Mom Demands School Go Peanut-Free For Allergic Child

[haele]

224. Tree nuts and peanuts are not the same. Peanuts are in the legume family.

Most kids with a peanut allergy do not have the same allergic reaction to tree nuts (if they have an allergy to tree nuts at all), and vice versa. And peanut allergies are triggered differently in people; some are allergic to the oil, some are allergic to the legume component, or a trace mineral within the peanut.

Because food products containing peanuts and food products containing tree nuts are often processed in the same location, many people suffering from peanuts think they are also allergic to tree nuts due to cross-contamination in the processing area.

Like my mother, I'm allergic to shellfish, but for a while, thought I was allergic to seafood in general because of cross contamination at resturants where I was exposed to it. (She never got over the cross-contamination issue and doesn't like any fish other than tuna fish, for some reason.)

That being said, if a kid is that allergic, they don't need to be around other kids - who might unthinkingly bring in a butterfinger candy bar or left-over pad thai or chicken fried in peanut oil as part of lunch and set off a fatal reaction. It's not just banning candy bars, peanut-butter cookies or a PB&J sandwich - there's a wide range of products where it isn't obvious there is some form of peanut (either oil or the nut itself) associated with it.

It's sad that the child can't participate with the other children, but if the allergy is that bad, there isn't a way to force the entire town to go entirely peanut free in their own homes and workplaces - pretty much the only way one can ensure that that kid isn't inadvertantly exposed if they're in a place they can't carry their epi-pen and/or an inhailer on them at all times.

If my kid was that allergic, I'd either homeschool or find one of those "self-paced" charter schools where the schedule is only a few hours classroom a week, class size is very limited and class area can be completely controlled for my child's allergy. Perhaps get together with other parents with children who have that allergy?

Haele