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Food Allergies and Children
Is It Taking a Toll on Your Family?
By Debbie Vallejo
In her article, "Navigating the Food Allergy Minefield," Linda Coss examines childhood food allergies and their impact on families. "There is currently no cure for severe food allergies," she says. "The only treatment is complete avoidance of the allergen." If you suspect that your child may suffer from a food allergy, Coss recommends an immediate visit to an allergist. "The physician will take a complete medical history, including detailed information about your child's previous allergic reactions, and will perform allergy tests to determine the diagnosis," Coss says. "If your child is at risk for anaphylaxis, the allergist will give you a prescription for EpiPen and teach you when and how to use it."
The best place to start is in your own home. Woodward did a total kitchen makeover. "We had to completely clean everything out," she says. "Not only did we have to get rid of eggs and peanuts, but any food that possibly contained one of the two. There was no roo for error, so we pretty much tossed everything and started from scratch."