Most parents of a child with food allergies find that they have to rely on the teachers and other school staff to help prevent their child from coming into contact with any allergens that could cause a reaction. The key, then, is trusting that they are trained to care fore your child right and keep him well when he's out of your sight.
Work as a Team
The experts say that the best way to keep child food allergies from getting in your youngster's way is to reach out to all of the staff at the school to educate them about this serious condition and ensure everyone is working together as a team to protect your child's best interest.
To get a better understanding of how some schools are preventing child food allergies on their watch, you may be interested in the results of a national poll on children's health that was conducted by the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital and released in the spring of 2009.
- Researchers surveyed parents and found that three-quarters of them who sent their children to school or daycare with a child who suffers from serious food allergies are aware that the staff makes special accommodations as a result.
- Further, about half of the parents didn't mind the inconvenience, especially since a child's life could otherwise be at stake.
Respondents to the child health survey also reported on how their school manages the problem. Please review the common responses below to get an idea of how schools are making a difference in preventing child food allergy responses.
- Approximately half of parents said their elementary school has a ban on bringing in foods or treats from home.
- About half of the parents also said that their school holds special trainings for staff about how to safely manage food allergies.
- In addition, some schools post food allergy plans.
- Further, others provide separate areas for allergic children to eat away from their peers.
- Finally, some schools even give special classroom assignments to allergic students to ensure they don't come into contact with any possible allergens.
What You Should Do
Does your school make similar efforts to those listed above to accommodate your child's special needs? If not, the experts say that you should talk to the principle and other decision makers to request the school take these types of effective actions, since they could in fact help your child avoid having a serious reaction.
Sources:
http://www.foodallergysmart.org/
The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network
http://foodallergy.org/page/going-to-school-and-camp-with-a-food-allergy
University of Michigan Health System
http://www2.med.umich.edu/prmc/media/newsroom/details.cfm?ID=1145
