not fully understand the high risk associated with food allergies. In some cases, the situation could be life or death.
Food allergies develop when a child’s immune system perceives a food as a danger and therefore produce a strong reaction. In order for this development to happen, a child must be exposed to the food at least once; the second time the child tries the food, the immune system’s antibodies release histamines. The most common food allergies are peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, soy, wheat, and fish.
The biggest danger is when a person with a food allergy suffers anaphylaxis, a reaction wherein breathing is impaired and blood pressure and heart rate drop. This can happen within minutes of eating the food, and it could potentially be a life-threatening situation.
Other symptoms of food allergies include hives, coughing, swelling of the tongue, weak pulse, dizziness or faintness, vomiting, stomach cramps, trouble swallowing, or a weak pulse. While there are no medications for food allergies—the only treatment option is to avoid the food altogether—a doctor might prescribe emergency kits containing an epinephrine injection, which will subdue the symptoms in case of a severe reaction, such as anaphylaxis.
Food allergies are believed to be genetic, but there is no way of determining whether a parent’s food allergy can be passed along to the child. To prevent food allergies from developing, parents should avoid solid foods until a child is at least 6 months old and opt to breastfeed instead. Foods like cow’s milk, wheat, eggs, fish, and peanuts should be avoided until a child is at least 1 year old.
What Precautions Do Parents Need to Take?
The thought of a severe allergic reaction is scary, but simple actions on the part of parents will go a long way in ensuring their child avoids any kind of exposure. For other adults—not only teachers but also babysitters, coaches, and parents of friends—this calls for sensitivity and receptiveness to the child’s needs.
Neumors Children’s Health System recommends parents get an emergency action plan from their allergist to provide schools and childcare centers. If a school doesn’t maintain an allergen-free cafeteria, parents should consider packing their child’s lunch so they don’t have to worry about navigating the cafeteria menu. Parents might also have to make a special packed lunch for other activities like parties, playdates, field trips, and sleepovers. It’s also important to communicate with anyone who handles the child’s food and avoid any situations where precautions can’t be followed. For example, some restaurant kitchens are unable to guarantee a peanut-free kitchen—in these situations, it’s best to eat somewhere else.
What Are Schools Doing?
Parents might take every precaution they can when their kids are with them, but when they send them to school, they are trusting educators to look after their child’s safety and well-being. Coming up with a solution that takes care of all parts of the dilemma isn’t easy, however. Even if many schools maintain peanut-free kitchens, there is still a possibility that children can bring peanut products in their packed lunches from home, creating risk for a child with an allergy who sits next to them. While one potential solution is to create a peanut-free table in the cafeteria, there’s still the question of how to enforce such a restriction beyond checking each individual child’s lunch.
Furthermore, a peanut-free table doesn’t help kids with allergies beyond peanuts, and a general allergy-friendly table is difficult to keep entirely free of potential food hazards. One kid might be allergic to dairy and eating a sandwich on wheat bread right next to the kid who is allergic to wheat and eating yogurt. Allergen restrictions also present a risk of ostracization if a child with an allergy finds themselves having to eat lunch away from their friends.
Making Schools an Inclusive Place for All Children
Although children without allergies might be reluctant to leave their favorite foods at home, health experts and child development specialists emphasize that inclusivity is important. Children with food allergies may be protected under disability laws, and programs should take care not to exclude them from the same opportunities as other children.
As the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention states in its guidelines, “Schools and ECE programs should foster a climate that promotes positive psychological and social development; that actively promotes safety, respect, and acceptance of differences; and fosters positive interpersonal relationships between staff members and children and between the children themselves.”
In response to increased awareness and need, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention in 2013 published Voluntary Guidelines for Managing Food Allergies in Schools and Early Care and Education Programs, a comprehensive set of recommendations for everything from cafeterias to class parties.
Among the guidelines are:
- Using non-food incentives for prizes and awards
- Avoiding the use of allergens in parties, class projects, and arts/crafts or science projects
- Encouraging children to wash their hands before and after consuming food
- Having an emergency plan in place and epinephrine injections on hand in every situation
The full set of guidelines can be found in PDF format at cdc.gov/healthyschools/foodallergies under the “Managing Food Allergies at School” subhead.
