Food Allergy Awareness Support & Training

Trick or Toys
Admit it. Halloween is probably at the bottom of the list of "fun" holidays for those of us with food-allergic children. It seems as if someone else is stressing out about the candy as well. Trick or Toys touts themselves as "a company dedicated to providing a safer alternative for both children and parents to sugar-filled Halloween treats."

No label? Don't eat it! Fun size candies DO NOT always have the same ingredients as the regular version.

Exchange "safe" treats from home for unsafe ones. Give the traded candy to neighbors, coworkers, a food bank or hospitals who will accept the donations.

Deliver "safe" treats to neighbors labeled with your child's name, before the big event (obviously for the littlest children.)

Unclear as to what that word on the label means? Use FAAN's How-to-Read a Label cards! Call the manufacturer if you questions.

Always carry emergency medications with you!

Host a party at your home instead of trick-or-treating.

Alexander Goes Trick-or-Treating is a picture book for youngsters with food allergies (available from FAAN at 1-800-929-4040).

Coping With Holiday Gatherings*
By Lisa Cipriano Collins, M.A.

A mother recently asked for suggestions for dealing with her husband's family who does not have experience with food allergies. She is dreading the holidays, as they do not understand the severity of her daughter's milk anaphylaxis and continually offer her food she can't eat.

I answered that although she did not list the age of her daughter, I will assume that she is a young child. This is such a loaded question, full of emotion and perhaps many unexpressed expectations such as: my husband should be completely "on board," or he should handle this as it is his "side" of the family; holiday gatherings should be joyous and safe for all; everyone should understand food allergies and know how to create a safe environment.

Recognize the Issues
There are really two issues here and it is important to realize this. First is the emotional feelings that go along with this dilemma, and the other is the simple logistics of creating a safe environment in a high-risk situation, no matter how well-meaning the people involved.

In thinking of the bottom line--keeping your child safe at a holiday gathering--we often have to divorce ourselves from the "shoulds" and the expectations and get down to the business at hand. Undeniably, there will be emotions that go along with unmet expectations--sadness, anger, fear, and feelings of loss over the carefree holidays we have imagined for our families. We may also feel frustrated with the people we think should be believing and helping us.

These emotions are best managed when they are dealt with. We may choose to deal with them in various ways that are as unique as we are. Talking, commiserating, writing, and crying are just a few potentially effective methods of processing emotion. In any event, you and your spouse may choose very different ways of dealing with these feelings, and that's OK. The important thing is that you name the feelings for yourself, validate that "yes," they are real feelings and are extremely normal given what is at stake. We accept that these feelings may not go away but at some point as we continue to deal with them as adults, we may need to put them aside to some degree and begin to deal with the realities at hand.

Start Small
In planning a safe holiday for a child, my best advice is to start small. Think about what your intentions are for your child or any child and start to think about ways that those intentions can be realized.

For instance, you and your spouse may feel that what is truly important is that your child has an enjoyable visit (SAFE!) with cousins and extended family and is able to partake in good food that you or your spouse associates with certain holidays. Again, start small. What do you need to do to make this happen? Perhaps it means arranging for your visit to be shorter, or your arrival after the majority of the food is served. You could prepare a special meal for all the children to enjoy, or bring from home a smaller menu of food just for your child. Remember that we all need to improvise...this is something all of us parents of food-allergic children have gotten to be so good at!

Alter the Expectations
Perhaps your family expects you to come and have everything be the same as it always was and perhaps part of you expects this, too. But the serious issue of food allergies and anaphylaxis in a high-risk holiday gathering of a group of people who may or may not know the ins and outs of allergy management and cross contamination make our day different. Not better or worse, but different.

You do not need to apologize to anyone about this difference. You do not need to be rude about this difference. You do not need to do a lot of explaining about this difference if you do not wish. You simply have to do what you need to do and have a united front with your spouse about the unique provisions you make for ensuring a safe day for your child.

Think Long Term
Sometimes with extended family we feel a pull to revert to our child-like beginnings and it may feel odd to stand up for ourselves in a calm and adult manner. Of course, continuing the education process of the extended family is always a good idea as the circle of those who truly "get it" will help your circle of safe choices grow larger in the coming years. Your modeling of a safe and happy child obviously enjoying the day in the way that she needs to will convey a manageability and competence that invites cooperation.

Be safe and enjoy these special times with your little ones.

* Lisa Cipriano Collins is the founder of Food Allergy Matters, specializing in the emotional impact that managing your child's food allergy may have on you, your relationships and your family. Visit Lisa at foodallergymatters.com for information on workshops, speaking engagements, personal and toll-free phone consultation. Or call 866-270-4945 for more information.

Media Contact:
Danielle Lewis
(513) 636-9473 (phone)
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While Halloween can be a fun holiday for children who Trick-or-Treat, the night can indeed be a scary experience for any of the three million youth who suffer from food allergy. Experts estimate that food allergy occurs in six to eight percent of children four years of age or under, and in four percent of adults. In recent years, it was reported that an estimated 29,000 people go to US emergency rooms each year as a result of allergic reactions to food.

Amal Assa'ad, M.D., director of the food allergy clinic at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, advises that parents and adults who pass out candy on Halloween become very cautious about the types of snacks they give. "Every year, I see a few children who suffer from allergic reactions around Halloween time," said Dr. Assa'ad. "A lot of times, candy that is given on Halloween contains peanuts and tree nuts, or it has been manufactured on equipment that has been used to make products that have peanuts and tree nuts," said Dr. Assa'ad. "Under these circumstances, it is not possible to know whether the food contains traces of peanuts and other nuts or not, and it is best to take a cautious approach and avoid those foods," Dr. Assa'ad said.

The most common food allergies are milk, egg, peanut, tree nut, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat. These are often referred to as "the big eight." They account for over 90% of the food allergies in the USA. For people who have allergy, any of the big eight can cause serious health problems such as dizziness, stomach cramps, swelling in the throat or tongue or even anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction, which could lead to death. The only way a child can be absolutely sure that he or she does not suffer a reaction is to completely avoid foods that trigger his or her allergy.

Adults and parents who pass out candy on Halloween may want to rethink the snacks they give to their costumed visitors. "Many times, we don't check labels carefully enough," Dr. Assa'ad said, referring to the bite-sized candy bars and treats that are usually passed out on the holiday.

Dr. Assa'ad said it is extremely important that parents are extra cautious about inspecting their children's candy on Halloween, especially if one of their children has allergy problems and other children do not. "Usually, parents are more careful about watching what their kids eat around Halloween time, but sometimes kids who have allergy will get into their siblings' candy that hasn't been sorted out yet," said Dr. Assa'ad.

Dr. Assa'ad explains that parents and adults can take several safety measures to ensure that their child has a safe and allergic reaction-free Halloween:

• If a child starts to have a severe allergic reaction to one of his or her Halloween treats, make sure that he or she has their medicine or Epi-pen(R) (the medicine commonly used to treat allergic reactions) readily available and call 9-1-1
• Adults who pass out snacks may want to avoid purchasing items that contain some of the most common allergens such as: eggs, milk, peanuts and tree nuts
• Inspect all candy and treats that Trick-or-Treaters bring home and check each label carefully; make sure that they contain no foods that can trigger an allergic reaction
• If two or more children trick-or-treat together and one is allergic to certain foods and the other is not, sort their candy accordingly
• Don't leave candy lying around the house where children can easily find it or get into it
• Ask neighbors to hand out only candy with individualized labels - so kids with allergies can determine whether the treat is safe to eat or not
• Teach children to politely refuse offers of cookies and other homemade treats
• Adults can pass out alternatives to snacks and candy such as: temporary tattoos, stickers,fancy erasers, crayons, small novelty toys, slime, miniature magnifying glasses, plastic jewelry/decoder rings, necklaces, and fake money.

Other alternative treats can be found on the National Resource Services web site:
http://www.nationalserviceresources.org/epicenter/practices/index.php?ep_action=view&ep_id=1071

"By following safety tips and being aware of what triggers a child's allergic reactions, parents can make sure that all children enjoy Halloween," said Dr. Assa'ad.

For more information about Cincinnati Children's Food Allergy Clinic, please visit http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/svc/alpha/f/food-allergy/default.htm or call 513-636-7210.