Jacob Serebrin
In this July 8, 2016, file photo, a pharmacist holds a package of EpiPens epinephrine auto-injector, a Mylan product, in Sacramento, Calif. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Rich Pedroncelli May 05, 2021 - 4:30 AM
New guidelines aimed at helping schools and daycares protect children with allergies say there s no evidence that blanket bans on specific foods protect children.
The guidelines, created by an international panel of stakeholders including health-care experts, school principals, parents and professional allergy organizations, also recommend that schools keep a supply of epinephrine auto-injectors.
The guidelines, based on a review of the scientific evidence and published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology on Wednesday, are the first of their kind, said Dr. Susan Waserman, the chair of the guidelines panel and a professor of medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont.
email article
Rather than site-wide food bans or allergen-restricted zones, allergy training, action plans, and available epinephrine to treat suspected anaphylaxis are recommended to address allergic reactions to food at child care centers and schools, according to new practice guidelines.
Not only has research found little evidence that food bans work, such restrictions can pose monitoring and adherence challenges, reported Susan Waserman, MD, of McMaster University in Ontario, and colleagues.
Indeed, such restrictions might reduce vigilance among students or staff, thus interfering with timely recognition and treatment of an unexpected reaction, they wrote in updated guidelines in the
The guidelines were endorsed by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI) and the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI).
Posted: Wednesday, May 5, 2021 12:55
Allergic reactions to food can be dangerous and even cause death, and an international team led by a Canadian university has developed new guidelines to prevent and manage such reactions in schools and child care centres.
From one to 10 per cent of infants and preschool children have a food allergy as do one to 2.5 per cent of children of school age. Researchers say that about one in ten allergic reactions and the life threatening extreme reaction called anaphylaxis occur at child care centres or schools. Most occur elsewhere.
Anxiety and fear may limit children
“Anxiety and fear about the risk of accidental exposure to food allergens, and the burden of managing that risk, may limit children’s participation in day-to-day activities. Children with food allergy are also at risk of allergy-related bullying,” note the guidelines.
These 9 Foods Are the Most Common Causes of Food Allergies Emily DiNuzzo, Helen Bateman
Replay Video
The most common food allergies
Most people know about food allergies to peanuts and shellfish. However, there are now nine foods that are considered responsible for almost all food allergies and must be listed on food labels.
A new one was just officially added to the list sesame.
Although experts have long considered sesame a major food allergen, the seed was not required to be listed on food labels in the United States until the FASTER (Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research) Act was signed into law on April 23, 2021.