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Coping and support
By Mayo Clinic staffIf your child has peanut allergy, take these steps to help keep him or her safe:
- Involve caregivers. If your child has a peanut allergy, enlist the help of relatives, baby sitters, teachers and other caregivers. Teach the adults who spend time with your child how to recognize signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction to peanuts. Emphasize that an allergic reaction can be life-threatening and requires immediate action. Make sure that your child also knows to ask for help right away if he or she has an allergic reaction.
- Use a written plan. List the steps to take in case of an allergic reaction, including the order and doses of all medications to be given, as well as contact information for family members and health care providers. Provide a copy of the plan to family members, teachers and others who care for your child.
- Discourage your child from sharing foods. It's common for kids to share snacks and treats. However, during times of fun your child may forget about food allergies or sensitivities. If your child is allergic to peanuts, encourage him or her not to eat food from others.
- Make sure your child's epinephrine autoinjector is always available. An injection of epinephrine (adrenaline) can immediately reduce the severity of a potentially life-threatening anaphylactic reaction, but it needs to be given right away. If your child has an emergency epinephrine injector, make sure your family members and other caregivers know about your child's emergency medication — where it's located, when it may be needed and how to use it.
- Have your child wear a medical alert bracelet or necklace. This will help make sure he or she gets the right treatment if he or she isn't able to communicate during a severe reaction. It will include your child's name and type of food allergy he or she has. It may also list brief emergency instructions.
References
- Nowak-Wegrzyn A, et al. Adverse reactions to foods. Medical Clinics of North America. 2006;90:97.
- Skripak JM. Educational clinical case series: Peanut and tree nut allergy in childhood. Pediatric Allergy and Immunology. 2008;19:368.
- Atkins D. Food allergy: Diagnosis and management. Primary Care Clinics in Office Practice. 2008;35:119.
- Food allergy: An overview. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/foodAllergy/PDF/foodallergy.pdf. Accessed Jan. 20, 2009.
- Li JT. (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 9, 2010.
- Ben-Shoshan M, et al. Is the prevalence of peanut allergy increasing? A 5-year follow-up study in children in Montreal. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2009;123:783.
- Ko J, et al. Use of complementary and alternative medicine by food-allergic patients. Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. 2006;97:365.
- Li X. Traditional Chinese herbal remedies for asthma and food allergy. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2007;120:25.
- Peanuts. Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. http://www.foodallergy.org/page/peanuts. Accessed Feb. 24, 2010.
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