In advance of mothers day, I asked all the moms and/or guardians I know who have kids with food allergies, including my own to give a few tips on how they handle their child’s food allergy.
Never leave the house without your child's medication:
Teach them to be responsible with their allergies and to always take their medication out with them wherever they go.
Remind them to take their antihistamines or adrenaline auto injectors, inhalers etc. to friends houses and inform your child's friends guardians about your child's food allergies.
Get your child a medical bracelet and teach them to wear it every day:
Include what your child is allergic to.
Instructions of what to do if they experience an allergic reaction e.g. use adrenaline auto injector and call 999 or use antihistamines etc.
Include a guardians phone number.
Teach your child to always question everything they are offered to eat:
Teach them to say I have allergies to…? Does this have ….? I cannot eat this as I don’t know what it has in it.
Teach your child not eat anything unless an adult can verify it is free of the allergen they are allergic too.
Work with the school to create a comprehensive Food Allergy Management and Prevention Plan:
Make sure your child’s classmates and friends know about their allergies and know what to do in an emergency.
Ask the teacher to teach your child’s class mates about their food allergy and how to spot an allergic reaction.
Ask if assembly’s can be done for the whole school etc.
In the home:
Never bring the allergen in your house or cook with it as the smell can sometimes cause them to have an allergic reaction.
Trust your kids instinct never force them to eat anything e.g. if your child refuses to eat eggs then don’t force them to as they may be allergic.
Always read labels:
Read the product label’s to see if the product is safe even spices, ready meals, soups, and drinks .
By law the 14 allergens must be emphasised within the ingredients list of pre-packed food or drink e.g. by using bold or italics.
Not all allergens are included in the 14 allergens. Your child may have an allergy to a food not included in the 14 allergens that is why it is so important to always read the full label.
Read creams and cosmetics too for the allergen.
Avoid products which have precautionary allergen labelling:
Where you see precautionary allergen labelling, there is a risk of the unintentional presence of the allergen in the food. If you have an allergy, you should not eat food with this labelling.
Manufacturers can use phrases such as ‘may contain’, Not suitable for’ etc to inform customers that there may be small amounts of an allergen in a food product.
Allergen cross-contamination can happen unintentionally when there is a risk that the allergen has entered the product accidentally during the production process.
Where you see these labels, there is a risk of the unintentional presence of the allergen in the food.
If unsure do not let your child eat the food.
Pre-pack and prepare foods in advance and for travel:
When travelling pack their food in advance.
Inform coach drivers, airplane staff etc. of your child allergy in advance so they can make an announcement and be better prepared.
Check the place you are travelling has suitable places for your child to eat.
Pack suitable snacks for your child so e.g. breakfast bars.
You can also book accommodation with a kitchen so when abroad you can cook their food to be safe of the ingredients.
Get someone to translate and write down on paper, in the language spoken in the country you are traveling to, that; my child has an allergy to … please can you inform me if there is any risk that this allergen is present in the food.
ID: A collected of 5 photographs of Ayah’s mom with light brown hair smiling whilst holding Ayah her daughter. Around the image in each corner is a green heart in dark brown background and the words happy mothers day in right corner of one image.