Peanut allergy question?

That’s a tough one, @chyna. Can you really be so allergic that second hand contact with someone whose eaten peanut butter would cause a life threatening reaction? In your story about the child, did the dog lick the child in the face?

Put the kid in a bubble, or let him/her to be homeschooled. or Have lots of Epipen’s handy. You can’t control the whole peanut butter in the whole country… Maybe certain types of peanut butter are acceptable. What about Hazel nuts could people switch from peanut butter to hazelnut spread like Nuttela?

That is rough. I do agree that the allergy can be that bad. But in this case if I was the parent I wouldn’t even risk sending the kid to school. There is absolutely no way to guarantee the child’s safety.

I found this.
and this. I hope they help.

The main point I got from the first link is: 5. Can someone allergic to eating peanuts also have a reaction by touching or smelling peanuts?
A study from Mt. Sinai Medical Center in 2003 specifically examined those questions. Thirty children with severe peanut allergies were exposed to both skin contact and the smell of peanut butter. The study reached the following conclusions:
• A rash may occur where the skin is touched by peanut butter but a dangerous reaction will not result unless the peanut butter enters the mouth, nose, or eyes.
• The rash will get better when washed with soap and water, and when Benadryl® is given.
• Just smelling peanut butter will not cause an allergic reaction because there is no peanut protein
in an odor.

@bkcunningham According to the parent with the allergic child, the kid just petted the dog, did not get licked. I’m inclined to believe that the parent is exagerating the extent of the contact with peanuts just to over emphasize the reactions.
The child was pulled out of a smaller grade school because all the parents and children would not abide by her requests. If she thinks a bigger school will abide, she is delusional.

It is one of those things that makes you think. I would fight for my child’s rights to a proper education and to be treated fairly, but the other children also have rights. I like the part of the second link I provided where it discusses having a proper plan in place at a school for emergencies and to have an open dialog with the school nurse and arrange for a plan of action. If everyone is level headed and really tries to keep what is beneficial to ALL the children in mind, they should be able to work something out.

If it was a child in a class with my granddaughter, I would like to think that we would be helpful. Well, honestly, she doesn’t like peanut butter anyway so it wouldn’t be hard to be accommodating to the child. I bet most parents would be helpful if they were talked to about the situation.

I hope the poor child outgrows the allergy.

If it were my child, I’d just homeschool him. That mom shouldn’t expect the parents of every other child in that school to be uber-vigilant about their own children and peanut residue, just because her kid is allergic. It’s not their responsibility. If my kid attended that school, I’d be angry too.

I have a friend with a son who has several severe allergies. He almost died from the vapors of spilled boiling milk in another room as it circulated through the house. Crazy stuff. Her pediatrician told her he absolutely cannot go to public school with his allergies because the constant monitoring he requires, especially at a younger age, cant possibly happen in that type of environment. She essentially has no choice but to homeschool him. She’s a very intelligent woman and stay at home mom, so she can make this work somehow (she has a baby and a 3 year old), but what about pants who need to work?

My friend even tried a special school geared toward serving children with these sort of needs, but she pulled him out after she saw them giving out peanut butter ritz bits for snack! How f’ing stupid could they be? They we breaking their own rules! It’s hard to trust you’re kid with anyone. :(

I personally think it is insane for the school system to try to control the behavior of all of the children when they are on their own time and property.

A child whose allergy is that serious should not be in school.

I have really mixed emotions about stuff like this. On the one hand, it’s not so hard to just cut out peanut butter at (or before) school, for the sake of a child’s life. I would absolutely do it, if a child at my child’s school was at risk. It’s not a terrible sacrifice to make, you know?

On the other, it does seem unreasonable to expect 500 families to alter their ways for the sake of one child. There has to be a more efficient solution, but I don’t know what it is.

Very similar Q here that might interest you.

Even if the school asks all students to clean up well after eating peanuts, they can’t make a student, or a parent of a student, responsible if the child winds up dead (God forbid) because some 5 year old didn’t wash up thoroughly. No matter what there is risk obviously. I can’t see having the whole school abide by it, but I do think asking the class to be vigilant is ok, as long as all the parents agree. If another child usually takes PB&J for lunch, it possibly is a pretty big imposition on the other parent and student.

I have nut allergies. It sucks. Luckily I have about 20–30 minutes to take Benadryl and I’ll be fine, otherwise my throat starts closing and I start vomiting. I’ve been to the hospital for severe reactions more times than I can remember honestly. (nuts find their way into so much random stuff.) I am incredibly lucky that I’m not highly highly allergic or I would probably be dead by now in all honesty. If I were the parents of this child I don’t know that I’d feel safe with him going to a public school like that until he was at least older. Accidents happen.

On a side note when someone is eating a peanut butter sandwich around me the smell bothers me A LOT. I don’t have a reaction per say but the smell makes me lightheaded and nauseated until I get fresh air.

I just met my son’s kindergarten teacher (he starts on Tuesday!)

My third sentence to the woman was to ask if any of the patents had reported serious food allergies, so I could be sure not to pack any dangerous food in his lunches. Kids share food, you know?

It’s really not that damned hard.

The school isn’t asking much. Wash your kids’ faces. Send them to school in clean clothes. What’s the big deal? Anyway, I’d be more concerned for the school. The first time that kid sneaks a Mr. Goodbar from another student after Halloween, someone is getting sued.

One of the main foods my daughter eats is peanut butter. She loves it. She eats a bagel with peanut butter for breakfast and I send a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to school with her every day. I would be very upset if I had to go to the extreme to make sure there wasn’t a drop of peanut butter on her every day. She’s 9. It’s going to happen. Oops, the bagel drops on your pants and the bus is going to be here in 5 minutes and no other pants are clean. Let’s be real here.

I would also be very upset if I had to change what I sent to school with my daughter because one or two people have a problem with it. Peanut butter doesn’t spoil as quickly as meat does and it’s also very inexpensive. It’s a staple for the working poor. It’s also the easiest food to send to school for lunch.

If my child had an allergy that severe I would home school.

I’m curious. What does this child do in public places? Anyone could have peanut residue on them. The child standing next to him/her in line at the movie theater, or the carnival, or the grocery store, or at the library.