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How To Explain Allergies To A Child

Talking To Toddlers And Young Children About Their Food Allergies

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Food allergies are complicated. It can be difficult for adults to fully understand them, so its no surprise that many parents struggle with how to help their little ones to understand them. In todays post, well cover some age-appropriate tips and resources to help you explain food allergies to your toddler or young child.

At this age, its best to keep things as simple as possible and use words they can understand. Some parents are comfortable with using simple terms like safe foods and unsafe foods. Other parents may wish to use words like Yes/No foods or green light and red light foods. Discuss with your healthcare professional or other parents of children with food allergies, as they may have good suggestions. In this guide we will use the words safe and unsafe to describe foods.

Help your child to understand that there are certain foods that will make him sick, using terms he knows , and certain foods that will not. Every child is different in his/her level of understanding. Ask your healthcare professional the best words to use to help your child to understand. The goal at this stage is to help teach your child to distinguish between the two and of course to prevent him from coming into contact with unsafe foods.

What Foods Most Often Cause Food Allergy

Approximately 90 percent of all food allergies are caused by the followingeight foods:

Eggs, milk, and peanuts are the most common causes of food allergies inchildren, with wheat, soy, and tree nuts also included. Peanuts, tree nuts,fish, and shellfish commonly cause the most severe reactions. Nearly 5percent of children under the age of five years have food allergies. From1997 to 2007, the prevalence of reported food allergy increased 18 percentamong children under age 18 years. Although most children “outgrow” theirallergies, allergy to peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish may belifelong.

How Are Allergic Responses To Food Treated

Food allergies are best treated by determining what foods your child is allergic to and being careful to avoid them. Even if you are very careful, there is always a risk that they could eat a food that they are allergic to by mistake. If they are at risk of severe food allergy , you should work with their doctor to create a personal ASCIA action plan for anaphylaxis.

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How Do Allergies Happen

If a child with an allergy is exposed to that allergen, their immune system mistakenly believes it’s harming their body. It overreacts, treating the substance as an invader and trying to fight it off. To protect the body, the immune system makes antibodies called immunoglobulin E . These cause certain cells to release chemicals into the bloodstream to defend against the allergen “invader.”

It’s the release of these chemicals that causes allergic reactions. Reactions can affect the eyes, nose, throat, lungs, skin, and gastrointestinal tract. Future exposure to that same allergen will trigger this allergic response again.

Treatment For Food Allergy

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There is no medication to prevent food allergy. The goal of treatment is toavoid the foods that cause the symptoms. After seeing your child’s doctorand finding foods to which your child is allergic, it is very important toavoid these foods and other similar foods in that food group. If you arebreastfeeding your child, it is important to avoid foods in your diet towhich your child is allergic. Small amounts of the food allergen may betransmitted to your child through your breast milk and cause a reaction.

It is also important to give vitamins and minerals to your child if he orshe is unable to eat certain foods. Discuss this with your child’s doctor.

For children who have had a severe food reaction, your child’s health careprovider may prescribe an emergency kit that contains epinephrine, whichhelps stop the symptoms of severe reactions. Consult your child’s doctorfor further information.

Some children, under the direction of his or her health care provider, maybe given certain foods again after three to six months to see if he or shehas outgrown the allergy. Many allergies may be short-term in children andthe food may be tolerated after the age of 3 or 4.

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Oral Immunotherapy For Peanut Allergy

If your 4-17-year-old has a peanut allergy, a new treatment using peanut protein powder may offer additional protection. Palforzia is the only oral immunotherapy product currently approved by the FDA for treatment of peanut allergy. This type of treatment is called oral peanut immunotherapy. It slowly exposes an allergic child to peanuts so their immune system is less likely to react after an accidental ingestion of peanut product. That means if your child accidentally eats something containing peanuts, the treatment may protect them from a severe reaction. Even with this treatment, your child must continue to avoid peanuts and carry two epinephrine auto-injectors.

Its important to understand:

  • The treatment is not a cure your child will still be allergic to peanuts and must avoid them.
  • It will not enable your child to eat peanuts or peanut products anytime they wish.
  • It works only while your child is taking it on a daily basis.
  • Your child will need to continue to carry two epinephrine auto-injectors and you and your child will still need to read food labels.
  • Reactions can occur due to the treatment itself.

For children with peanut allergy and their parents, the benefits may be worth the drawbacks. Discuss peanut oral immunotherapy with your allergist if your child is interested.

What Is An Action Plan

An Action Plan is designed to help you mange an Allergic Reaction giving you step-by-step guidelines of recognising and treating an allergic reaction. ASCIA also have action plans to manage other allergic conditions such as Allergic Rhinitis, Eczema and Fpies. Your Action Plan should always be kept with your EpiPens®.

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What Are The Kinds Of Allergies

Common types of allergies include:

Airborne Allergies

  • insect sting allergy
  • medicines, such as antibiotics and some over-the-counter medicines
  • chemicals. Some cosmetics or laundry detergents can make people break out in hives. Usually, this is because someone has a reaction to the chemicals in these products. Dyes, household cleaners, and pesticides also can cause allergic reactions in some people.

What Are The Symptoms Of Food Allergy

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Allergic symptoms may begin within minutes to an hour after ingesting thefood. The following are the most common symptoms of food allergy. However,each child may experience symptoms differently. Symptoms may include:

  • Lowered blood pressure

According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, itdoes not take much of the food to cause a severe reaction in highlyallergic people. In fact, as little as 1/44,000 of a peanut kernel cancause an allergic reaction for severely allergic individuals.

The symptoms of food allergy may resemble other problems or medicalconditions. Always consult your child’s doctor for a diagnosis.

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Implementation Of Practical Strategies To Avoid Exposure To Medically Confirmed Allergens

Strategies should be put in place to reduce the risk of exposure to allergens. This is at the discretion of the centre.

This should include measures such as:

  • having a separate pantry shelf for low allergy ingredients
  • preparing low allergen meals first
  • eliminating particular ingredients as required
  • using clean/separate utensils and preparation surfaces
  • having separate margarine/spreads for wheat free children
  • having a separate toaster for wheat free/gluten free toast
  • communicating with parents that the centre is caring for or educating a child with an allergy and request that the food which triggers the reaction is not brought into the centre.

More detail about the importance of these strategies is provided on each web page for the specific allergens – please see links at right.

How Old Is Your Child

Most people’s asthma starts by age 6, says Fernando Martinez, MD, a pediatric pulmonologist who leads the University of Arizonaâs Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center.

âIt is rare you will develop asthma . Nothing is impossible, but itâs much more unlikely,â he says.

You can get allergies at any point in your life. But outdoor allergies tend to arrive between ages 4 and 6, McMorris says. Indoor allergies can start as early as age 3, but not always. For instance, âa child can take a while to develop allergies to a pet,â he says.

It may be time for an allergy test if the symptoms seem to be worse when your kid is at home and you have a furry pet.

Also, does your child have eczema? This itchy skin condition often goes hand in hand with allergies. And if your child has eczema and allergies, and they are younger than 6, âthereâs a high probabilityâ they will get asthma, Martinez says.

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What Are Food Allergies

A food allergy is when your bodys immune system reacts to a food that is normally harmless. When this happens, your immune system responds to this food as if it were dangerous and the result is known as an allergic reaction.

Food allergies affect around 1 in 10 one-year-old children in Australia. Some allergic reactions are mild, but some can be severe, and even lifethreatening. If the reaction affects your breathing or your heart, this is called anaphylaxis.

If a person is not breathing or is unresponsive they may be having an allergic reaction. Seek help straight away. Call triple zero and ask for an ambulance. If the person has an ASCIA Action Plan, follow this plan, including administering an adrenaline injector .

The most common food allergies in children are:

Remember that food allergies can be caused by anything that is eaten, including things that you might not think of as food, such as herbal medicines or spices.

Is There A Fever

What are the common symptoms of allergy in children?

Allergies can bring on sneezing, watery eyes, itchiness of the eyes, nose, and roof of the mouth, and sometimes a sore throat.

But âyou donât get fever with allergies,â even though they’re often called âhay fever,â says Marc McMorris, MD. He’s a pediatric allergist and immunologist with C.S. Mott Childrenâs Hospital.

âUsually, colds will come on gradually and you get runny nose, itchy eyes, and a low-grade fever .â

Recommended Reading: Can Allergies Cause Itchy Throat

Dealing With Allergic Reactions In Child Care

Food allergies are relatively common among children in child care programs. To keep everyone in the child care facility safe and healthy, child care providers must be informed about allergies and be prepared to deal with allergic reactions. Many allergic reactions are minor, but some reactions can be dangerous or even life-threatening, depending on the response of the individuals immune system. To avoid as many allergic reactions as possible, child care providers should prepare, plan, and know childrens history of allergic reactions.

Discuss The Fall And Its Implications

The reason we die is because of the fall in the Garden of Eden. Death was introduced when Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the serpent. But don’t end there! Ground their understanding of death in the good news of the Gospel. Jesus came to earth to redeem death for us, to give us life eternal with him. We can’t discuss death without discussing eternal life with our Savior too.

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Get Support And Dont Get Too Stressed

A recent study showed that the mothers of allergic child were at a very high risk of suffering stress and depression because they race around making life as normal as possible for their allergic child taking all the stress and worry on their back and not having anyone to talk to or help them do this.

You are not alone, there are other mums and dads out there trying to cope just like you. Dont let it get overwhelming. Find someone you can talk to, even if initially, its just online. Tell your doctor how hard youre finding it. Dont suffer in silence. One very active Facebook group which is American is No Nuts Moms. If you use Facebook its worth a look and search for other groups, but more importantly, find some real people who understand too.

Further reading:

Start Simple And Early

Helping Children Understand Allergies

For younger children, youll want to water down the information to make it as palatable as possible. They need to know that specific foods can simply make them sick and to avoid them. Pointing out these foods at the market, on television, or in books is a great way to create repetition and teach your child the names of these foods and what they look like. Its important they know the basics of their allergies from an early age so they know to only accept foods from trusted adults and what to do should a reaction occur.

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How Do You Teach Kids With Food Allergies

The easiest way to teach kids with food allergies is to let them know that some foods can make them sick. Heres how to explain allergies to a child:

  • Start with explaining NO foods that can make them sick
  • Explain to them what they are eating at each meal
  • Teach them to only take food from you or a trusted adult
  • Let them know its good to share BUT always ask an adult for permission first
  • While some of these tactics take time, its important to do them consistently. This is so they understand the routine and remember. Over time you will find that your child will repeat things back to you like no milk.

    I was shocked and relieved when I heard my son say to me I cant have cows milk. It seems like a simple statement, but when you are so worried for so long its a relief. To hear a three-year-old spew out such a complex and important statement will give you joy.

    Or maybe Im just an over-emotional food allergy mom, but either way, I was happy.

    Another way to explain food allergies in a more formal way is to set it up structured learning. Homeschool moms know all about printables and lesson plans. In 2020, a lot of not so homeschool moms learned how to do this for the first time too.

    Either way, getting worksheets and lesson plans that include pictures of food that are easy to understand and fun are a great way to teach your child about food allergies.

    How Do I Find Out If I Have Allergies

    If you sneeze and itch a lot, wheeze, or often get sick after eating a certain food, your doctor may want to check you for allergies. He or she will ask you a lot of questions about your health, about the animals and plants in your home, and about the foods you eat. Your answers will provide clues about what you might be allergic to, and your doctor may ask you to stay away from a pet or stop eating a certain food to see if your symptoms go away.

    Your doctor may send you to an allergist , a special doctor who helps people who have allergies. An allergist may give you a scratch test to see if a tiny bit of an allergen will cause a reaction on your skin. You’ll feel a quick pinch when the doctor makes the scratch or scratches. If you’re allergic, one or more spots will become bumpy, itchy, and red like a mosquito bite.

    Some doctors also might test a kid’s blood to look for IgE, a substance called an antibody that signals an allergic reaction. If you have large amounts of this antibody in your blood, you are probably allergic to the allergen.

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    What Is An Auto

    An auto-injector is a medical device used to treat anaphylaxis. In Australia, we currently have two types of auto-injectors called an EpiPen® and Anapen®.

    An EpiPen® contains a single, pre-measured dose of adrenaline and has been designed to be given by non-medical people such as parents, teachers, grandparents, older children, and the patient themselves (if they are well enough

    to do so.) Adrenaline works quickly to reverse the symptoms of anaphylaxis. Adrenaline is a short-acting drug and the effects can wear off quickly. A second dose can be given after five minutes if there has been no improvement.

    T. 0800 34 0800 or www.allergy.org.nz/anaphylaxis

    What Percentage Of Children In Childcare Settings Have A Food Allergy

    Food Allergies

    The CDC states that food allergies affect 8% of the children in the United States thats two students per classroom.

    This means that in every classroom, whether your child has food allergies or not, they will deal with someone who has food allergies. Sadly, not everyone understands the severity of food allergies. But, children learn fast.

    We have an opportunity to teach every child in that classroom how to be mindful of safe food handling procedures.

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    Allergies Are More And More Frequent And Severe In Children

    In France, the number of people suffering from an allergy has doubled in twenty years, according to associations.

    Without sparing the children.

    Even if it is complicated to compare surveys that do not always have the same subject of study – for example a single food or a single pollen – or the same population studied, several international and French studies have cause for alarm.

    The Elfe study, which follows 15,000 French children born in 2011, reveals that 6% of them have developed a food allergy, and among them, 20% have several allergies.

    Allergies are more and more frequent and severe in children, says Karine Adel-Patient.

    Asthma affects 4 million French people, a third of whom are children.

    Similarly, 6 to 8% of children suffer from food allergies compared to 2 to 4% of adults.

    A concern confirmed by Madeleine Epstein, allergist in Paris and vice-president of the union of allergists .

    Objectively, there are more and more allergic children.

    When I became an allergist in the 1980s, we hardly talked about food allergies.

    Moreover, it was with children that we discovered allergies to peanuts, milk… Today, the most common food allergic reactions in them concern peanuts, nuts, eggs. and milk.

    With a significant impact on their daily lives.

    Allergies are the leading cause of school absenteeism, points out Karine Adel-Patient.

    A child allergic to milk will not be able to participate in birthday parties.

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