Don’t Let Peanut Allergies Stop the Fun

According to FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education), researchers estimate that 15 million Americans have food allergies and one in every 13 children is affected. Milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish are eight foods that account for 90 percent of allergic reactions.

Peanut allergies are on the rise, especially in children. They can result in difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, or fatal reactions. Peanut butter and peanut oil aren’t the only foods to avoid. Many ethnic foods, such as Chinese, Mexican, Thai, and Vietnamese contain traces of peanuts. Candy, especially chocolate, some cereals, granola, some veggie burgers, and many health food bars also contain peanuts. Caregivers and parents should be cautious since there is no proven way to prevent the allergy, just blood and skin tests to detect it.

Peanut allergies are typically diagnosed within the first two years, though they can develop at any age. The symptoms may include, but are not limited to, tingling of the mouth, hives, swelling of the tongue or throat, abdominal cramps, or vomiting and diarrhea. Anaphylaxis is the most serious. When this occurs, blood pressure drops quickly and the individual loses consciousness.

To help avoid allergic reactions, caregivers and parents should monitor children’s food closely. Be sure to carefully read food labels and teach children not to eat other’s cooking if the ingredients are unknown. Packing snacks and lunches for school may also help reduce the chances of children coming in contact with peanut stricken foods. In severe allergic cases, parents, caregiver, and teachers should be fully educated on how to administer an EpiPen. An EpiPen is a shot of epinephrine which reverses anaphylactic shock and helps control serious reactions.

Parents and caregivers should develop, and keep, a written plan with recommendations from their child’s health care provider that helps others recognize the symptoms of an allergic reaction, how to administer treatment, and who to contact in case of emergency. All allergies, including peanut, can be 100 percent controlled with monitored observation and attention.

Idea from: March of Dimes- Peanut Allergies

Who Speaks? Autism Speaks.

Just as their young child is beginning to walk and function by themselves, one of the most trying experiences for a parent is to be told is that their child may be on the autism spectrum.  Unfortunately, more parents are hearing those harsh words.  One in every 88 children in the US is diagnosed as being on the spectrum for autism. What does being on the spectrum mean? Autism Speaks defines it as, “having exceptional abilities in visual skills, music and academic skills. About 40 percent have intellectual disability (IQ less than 70), and many have normal to above average intelligence. Indeed, many persons on the spectrum take deserved pride in their distinctive abilities and “atypical” ways of viewing the world. Others with autism have significant disability and are unable to live independently. About 25 percent of individuals with ASD are nonverbal but can learn to communicate using other means.”

Autism affects more children in the US than Diabetes, AIDS, Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular Dystrophy, and Down Syndrome combined.

            Autism can be diagnosed as early as 18-24 months. Once a child is diagnosed, many parents must realize that their child may have to go to extreme measures to live a somewhat normal life compared to other children. This is modeled in a new book by autistic teen, Trevor Pacelli, titled Growing Up Autistic: 100 Lessons To Understand How Autistic People See Life. In his book, Pacelli explains what it is like growing up autistic, being diagnosed at 5 years old, and how people can better understand what goes on inside the mind of a person on the spectrum. Within the book, Pacelli shares 10 things people should know about autistic children and teens and how they think: 

1.      They get either A’s or F’s
2.      Nobody on earth thinks like them.
3.      Time alone vs. time with others
4.      Some actually prefer to be alone
5.      Balance solo activities with parental interaction
6.      They also want to go out
7.      They need to vent their problems
8.      Getting out of the home helps with social skills
9.      Everyone needs to be socially active
10.  Some can have mood swings

While many parents and caregivers may not understand how the autistic brain functions, the fact that autism affects hundreds of thousands of children in this country is reason enough why we need to be educated. Understanding how this abnormal brain functions, is the first step in finding a cure so that it can function normally. Listen to how autism speaks.

http://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/faq

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/23/growing-up-autistic-teen-_n_2005778.html?utm_hp_ref=parents&ir=Parents