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Home › Articles › Health Issues › Fatal Food

Fatal Food

When Your Child Has A Peanut Allergy

By Donna Stone

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Managing the Allergy
"The changes we have had to make to live with this allergy affect every aspect of our lives," says Chris, Erica's father. "Things we took for granted became a lot of work." Finding accommodating childcare or playgroup settings and explaining to family and friends is a daunting task. "We had to diligently watch other parents and children to be sure they did not give her anything to eat; we had to explain over and over about the allergy." Sometimes others find it difficult to grasp the concept that a small amount of a peanut-containing product could cause any harm. "We do not get to enjoy social gatherings in the same manner as we used to. We quickly noticed how most celebrations and parties include food, because we now have to be very aware of our daughter's environment."

Management of peanut allergy may change in the future. "New treatments are being investigated, but none are available now," says Dr. Wood. He feels that there are indication treatments which may be available in as little as five to 10 years. However, for the present time, those with this allergy must carry an Epi-Pen, a pre-measured dose of auto injectable adrenaline, in case an allergic reaction occurs. Dr. Wood stresses that parents should always be prepared for an emergency. For highly allergic individuals, "Death or brain damage from an anaphylactic reaction to peanuts is a real risk," says Dr. Wood.

Chris and his wife, Patti, became frustrated with the constant struggle to keep their daughter safe. "Imagine knowing that you could lose your daughter every time she eats; imagine the stress a person new to the allergy has and the fear they experience because they realize they do not even know how to find safe food. One of the problems in dealing with this allergy was a lack of knowledge of how to live with it and a lack of knowledge about the allergy in society."

Chris and Patti founded a support organization, PeanutAllergy.com

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