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Skipping the Cupcakes
Are Kids with Food Allergies Safe at Birthday Parties?
By Alexandria Powell
Beth Gorab, a mother of two from New Jersey, hates birthday parties. OK, she doesn't really. But parties can be a major source of stress. Gorab's young daughter, Casey, has multiple food allergies to milk and meat from 
any animal that produces milk. Casey's reaction to milk is anaphylactic, and an exposure to pork landed her in the hospital last spring.
"Casey is allergic to pretty much everything usually served at a party," Gorab says. Common kid staples – pizza, ice cream, cupcakes, hamburgers, chicken nuggets – could all be extremely dangerous to Casey.
"I come armed with lots of wipes, her medicine just in case and food that she can eat," Gorab says. "Pizza parties are the hardest for us because it's tricky to get each kid to wipe well after eating a slice of greasy pizza. If they're not wiped and they hold hands with Casey, we could have a big problem on our hands."
The slightest contact with one of Casey's allergens could cause a potentially fatal reaction. "I've never declined a party before because of her allergies," Gorab says. Casey and her mom, like so many food-allergic children and their parents, have learned to cope.
Although it can be stressful, children with food allergies can participate safely in parties, says Anne Munoz-Furlong, founder and CEO of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN). It just takes a little advance planning.
Food allergy has no cure, and reactions can be very serious. Allergic reactions to food result in over 30,000 emergency room visits every year. And for an estimated 150 to 200 people annually, these reactions are fatal. The only way to prevent a reaction is to strictly avoid the allergy-causing food.
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Birthday Parties and Food Allergies by Anonymous on 02/12/2010 07:55AM
I am Casey up there and I think that birthday parties are lots of fun! But some places like Chuckie Cheese I can't go to if I'm invited to a party. Those parties are unfair for me.