Food Allergy Safety Information
May 8 through May 14 is Food Allergy Awareness Week. To recognize this, take a few moments to familiarize yourself with key information regarding allergies, how to reduce exposure, and provide treatment.
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A food allergy is a serious and potentially life-threatening medical condition affecting 32 million Americans – 6 million of them being children. One in every 13 children has had a food allergy occur—that’s about two in every U.S. classroom. Every three minutes, a food allergy reaction sends someone to the emergency room.
The most common allergies in the U.S. are peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, wheat, soy, and sesame. Children with food allergies are more likely to have asthma or other allergic diseases. Severe allergic reactions to food need prompt treatment with an epinephrine auto-injector also known as an Epi-pen. Although new treatments are being developed, there is currently no cure for food allergies.
Reduce Exposure & Plan
Child care providers can take several steps within their facility and with their staff to ensure the safety of children in the classroom.
All children with food allergies should have an emergency care plan in place.
Learn the signs and symptoms of allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, and having a plan in place for how to handle a food allergy emergency.
Check out these cleaning methods to make the environment safer for children with food allergies.
Use appropriate hand-washing procedures that emphasize the use of soap and water.
Reactions are never planned. Make sure that medications are kept out of the reach of children and that staff who are delegated and trained to use epinephrine auto-injectors can get them quickly and easily.
Staff should keep the epinephrine auto-injector and emergency care plan on hand when taking children on an excursion such as a walk, a fieldtrip etc. The medication needs to accompany the child wherever they go and can be kept in a belt-bag that the staff wears.