Children With Allergies on the Rise

Parents with children who have life threatening allergies are always on the alert. Communication between schools and parents as to the types of allergies their child has can help to save a life. 

Allergies are on the rise according to a recent study in the Journal Pediatrics. It found that 8 percent of children under the age of 18 or six million in total suffer from food allergies.

Theories abound on why this increase in allergy sufferers is taking place. David Pritchard, an immunologist, developed The Hygiene Hypothesis which points to our cleaner and higher standard of living styles as being the possible culprit. Our bodies haven’t adapted to the change of living conditions so different from what primitive man experienced and are still trying to fight challenges that don’t exist anymore.

Dirt may even be good for you. “Children raised in an ultraclean environment,” Dr. Joel Weinstock Director of gastroenterology and hematology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston stated, “are not being exposed to organisms that help them develop appropriate immune regulatory circuits.”

Schools and communities have to react and peanut-free tables located in school cafeterias are the new norm. At the , school staff communicates openly with its students and families about allergy issues students may have in their classrooms.

Letters are sent home to families letting them know what food is permitted in the classrooms, recognizing potential allergy trigger foods for students. Teachers look at foods during snack times identifying any potential threats and will remove items if necessary. Birthday parties can still be celebrated within the classroom but food is discouraged unless it's peanut free. Open houses which host bake sales clearly mark the foods with gluten or peanut free labels helping allergy sufferers to quickly identify safe foods to eat.

School families are thankful for this increased awareness and communication, which could potentially avert disaster for life threatening allergy sufferers.

"As a mom, I have found that every child I have come into contact with that has a food allergy, is very clear and knowledgeable about what type of food they can and cannot have... whether at school, at sports events, at the play ground or in own home. And I truly believe, parents are very understanding and aware of this issue and with my experience, have collaboratively been working with the school to assure every child's well being on the issue, fairly and appropriately," states Lindsay Felix, Parent Representative on the Batchelder School Council.