Nut allergies

[lesliepear]

At Alan's open house last night, I asked if there were any nut allergies. I'd asked when I'd enrolled him, but figured it was good to check again. I know that sometimes they are so severe that just someone eating a peanut butter sandwhich nearby can trigger an attack.

Turns out one of his classmates is allergic to any nut other than peanuts (he'd outgrown other allergies he had). And there is a child starting in October with allergies. Hopefully the director will let people know if this is an issue for the other children.

Any ideas for a nut allergy safe stuff I could bring for Alan's birthday in October (planning ahead)?

Comments

[jfk81.livejournal.com]

My son Aaron is deathly allergic to nuts. One thing you should know that peanuts are not actually nuts. They are legumes. This is why there is a difference between say walnuts or pecans and peanuts.

There are certainly serious complications to peanuts for those that are allergic to them.

Typically people that are allergic to nuts go into anaphylactic shock (http://my.webmd.com/content/pages/10/1625_50511.htm). This can be extremely dangerous and deadly if not treated immediately.

As far as snacks that can be safely sent, you need to be very careful to read labeling. Many products are made in locations where they share the same equipment with products that include nuts.

To be honest, Aaron was always instructed never to have snacks from school and we always sent his own. You just never know what another person puts into a snack. Aaron's first and almost deadly experience came from a chocolate chip cookie that he ate not knowing it had pecans in it.

Snacks that are good for him but might not be for others... Crackers, oreos, pudding, popsicles, fruit snacks. Again, check the labeling for specifics.

Aaron is also allergic to soybeans and eggs which further complicates his story. Fortunately peanuts are not on his list and peanut butter is a main staple in his diet.

I'd be willing to respond to anything else. Tried to make this short and pertinent. :-)

[lesliepear.livejournal.com]

Aaron sounds like Alan's current classmate with a nut allergy but not peanuts. Alan doesn't eat much peanut butter so I've never sent it to school anyway (maybe once).

Fruit snacks sound like a good goody bag thing. I'll see about a cake or maybe cupcakes depending on the new child's allergies.

[mwana-isimu.livejournal.com]

At the time of Paul's birthday, there was one child in his class with a peanut allergy and two with dairy/egg allergies. I bought vegan snickerdoodles from the health food store and cut them up into smaller pieces for the kids. (These cookies were HUGE.) Apparently, they all liked them. I don't know how to bake vegan stuff.

[krasota.livejournal.com]

wandered over here from your comment in stitchinthyme's journal. I just made pumpkin cookies. The recipe is linked in a recent journal entry. They're soy-free (with palm shortening), egg-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free. I did use pecans, but they are easily omitted. If you cook, be prepared for the child to *not* be able to have the cookies. That said, you could call the child's parent and ask what their comfort zone is. Perhaps the child's parent would be fine if you, say, bought new ingredients and cooked from all fresh packages and use parchment paper on your baking sheets.

many children with PA also have to avoid tree nuts due to cross-contamination in packaging plants.

That said, if you made these (nut-free), the child could be in the same room and not react to residue or have an inhalation reaction. And that is a plus. I do know, though, that parents of peanut allergic children really appreciate folks who go out of their way to help, even if they're not comfortable letting their child actually eat the food. It's the thought that counts.

You might check out http://www.peanutallergy.com/ (forums/bulletin board) for info about safe brands of pre-packaged treats.