Parents of a child with an allergy to peanuts may be tempted to enroll the youngster in a peanut-free school. Before doing so, it’s a smart idea to find out what an allergy doctor in Elizabethtown KY, thinks of this strategy. It can help keep the child safe at school, but the downside involves not learning to be vigilant about avoiding peanuts. Out in the “real world,” the risk of contact with peanuts is pervasive, and children with these allergies must safely deal with that situation.
Unfortunately, at this point, no research has determined whether one strategy is safer than the other.
A study conducted by the University of Michigan found that nearly half the parents of kids with nut allergies prefer there to be no restrictions on foods in the school lunchroom. Around 30 percent of these parents thought eating in a designated nut-free location of the lunchroom would be sufficient, and only about 20 percent wanted foods containing nuts to be prohibited from the school. Other parents may find these results interesting, but they still should obtain an expert opinion from an Allergy Doctor in Elizabethtown KY, before making a decision about what type of school in which to enroll the child.
Even if peanuts are not entirely banned from a school, some restrictions can be advisable. For instance, children might be allowed to bring lunch and snack items from home that contain peanuts or peanut butter, but the school would not provide these items in the lunchroom or as snacks in school rooms. The school also would not offer these foods at special events or parties.
A doctor with a facility such as Accredited Asthma Allergy & Food Intolerance Center will want to determine how severe the child’s allergy is. Children with severe peanut allergies cannot consume even a tiny bit of the substance without risking a life-threatening reaction. Research shows that touching peanuts or peanut butter can cause a rash, but does not cause the breathing difficulty associated with serious reactions. Inhaling the aroma also does not cause severe symptoms. The good news is that about 20 percent of children diagnosed with a peanut allergy eventually outgrow it.
