Going Nutty over Peanut Bans

[ldmrmom]

There is a certain chill in the air again.  School's back in session. Lunch boxes are being packed...and with it, the debate over whether or not the kiddie stable "PB and J" ought to be permitted in schools.

Let me make a few important disclosures up front.

1. I have a child who is highly allergic to peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish

2. That child attends public school.

3. I do not support the notion of school wide peanut / tree nut bans.

4. I am an allergic parent who has taken the time to fully educate myself on my child's health needs. I am not a medical professional.

But before we get to all that, I think it's important to clear up some specific misconceptions that have been floating around here every time the topic of "PBJ" and schools comes up. For example, there's a whole lot of it right now in the Q&A section of this site that should be corrected. Let's start here:

1. Public Schools are NOT legally required to allow your child to eat peanut butter. There is no law binding your school to providing children "freedom of meal choice." There *IS* a FEDERAL LAW that requires public schools to make any and all reasonable accommodations for an allergic child. Food allergies are covered under Section 504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act and as such, schools must provide reasonable accommodations to keep those students safe. *IF* the school nurse and principal determine that's a peanut/tree nut ban, well they can enforce such a thing. You can find more information here: http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=9⊂=19&cont=255  as well as a slew of other allergy and Federal web sites.

2. Again according to Section 504, my allergic child is entitled to the same 'free' education yours is even if she's got severe food allergies. That said, the reality is my child is never going to look like the Bubble Boy on Seinfled. She's an active 5 year old who attends school, Girl Scouts, church groups, gymnastics, movie theatres, etc. She does not need to be home-schooled just so someone else doesn't have to worry about whether or not they can eat peanut butter for lunch. We'll get back to that later though. It's enough now to say "well then home-school if it's that dangerous" is not a solution. My child, and allergic children all over the place, will be functional adults some day and need to learn how to function in a society where some people seem to think compassion and consideration is too much of a tall order. In addition, legally the school HAS to provide a free, public education to allergic children and, as noted above, make any and all reasonable accommodations to ensure they can do so safely.

3. Sharing food is an issue, but frankly, its my personal experience that the vast majority of allergic children will learn quickly it's not an option for them. My now 5-yr old daughter was diagnosed with her allergies at 2 years old. We worked with her from day one to be her own advocate and to be proactive in keeping herself safe. She can read food labels. She can tell you what she can and can not eat. She can keep any adult, in any environment, at any time, on their toes. "Did you check the label? Did you ask my mom?" She's also very well aware, as a kindergartner, that no matter how awesome Johnny's snack looks the only snack she can be sure is SAFE is the one we sent in for her and therefore the only one she'll eat is the one she brought. A child that reacts to something is typically pretty good at doing what ever it takes NOT to react to it again. This doesn't mean adults shouldn't take precautions. It means "food sharing" isn't reason enough to deny someone a public education.

4. While some will disagree with this, it is worth noting that  most experts do not believe that simply being "near" an allergen will trigger a reaction. There needs to be some contact with the specific proteins to trigger a reaction. Simply smelling peanut butter does not create an transfer of allergy proteins to the allergic person. (According to these studies, a person who has had a severe reaction before could, in theory, have a panic attack that feels like an anaphylactic shock reaction setting in.) Also, heating foods with the allergens in them can release the aforementioned proteins into the air which can, in turn, trigger a reaction. Shelling nuts can release the proteins into the air via dust and trigger a reaction. Trace levels of peanut butter smeared on a surface or transferred from messy hand to allergic person CAN trigger a reaction. Skin contact will typically yield a skin reaction. However, if my daughter, for example, were to have trace levels of peanut butter on her arm and then wipe her nose or eyes with that same arm...she could have a much more severe reaction than some hives as that smear of PB is now crossing a mucous membrane . A good book to help explain all this more is The Peanut Answer Book by Dr. Michael Young who teaches at Harvard Medical School and works at Children's Hospital in Boston.

5. Speaking of which, contrary to what some believe, food allergy reactions are rarely "just hives." Food allergy reactions can be anything from something resembling hay-fever to death. My daughter's previous reactions have involved itching in and around her mouth, hives and profuse, repeated vomiting. Allow me to snark a moment - if you don't think your child needs to be careful with their beloved PB and J don't get freaked my kid accidentally pukes on or near her. Just saying.

All allergic people (even those classified as "mild" allergies) are at risk for severe anaphylatic shock. This means difficulty with breathing that may escalate fully  to closed airways. It also means dangerous drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness and/or loss of life. Seriously, so very much not "just hives."

So, now we're back to my third disclosure from the top of this long entry. I, as an allergic parent, do not support school wide bans on peanuts and/or tree nuts. I DO support bans of such products (as well as any allergen present in the class) in the classroom. I do insist on hand-washing after eating (and preferably face washing!) I do insist that my child have a space to eat where peanut butter was not previously smeared on the table. This might be a peanut free table or a policy that requires thorough cleaning between lunch hours.

Why do I not support the ban?

1. First and foremost, it's not realistic and it can create a false sense of security that makes people too lazy to keep my child safe. The reality is it's too easy for someone to assume it's safe for the allergic child to eat whatever comes in to school on party days or to share food or to sit next to Johnny if the school is peanut free. That does not mean those of you who are so offended at being asked to wait a few hours to feed your kid his stable food won't smugly send it in anyway. It doesn't mean you're careful with "may contain labels" which bear a 1 in 10 risk of containing enough allergen to trigger a reaction in an allergic person.  The reality is a 'peanut free" school can not be assumed safer for my peanut allergic child than the regular old non-ban school is. Yet too many will think it does. I need staff on their toes and vigilant. Bans don't help me with that.

2. Nut-bans are short-sighted. The FDA requires clear allergy warning labels for 8 specific types of food for a reason. 90% of food allergies are due to 8 specific foods or food groups. They are peanuts, tree nuts, milk, soy, egg, shellfish, fin fish, and wheat.  The peanut-ban for my child does nothing to accommodate the child with the life threatening milk allergy.  Trust me, I know the argument "peanuts are more deadly...blah blah..." not true. ANY food allergy can trigger anaphylactic shock. ANY food allergy can require life with an EpiPen at your side. It *is* true that more than half (specifically 63%) of all cases of anaphylactic shock treated were due to peanuts and tree nuts. That, however, does NOT mean severe and even life threatening reactions can't come from the other allergens as well.

3. My child goes to school, in part, to be prepared for the real world. Not only is she there to learn reading, writing, math, etc.  She's also there to learn time managment, functioning in a group setting, doing things she may not love (like me and math!) AND managing her specific health needs in an envrironment that is not the bubble our home is. She needs to know how to handle herself in a setting where her allergens may exist. As I said, she's in many activities. We go to parks. We go to movies, vacations, museums, etc. Those are not nut free. Why should school have to be? I raise my child to be her own advocate. To be confident and articulate enough to let people know what she needs to be safe. I don't expect the world to bend over backwards to do it for her. I do no her no good to create a bubble.

You know what? My allergic child also eats out at restaurants as do many allergic kids. How can I live a 'normal' life like that and expect school to ban her allergens?

4. I need YOU on my side and ticking you off because you seem to think your picky eater won't survive without PB&J isn't helping me achieve that. Let me clarify something here. I get it. I *have* a picky eater. My 7 yr old would eat nothing but if he could. However, he can't and you know what, he found new things to eat. Trust me, this is the kid that went a month happily skipping meals if it wasn't one of two 'acceptable foods.' He got over it. He does get his PB from time to time. He also knows how to wash well and not contaminate his sister. He does NOT get PB at home. He does not have it daily even though pre-diagnosis he did. He survives. That said, I'm not willing to create a hostile environment where you're willing to purposely put my child at risk to prove a point. I need you on her side. If a compromise can do that - well so be it.

For some reason something as simple as Jiffy manages to turn off common sense and turn up the volume on emotion. Folks, this isn't rocket science. The Declaration did not declare us endowed with certain unalienable rights such as "life, liberty and a peanut butter sandwich." Nor does any law on the books decree fear be a factor in school policy.

Common sense, folks. Common sense.

[deadheadjen]

Sep. 17, 2009 at 1:13 PM

**standing ovation**

I know I said this on one of the Q&A's, but I agree 100%. The issue is not peanuts, it's food allergies. And I am SO sick of hearing the whole "peanuts are worse" argument. It's not. It's more common. There's a huge difference. Realistically you can not ban the Top 8. I feel the only solution is to offer alternative seating for allergic children.

Obviously this is an issue I feel very strongly about and is fraught with emotion for me. I have so much more to say on the responses of mothers who are more concerned about being able to bring in cupcakes for little Johnny's birthday than the life of another child, but I'm going to refrain. I don't think I could be nice.

[LibbyLife]

Sep. 17, 2009 at 1:51 PM

Amen sister!  Well said!  I'm in the same boat with a daughter in public school who also has a severe peanut allergy.  Our experiences and opinions on the issue are so similar that I feel like I could have written this journal myself!

[pr0udm0m_0f_3]

Sep. 17, 2009 at 2:02 PM

My oldest has SEVERAL allergies to different food products. Not nuts, but to Soy, mushrooms, sauteed/grilled/steamed shrimp (but can have fried...go figure), Red Dye 40 (in popsicles, but CAN drink kool-aid with red (again, go figure, lol) and Blue Cheese.

Does this mean that I would ask an entire school to ban soy-based foods, or red popscicles? Nope. Why punish a WHOLE entire school for one child and her allergies?

My daughter, like the OP's had learned from an early age when the first of those allergies came around (at birth, she was allergic to Soy-based formula), what she could and could NOT have.

She knows to not swap/share with other kids from their lunches or snacks, due to possibly "hidden" soy-based content being within the food.

Now, I have to be vigilant even with hamburger helper mixes, being that some of them too have a high Soy content. Only reason I know is because after eating some of a certain variety one night, my daughter blew up like a balloon, her mouth swelled and she broke out severely from a reaction.

If your allergic child KNOWS what her/his allergies are, KNOWS NOT to swap/share with other children because of risks (unless they are at a friend's house who knows of your child's allergies and accommodates) and what foods to avoid, then there should not be a problem.

And if your child has a high chance of Annephelactic Shock, then be sure that not only yourself, but that the SCHOOL AS WELL has an Epi-pen on hand.

[ldmrmom]

Sep. 17, 2009 at 2:14 PM

Thanks moms! :)

Jen - I did see your comments in the Answers section. Thanks! Clearly you can tell the whole thing irked me. LOL! I just wish I could get more people to read this and comments like the three of you have left.

Libby - I know and I'm so grateful to have you as a sounding board sometimes because you HAVE been doing the school thing. Thanks!

Pr0udm0m 0f 3 - excellent reminder. Allergic parents not only prepare their children but their partners in education and other places. My DD's school, for example, keeps an extra set of EpiPens and benedryl on site. There is a stash of safe cupcakes and donut holes in the freezer in the nurses office that my daughter can go retrieve any time a special celebration in the classroom means unsafe special snacks are in. Her teacher has my home and mobile numbers on speed dial. We exchange emails on a regular basis to confirm what is and is not safe for Meg, as well as what is happening in the classroom that I may need to be prepared with a special snack or something. It's not different than any other aspect of education - we're partners. . . in this case it's partners in keeping Meg safe and alive.

(Original Poster)

[deadheadjen]

Sep. 17, 2009 at 5:32 PM

Bumping because this needs to be seen by more mothers than I realized.

[Nixshix]

Sep. 17, 2009 at 5:36 PM

Great post!

My sons school adopted the "no sharing food" policy this year. Last year they had a couple of students with peanut allergies whose parents demanded the school be peanut-free. This year they realized that not only does that not protect anyone from other allergens, but there are religious concerns as well. The majority of the children from the school belong to families who only eat Kosher or Halal meats (or don't drink milk, or are fasting that day - etc) or live in vegan homes. So because of this and the outbreak of H1N1 and several other virus's in the area the school has decided that no one shares food and everyone uses hand sanatizer before they eat and washes their hands with soap and water afterwards. The kids eat in their own desk in their class and clean up after themselves (everything is sanatized after school - but they have wipes to clean their desks with). I think this system works much better. If parents want to send snacks for the class they are encouraged to send fruits and veggies instead of unhealthy, sugary snacks, and are notified ahead of time of all the allergies present in their class.

[pr0udm0m_0f_3]

Sep. 17, 2009 at 6:18 PM

bumping for ya...

[tomatoqueen]

Sep. 17, 2009 at 8:11 PM

I do suppport bans, but I understand your points. Thankfully, my children do not have food allergies. I have one son with life threatening asthma.....his pulmonologist had to eventually send a letter to school putting them on notice that aerobic activity can result in his death...that is how serious his asthma was....fortunately, a few surgeries later, he is better. I think it is shocking how insensitive some parents are to the needs of others. In our case, it was the school nurse and PE teacher who thought that because he looked okay, he could not be that sick. He had a 1/3 lung obstruction when he was infection free and much worse when he was ill. Simple things like NOT spraying chemicals around kids should be the norm, but are not. We also had a teacher who thought a great decoration was to put a full bale of hay outside his classroom.....to say that made him ill is an understatement. My experiences have led me to be respectful of the needs of others. I wish you and your child health.  

[army_wife_06]

Sep. 17, 2009 at 11:32 PM

We have food allergies. My husband is allergic to all fish and seafood along with chocolate. I am allergic to cucumbers (but not pickles, go figure) and watermelon. I do not tell my kids they can not have these items. We just make sure to wash hands/face, brush teeth and clean whatever surfaces we used.
Our youngest is allergic to mayo. I usually use miracle whip instead and just try to keep him away from mayo and foods with it.
The middle child is lactose intolerant and we do not let him have anything with milk. However, we have told his teacher that we can bring his soy products on the days they have pudding or cheese and crackers rather then punishing all the other kids. She actually kept the box of fruit snacks we took in for our monthly snack just for him.

[JMmama]

Sep. 18, 2009 at 2:09 AM

I know very little about nut allergies and have no opinion either way on bans. If my kids' school banned peanuts, I'd have no issue with it, but of the alleric kid's parent didn't think it was necessary, fine. What amazes me in these debates is how heartless some parents can be when it comes to the medical needs of others.