Free or Discounted Food Allergy Education Kits for Schools- Help Keep Your Kids Safe!

-
If your child has severe food allergies, you know that even sending them to school can be stress-inducing on occasion. What if they mistakenly ingest something that they are allergic to, and you're not there to protect them? Cutting those apron-strings is difficult for any parent, but when your child has a potentially life-threatening health condition that can come on so suddenly, it's even harder.

You've done all you can to educate your child about their food allergies and have taught them to advocate for themselves (Son #1 states on a regular basis, "I can eat pistachios, but I don't eat peanuts because they will make me sick!").

But how can you be sure that your child's teachers and school nurses know to take food allergies seriously, can recognize the early stages of a food allergy reaction, and know how to provide quick, effective treatment?

This is your opportunity! The Food Allergy Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) has available a limited number of excellent food allergy education programs designed especially for schools. FAAN's School Food Allergy Program (SFAP) is a comprehensive, multimedia program that includes a video, EpiPen® trainer, poster, and binder filled with more than 100 pages of information and standardized forms.

It is available free of charge to schools in Illinois and Ohio, and for a nominal charge of $75 to schools in other states.

Ask your school nurse to request the education program via the FAAN site: http://www.foodallergy.org/school/sfap.html (or click the title of this post)

Additionally, consider asking your child's allergist if he/she would be interested in giving an educational presentation on food allergies at an upcoming PTA meeting. Most physicians would be happy to take an hour or two of their time to educate the community and potentially promote their practice at the same time!

Comments

Post a Comment

Thanks for taking the time to comment on this blog's posts! Let's keep the discussion engaging and free of frivolous advertising or vulgarity. It's a family show, folks!

Popular posts from this blog

The Grotesquely Swollen Apple of My Eye- What to do When Bugs Attack Your Child's Face

-
Image
Son #2 woke up this morning looking like a streetfighter! Dramatic swelling of the eye(s) such as this can occur for a variety of reasons: 1. Allergic reaction to ingested food or drug (generally affects both eyes) 2. Direct contact with environmental allergen or food allergen (can affect one or both eyes) 3. Hereditary or acquired angioedema (can affect one or both eyes) 4. Injury (usually affects one eye) 5. Low protein levels (generally affects both eyes) 6. Infection (generally affects one eye) 7. Insect bite (can affect one or both eyes) In this case, my little one endured a mosquito bite at the outer corner of his left eye yesterday afternoon.  It was mildly swollen at the time, and became progressively worse as the night wore on. Does this mean he has a mosquito allergy? Actually, no more than anyone else.  Certain areas of skin, such as around the eyes and on the lips, are more loosely attached to underlying tissues and muscles than skin elsewhere on the b...
Read more

Keratosis Pilaris - Or, Why My Kid Looks Like a Plucked Chicken

-
Image
The skin is the body's largest organ. The condition of the skin is, in many ways, a window into our internal health. Therefore, it is only natural that people become immediately concerned by rashes. We often neglect our own elevated blood pressure, achey joints, or other ailments. The onset of a new rash, on the other hand, can quickly lead to a call to the doctor. Interestingly, there is one rash I see in my practice which rarely causes alarm among patients and parents. In fact, it is common for a parent to state, "Oh, that? His sister has that too. In fact, so do I!" Keratosis Pilaris is a common, heritable disorder which results in small bumps consisting of accumulated skin cells and keratin at the sites of hair follicles. It is especially common in people who have a history of allergies. Although it can be mildly itchy, the rash generally does not cause discomfort. Commonly described as "gooseflesh", keratosis pilaris can be a concern cosmetically, lea...
Read more

Why Drug Allergies Matter (Or Why Penicillin Allergy is Responsible for My Son's Lopsided Neck)

-
Image
My 6 year son old just got over a rite of passage - strep throat and scarlet fever. Unfortunately, before we could even celebrate his recovery, I noticed a swelling on the left side of his neck. It was red and tender, and it was GROWING. The pediatrician in me worried, "Damn. Lymphadenitis (infected lymph node)". No sooner had we finished one course of antibiotics than we were onto another, and the side effects were bad enough to keep him out of school for another three days. Why did my munchkin suffer so? My answer: Drug allergy. Group A streptococcal bacteria (the cause of strep throat and scarlet fever) is remarkably sensitive to penicillin. Penicillin is the first choice treatment for strep throat, and has been proven to reduce the risk of developing rheumatic fever, a post-infectious complication which can result in chronic heart disease. Problem is, my son is allergic to antibiotics in the penicillin family. At 11 months of age (8 days into his second ever co...
Read more