Adventures of an Allergist Mommy

Excellent Article from the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology- reposted with permission. Summer Means Barbecues, Picnics – and Food Allergies Ants, bees and rain aren’t the only things that can put a damper on a picnic or barbecue. For more than 12 million Americans food allergies can ruin the fun too, by causing problems ranging from the mild (itchy bumps and stomach aches) to the severe and life-threatening (swelling of the throat and difficulty breathing). Be food allergy savvy at your next picnic, whether you are planning the event or have food allergies yourself. The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology offers the following tips for keeping food allergies off the menu: Consider condiment packs – Instead of large containers of condiments, use individual-sized packets of ketchup, mustard, relish and mayonnaise. These condiment packs will prevent cross contamination that can occur when sharing large containers. Pack foods se...

Thanks to the Mothers of Children Having Allergies (MOCHA) group for the following update! Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), in conjunction with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH), has released the Guidelines for Managing Life-Threatening Food Allergies in Illinois Schools. According to State Law, each local school board is required to have a policy based on these guidelines in place by Januray 2011- a sample policy based on these guidelines will be made available to all school districts in August. With any luck, the school boards will simply adopt the recommended sample policy- this is the expectation. The guidelines and associated forms are available online at: http://www.isbe.net/nutrition/htmls/food_allergy_guidelines.htm The sample policy will be available to member school districts and to any non-member school district that requests a copy. Even if you don't live in Illinois, this can be an excellent starting point as your food-allergic child p...

Macrolide antibiotics (such as azithromycin) are popular choices when treating acute ear infections in children due to a short (5 day) course of treatment, once-daily dosing, and low incidence of gastrointestinal side effects. However, macrolide antibiotics, while generally effective against the most common pathogens in acute ear infections in children (streptococcus pneumoniae, haemophilus influenzae, and moraxella catarrhalis), are quickly losing effectiveness as resistant strains of bacteria increase. A 2007 study by the CDC demonstrated a 22.7% rate of macrolide resistance among strep. pneumoniae isolates (the most common cause of ear infections). 2004 recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians advised against the use of macrolides for acute ear infections unless a patient has an immediate-type allergic reaction to penicillin. However, the rate of macrolide prescription continues to dwarf the documented rate of immediate-...