Any moms out there with children with peanut/tree nut allergies?

Shieni - posted on 04/14/2013

my son also have treenut allergy too. he is almost 3 y. the second time he got expose to it ,it a lot faster & severe. it scared me. it's hard to protect him when we visit people, travel & eat out. Anybody with big kid with allergy,Please tell me some tips & trick. i am so scared if he got expose again it will be even worse. i am scared to go to restaurant, party etc.

Beth - posted on 04/09/2013

Hi my son was diagnosed with several allergies at 4 1/2 months of age. He was diagnosed with milk, egg and peanut. He is now 12 years old and is still allergic to milk and peanut but has outgrown the egg allergy. However he is also allergic to tree nuts, fresh strawberries, penicillin, cephlasporin, dogs, cats and house dust mites. I was told that you have to assume that the child with a peanut or tree nut allergy will NEVER outgrow it. My son has had the blood test since he was 4 1/2 months old. No age limit on it. I hope this helps.

Sandra - posted on 04/08/2013

hey i have a daughter who is allergic to peanuts as well and it is always scary when giving her snacks or food that i did not make myself. you never know where it is made and there can be nuts in the vicinity. i found this great place that is run by two moms that makes snack, cookie brownies ect in a no nut environment you should check it out plus they actually taste really good. this is the website if you want to check it out. www.nonutnation.com

Lisa - posted on 03/17/2013

Just found out our daughter 5 has peanut/tree nut allergy - scary have to watch everything and everywhere makes me very sad to have her have this allergy. But be tankful everyday it is not something much worse. And we were cautious all these years with not giving her anything peanut/tree nut.
Follow your gut. Our allergist told us every kid should be tested for peanuts /nuts as there is such a big allergy more so then people realize.

Patricia - posted on 11/27/2012

I would take a small pack with you so that you can bring your own food for him. They have some natural stores around there I am sure like Whole Foods, trader joes, earthfare? This way you can have what he needs. Bring your own snacks. I have had to do this for years.

Patricia - posted on 11/27/2012

Yes our Daughter tested positive for walnuts and peanuts, dairy, lacose intolerant, grass, mold, and has many intolerances to foods and chemicals.



Our allergist said more than likely she would not outgrow the nut allergies, but she may outgrow a few of the others. So far she is still highly allergic to nuts and molds and chemicals. The lactose gets worse the older she gets, but grass not quite as bad.



We decided to go ahead and homeschool her for other reasons, but the nut allergies a biggy for us.



Oh and on top of it all she is allergic to benedryl!! Yug

Amanda - posted on 11/25/2012

btw for what its worth, learned about the milk/soy when my son was a baby, after he was very colicky.. i learned that in my breast milk all the stuff i was eating was making him sick.. so switched to a formula [the same that they had used to supplement in the hospital because my breast milk hadn't come in so i presumed was safe, silly me right?] and it made him sick, his poops were weird, etc.. i took him to a few childrens clinics the best of which had a few students working and right away she said it was an allergy to cow's milk protein, different to lactose intolerance, and to switch to a hypoallergenic, predigested formula. she said i COULD try a soy based formula but 50% of kids with that allergy also had a soy allergy, so rather than potentially waste money i just went straight for the hypoallergenic one. I swear, it was like flipping a lightswitch once he had that! he felt so much better and i was so relieved for him ♥ he had egg yolks as a baby, but not the whites, which explains why he never reacted to them as he is now deemed allergic to eggs. the drs said kids usually outgrow a milk protein allergy.. the peanut and tree nut allergy, however..... =[

Amanda - posted on 11/25/2012

same here! almost the exact same situation. my son had a cashew and the results were terrifying. i also poured benedryl down his throat [which was hard because he was gagging and vomitting and his lips were puffed up and i was crying] and called an ambulance. by the time he got to the hospital they gave him some steroids. I thank God he's okay. i had no clue he had the allergy because he had had peanut butter as a baby but as it turns out, these things can grow. i now have 5 epipens for him. he's allergic to peanuts, treenuts [both of those anaphylactic] milk, soy, eggs, and cats. joy for mamas! lol

Christi - posted on 06/06/2012

My 5 year old has an allergy to all nuts and is lactose intolerant. He always had excema since a few months old, but we did not find out that he was allergic to nuts until almost 4. His first set of testing came back negative (I have recently found out his school gave him benedryl and did not notify us, which caused the negative result). His last test did come back positive, so now he will have testing every year. The labels on packaging can be helpful, but I have recently read that companies are not required to put that the product was made in the same facility where nuts are processed warning.

I was having a very difficult time with him wearing his medical alert bracelet, he didn't like them. We tried the metal ones, fabric ones, magnetic ones. But finally found medibands (www.medibands.com), they are the rubber type one that come on all sizes.

Małgorzata - posted on 04/01/2012

I had the same problem. Try some of my recipes. Will be good. My kids have food allergies. I have a blog with recipes for kids with food allergy, and some craft for them.



Idealhousewife.wordpress.com

Caitlin - posted on 01/04/2010

We found out our daughter was allergic to dairy at 4 months old by introducing a baby cereal that contained milk powder. They blood tested to confirm this and she is allergic to 3 different proteins in milk/dairy. We found out of course the hard way, she started turning red, swelling up and having difficulty breathing, by the time we got to the hospital, she was unconscious and we were lucky to get her back. We found out also at 9 months she was allergic to egg by introducing egg yellow, and we had a similar reaction, but this time we had an epi-pen (and we used it of course, it's amazing how well it works). They did more blood tests this time and found out she is also allergic to peanuts, nuts and we know from experience, beef, all confirmed by blood tests. It's not easy trying to avoid everything but having the medication on hand at all times really helps. We prepared an emergency plan and have it in the medication pouch in her diaper bag with her at all times. Anyone we leave her with knows how to give her benadryl (and what dose) knows how to use the epi pen and has a chart on when to use them and/or call 9-1-1. We haven't yet had to deal with daycare or schools yet, but hopefully by that point she will outgrow them, and if not, we've had plenty of time to adapt.



She will be retested by skin prick every 6 months to determine the severity of the allergy. They don't want to do any blood tests unless there is a drastic change in her reaction to the scratch test. For the first one, her dairy spot took over 2 of the other test sites, so they have to use 2 arms to test her for her allergens. She also has seasonal allergies, and is allergic to pretty much anything furry, so we had to find a new home for our dog. We have a medic alert bracelt for her, which is too big now, but when it fits, she will wear it on a regular basis. We always have information with us wherever we go in case anything happens to us, its important for the information to be easily found and available.

Cassandra - posted on 12/29/2009

we found out my 6 year old was allergic to peanuts when she was a baby. She had a really bad allergic reaction to formula, so the dr ran a series of tests. We found out that not only was she allergic to dairy (the cause of her reaction) but also oats, eggs, peanuts, and cashews. She outgrew all except the nuts.

we carry our allergy pack with us at all times (epipen, inhaler, benedryl). The most difficult obstical we faced was not ourselves, but convincing other people that this is a real allergy that can kill her. To help remind teachers we got her a med-alert bracelet. i highly reccomend doing that.

Jacqueline - posted on 12/04/2009

Yeah I am finally glad to see there is a site for kids with food allergies and i have a daughter she is 4 now was two when I found out all her food allergies she is allergic to milk soy whey treenuts/peants and eggs. It took me two hours of grocery shopping to only come out with a coulpe of things. what people take for granted my daughter cant have. She cries to because she wishes she could be like everyone else. Thankgod her headstart will cook special for her, the one thing i hope she grows out is the soy because everything has soy in it and the stuff that dont cost a lot to buy. I basically have to cook homemade for her I get fustrated at times because I wish I could buy pizza for a cheap meal but I cant I have three kids so its hard when they want something but I cant because my daughter cant have it. I guess the hard part is butter what do you put on her sandwich when she cant have butter beccause it has vegatable oil in it and vegatable oil has soybean in it. I found alote about reading food labels so she basically has fruits and vegatable with a fresh meat,

Tracy - posted on 09/17/2009

My son has the same allergy and I was told to wait until he was 3 also for another blood test. They said his allergy level was low, but if I gave him just a little peanut butter his whole face breaks out in hives. He eats honey nut cheerios and nothing happens so I don't understand how this works. I have an epi-pen in case he has an allergic reaction to anything. Did your doctor give you a RX for an epi-pen? Can your son eat certain foods that don't bother him?

Devon - posted on 07/22/2009

I am so glad to see this allergy section in here it really helps to support families who are dealing with the different allergies. To be honest until I was informed my son had these allergies I never really gave this subject a second thought and now it is a really big part of my life in order to keep my son safe and healthy.

Devon - posted on 07/22/2009

My son who is 5 has peanut/treenut allergies. One Sunday at church after eating some mixed nuts his eyes immediately swelled shut . At the time it didn't occur to me that it was from the nuts. I gave him some benadryl and he was ok after that but I mentioned it to his pediatrician and she recommended he go to the allergy clicic to get tested. The tested him and he was allergic to every single nut and tree nut and also dogs. It was a bit overwhelming at first when I found all this out and then being introduced to the epi pens and just a million thoughts running through my mind like what if his child care provider gave him something by mistake . It has definitely been a transition having to check the labels of every food item that you buy and it is so crazy how many items we aren't aware of that either have nuts or are processesd where nuts may have been. So far he has not ever had to have the epi pen injection and I just continue to knock on wood. I have heard of tests being done where they hospitialize your child and actually give them peanut butter to sort of ween them back on these items and they end up not being allergic anymore.

LaTasha - posted on 07/22/2009

My 3yr old daughter is allergic to Peanuts, Eggs, Soy, Dairy, Shellfish and bunch of other things too. It's crazy b/c soy is in everything

Kim - posted on 07/18/2009

Yes, my son has this allergy, he had his first reaction just before he turned 3. I had his allergies tested to make sure there were no other major allergies, he also had a blood test done, and then every year he will get a blood test done to see where is levels are at, so they can monitor if he is growing out of his allergy. You may be interested in the bracelets I am selling, they are the rubber braclets for children that say peanut allergy - epi pen. If you would like more information please email me at sales@kidswap.ca. Thanks, Kim

Jenny - posted on 07/17/2009

Dawn I just read your post......I was just speaking with a friend who went to Disney World and they use Peanut oil in most of the restaurants there as well as the US in general..... It is possible she went there she just found it very difficult but ask many questions and trust your instincts! I have worried about traveling and at this point barely go out to eat in general.....good for you for not letting this stop you!!! It will be ok if you talk to people in charge and make sure they understand the danger sometimes I find it works best if I am just blunt and say my daughter can die so when you give me an answer it better be because you know for sure if not please let me speak to someone who does know!!! Have fun and let us know how it goes!!!!

Jenny - posted on 07/17/2009

My daughter was diagnosed with a severe nut allergy in November she is 2 1/2 now. I know they do blood tests at 1 year. It is very scary we found out with a trip to emergency and now we carry an epi pen everywhere we go! It is important to inform everyone when you dont have an allergy it is easy to look past important details! Most people forget about the trace amounts in products like breads, cookies, candies, and how important it is to read everything including soap products and lotion we are staying away from shea butter as well because it is derrived from a nut and at this point I am not willing to take that chance. It has been very scary and frustrating at times but we are trying to make it fun too. When we get ready for a birthday party we bake our own cupcakes that we will eat when we go they will be her very special treats that we made with love. We do a lot of baking so it is fun to find new treats and spend that time together making special treats for us to have for special occasions! Our faith has made us strong through this and being informed is a big step in prevention. It is important to have that support group and know that you were chosen to care for your sweet angels for a reason! It is up to us to protect our babies to the best of our abilities and to teach them that in every situation we can find something to learn from and to find blessings in all places! I have learned to stand up and not back down even if it may sound over the top to you for us it is important!!! I have learned that my baby girl gets just as excited about the treats we bake as if we bought them except that we get to have quality time together to laugh and giggle. I have learned that with God all things are possible and I now know the strength and courage that is inside me to find something positive in such a scary truth! Never lose hope and I suggest the magazine Allergic Living it has some great info......read read read you will find when you are armed with knowledge and love the problem is more managable!

Dawn-Marie - posted on 07/16/2009

Hi. I have 20 month old twins. My son is peanut allergic. When he was around 12 months old he had a cracker that had PB in the middle of it touch his face and he had a anaphalactic (Sorry for the bad spelling) reaction. Since he has had epi-pens in every bag, room, car, etc. I am really careful not to bring anything into the house and we try not to eat out unless we know the restraunt and they know his allergy. However we are Military and we were recently transferred to a new duty station. The Pediatrician here was like well at 12 months old it's rare to have a severe allergy like that just keep up with an allergist? I was like umm you are still the Pediatrician that gives all of his normal care, our old Pediatrician was on top of it constantly! He was sent for prick test just to prove it, they pricked him 17 flipping times, I was so upset! Anyways, it just showed what I had told them!!!!!!!!!! THe Pediatrician still didn't have anything to say but give him a copy of the testing to put in his file. What a crock. We are going to Disney World for a week leaving this weekend and to Sea World. I am a nervous wreck about taking him and having to go out to eat there. Any suggestions?

Kim - posted on 07/13/2009

Hi, my son tested positive for tree nuts & peanuts. He had a severe reaction to a pecan when he was almost three, we ended up in the hospital. Now he has to stay away from everything, may contain, processed in a plant. I am really hoping he will grow out of it.

Monica - posted on 03/18/2009

I have a daughter with a tree nut and peanut allergy.  She ate a cashew and immediately reacted at 4 years old.  She had eaten nuts before, but this time was the "limit" as our doctor explained.  So now we have epi pens all over the place and there are signs at the preschool she attends.  the elementary school where she will attend is already aware (where my son attends) of her allergy and has offered to let me leave an epi pen there just in case as well.

One thing I can add to the discussion is make sure your child's school teachers, staff, cafeteria workers, aides, helpers, etc. all know about your child's allergy.  If possible, have their teacher send a note home with all the students in their classroom to ensure there are no accidents on birthday party days.  A child in my son's class is allergic to blue dye and it never fails that other parents send in cupcakes with blue frosting or sprinkles and she is left out every time.  We just learned this week about my son's egg allergy (he is 6) and are working on making the school aware of what an egg allergy means to them.

Jo - posted on 03/15/2009

I dont know if you would like to know about my son but i will tell you just for information because if someone had told me how bad it was i would not have believed them. My son (at the time age 5)ate a quater of a peanut and ended up in hospital unable to breathe, violently sick and turning blue, luckily we lived 5 mins from the hospital or it would be a different story. he was given adrenaline where he recovered. If he comes into contact with almonds, coconut he is covered in hives. If me or my hubby kiss him after eating a peanut could kill him. It is so scary. However i have managed to educate him, his school, his friends and some of their parents which reduces the risks. But even he has to carry epipens with him wherever he goes. a bit of advice re the epipens use the out of date ones on large oranges ( i know hes young but when his a little older about 5) it gives the same effect as putting it into his leg. my son could do his own now luckily he never has had to he is 10 now and never had another reaction. He is going for retesting in June because he could grow out of it with puberty. here hoping. Oh has your son be reffered to a specialist if not get your Dr to do so, they can help with when to use an epipen. I think you would know anyway.

Hina - posted on 03/10/2009

Hi Lisa,

I have three.
I would recommend joining the Mom Safety Alerts application on face book.
You will be notified of all food related recalls and health bulletins regarding allergies and child health.
It appears to be a new application but I have already received some really good information from them in a timely manner.

Thanks,

Hina

The app can be found at:

http://apps.facebook.com/momsafetyalerts

Ronnie - posted on 03/09/2009

my son who is allergic to eggs and peanuts gets tested every year on his b-day. 1st test was before he turned 1. His levels have gone up on both of them. We also carry an epi-pen with us where every we go. We don't eat out and when we go to parties i bring food and snacks for him.

Jennifer - posted on 02/22/2009

I know they can test at any age by blood for an allergy.  There are suggestions out there that say you shouldn't feed your kid peanuts, seafood, and other things I can't remember until age 3.  By that point our bodies have either figured out how to process it or not.  The blood test is the best for severity, but some allergists will still want to do prick tests.  My son is 9, he tested positive before age 1 and we've had a few reactions over the years.  So I won't let them prick him to retest.  How dumb! 

Helpful advice... read every package of anything you feed him.  Refridgerated cookie doughs, all chocolate candies, and granola bar stuff can easily have it either as an ingredient or processed in.  Depending on the severity of the allergy you, the parent, can decide what risks aren't so bad and what are.  I let my son eat granola bars, we've never had a problem with those.  I don't buy any refridgerated doughs, I know Nestle Chocolate chip dough used to use peanut flour.  Why I can't imagine.  If peanuts are used in the ingredients they won't list it afterwords with possible allergins. 

I carry epipens everywhere I go, I have another son allergic to cashews.  Be pushy if needed with your doc if you want them and they don't feel the need to prescribe one.  I have many expired ones in my cabinet.  As your son gets older you can teach him how to use one with those, citrus fruits are best.  I have benedryl in my car always, at grandmas, everywhere.  Liquid is best, even when they're older, it works more quickly.  Don't ever feel bad dialing 911.  If you feel it's neccesary do it.  My boys also wear id bracelets, and the school has them.  If your son is in day care I'd make sure they have an epi and know how to use it. 

Typically, and my kids do this, each reaction gets faster and more severe more quickly.  It depends on how bad the allergy from the get go, but it does happen.  I'm hypervigilant when we go to friends' homes, church potlucks, field trips, etc.  Of late Tim, my peanut, has had some reactions that I would term secondary.  Like from touching something that has peanut on it, toys, doorknobs, even friends hands.  Those haven't been bad, and I haven't taken him to the hospital for them.  I've just watched him constantly for a few hours. 

My kids, if they ingest it, or even get it on their tongue will throw up.  Their nose starts to run and they start sneezing.  Then it get a little harder to tell.  When their throat starts to close up they start to drool.  And at some point, for us, we've been at the hospital by this, but they will get hives.  They start around seams on  shirts, pants, underwear and work their way out.  All they way to their toes and fingers before they slowly go away.

I hope I haven't terrified anyone, but some of this we've learned the hard way.  The last time Tim went to the hospital when we got there.  The ER doc looked at me and said you should've used his epi about 10 minutes ago.  Ok, now I know what that looks like.  Don't ever feel like you should apologize for questioning foods and friends.  The first incident was with extended family, and his last one as well.  My personal biggest frustrations are with family, bringing food that we know is peanut, and hoping that none of the kids around get it on them.  Christmas holidays are the worst, I think.

My kids bracelets are almost impossible to get off by them and I like it that way.  We had some that were kid friendly and Tim would take his off because it got wet and leave it somewhere.  Here's the website I've used, they store your info and it makes it easy to reorder.   http://www.americanmedical-id.com

I put their name, my cell # (because I know that won't change), what their allergic to and meds.  Benedryl and epipens.  Jr epis come with a fake one so you can learn how to use it.  I tend to give those to family and the school.  For teachers that don't know how to use them.  

Be strong, pushy when needed and wait to fall apart until its all over.

Elena - posted on 02/21/2009

My four year old daughter has peanut allergies. And eggs and tuna. So far anyhow. But I have never had her allergy tested formally. I just make sure that everyone that watches her and her teachers and my family know what she's allergic to. She also knows. She will tell you for sure. Teach your son to say what he's allergic to. My daughter didn't outgrow her allergy, and I don't think it's that big of a deal, honestly. So she can't have a pb and j or an omlette or a tuna salad. So what??? She's be just fine. And so will your son. Good luck.

Michelle - posted on 02/11/2009

Lisa- I have talked to my allergist since the last time we posted and they also are going to retest my son sometime this summer. But they did inform us when they retest him it won't be a skin prick test they will do the blood test. I don't know if that is helpful information or not to you. I think we all have very different children with different reactions to allergies and we all have different allergist which affects different treatment.

Tonya - posted on 02/11/2009

I have a 19 year old son who is allergic to p-nuts. He can't eat, touch or smell anything that has peanuts in it..It could literally kill him . When he was 3 he ate a peanut and instantly threw it up that is how we found out. You have to be careful when you take them places too because one day we were at the park and he sat on a bench and rubbed up against some peanut butter and broke out and started having trouble breathing, scared me to death..Also you need to be careful when going out to eat, one day we went through the drive thru and order him a happy meal and when I got his drink there was a peanut on the lid and when I took the lid off there were peanuts in his drink..SCARY...He has not out grown this and I really wouldn't want to put it too the test ..When the McDonald's found out about the peanuts in the coke they moved the machine away from the ice cream maker, but I never took any chances again I always went in an ordered all his stuff and made the drinks myself...

Sarah - posted on 10/24/2008

Our son is allergic to nuts - what nuts exactly I'm not totally sure, still waiting to get the official documentations from the specialist. We found out when he was 14 months old when he ate a piece of dd2's sandwhich (she was sharing :)) and he became very swollen. My husband described him as looking like one of the orks on LOTR's :( We had a blood test done then that showed eggs, milk, soy, strawberries, peanuts and cashews. We had him tested again last year right before he turned 4 with the skin test. The dr was actually very surprised at how bad his reaction was to the nuts. Thankfully he's outgrown the rest. Aside from his first attack we've not had to use the epipens yet. So far awareness, education and prevention have been key. From what I recall only about 21% outgrow a nut allergy. I figure our son will not since it's hereditary on my husbands side.

Jennifer - posted on 10/24/2008

I have strong feelings on this topic, so I continue. My oldest, the peanut was diagnosed before age 1. He's had a number of reactions, the topical ones haven't been life threatening yet. BUT EVERY REACTION WILL GET FASTER AND PROBABLY WORSE. The ingested reactions have gotten faster and more severe over the years. He's 9 now and still allergic. The cashew is alsmost 6 and had his first reaction at 3. His was far worse than the peanut was. They both wear id bracelets, with their name, phone number(one that doesn't change), the allergy and meds. They've had their bracelets so long, its almost a part of them. I have had to threaten my oldest with a tattoo, since he kept taking the sport band off. Currently, he has a broken arm, so I wrote Peanut Allergy on it really big. They talk about it in conversation occasionally. My oldest won't go near a nut of any kind. The younger one always asks. Be safe, be calm and never be afraid to question someone about the food they bring. The kids learned quickly and really don't get upset when they can't have something, usually candy. In time, you'll be more comfortable with it and not paranoid ( which is what I was initially). Make sure church, and neighbors, teachers, parents know.

Jennifer - posted on 10/24/2008

When your child has a reaction he/she will: start sneezing repeatedly, nose will run, start coughing, there may be pink spots around the mouth or on the hands by physical contact. As it gets worse, they'll start drooling because they can't swallow very well, my son's tongue started to protude slightly and wheeze. All of this occurred after he ate and threw back up the equivalent of 3 cashew halves. I gave him Benedryl and he couldn't keep that down either. They'll break out in hives, starting where any physical contact occurred and then at seams on clothing and they'll spread. Usually from the trunk outward to all limbs. It's terrifying, so don't be afraid to fall apart, after he's somewhere safe. They can also have a repeat reaction after all the meds clear his system so watch them closely for a couple of days. If your child is old enough to remember the fear, and the needles and all the bad stuff; that's probably a good thing. They become more watchful themselves, but be careful to always remain calm in their presence.

Jennifer - posted on 10/24/2008

http://www.identifyyourself.com/ - This is where I've bought id bracelets for my kids. The sport band, easy on or off, may not be what you really want. My son takes it off when it gets wet and leaves it in his locker, or the bathroom, or in the grass by the lake.

Jennifer - posted on 10/24/2008

I have a son with a peanut allergy and one with a cashew allergy. I don't really worry about what they eat. They are very careful, and have each had a serious ER reaction. My biggest concerns are what their friends do, or even family. The need to make sure that surfaces don't have remnants is scary. Tim, my oldest, is allergic to peanuts and for those of you who have kids that haven't had reactions yet; they get faster every time. Put a medic alert bracelet on them and become a nut nazi. And don't wait until you can tell they're struggling to breathe to use that epi. Just use it. Call 911 and don't freak out until there is someone else there to lean on. They've been hard lessons to learn, but now even my son's friends know to be careful. When in doubt, wash their hands and ask everyone. Food items that contain peanuts or other nuts won't have it in bold print at the bottom. Read the ingredient list every time. I've found store bought cookie dough, choc chip, that uses peanut flour. Make sure the day care, school, bus driver, everyone knows. Make sure they can't get the id bracelet off and any trip, take an epi. I have old ones, several, save those for you child to practice with when they're old enough to do it. Citrus fruits are good to use for practice. I carry 2 in my purse, 2 in the car, grandma has one, the nurse at school has one and the teacher has one too. I used to apologize for being so 'forceful' - not the right word. But having driven one kid to the ER constantly repeating, is it hard to breathe? and riding in an ambulance, just do it. We've even had a reaction from flying, I assume the prior passenger ate the peanuts and rested his hands on the armrest. Reaction. Carry cleaning wipes with you. Many movie theaters use peanut oil, we don't go anymore. Chic-fil-a uses peanut oil, other restaurants do too. Don't ever be ashamed or feel guilty for being vigilant. Take benedryl with you everywhere too. I sometimes step back and think wow, I'm crazy. But the day my son ate cashews (we didn't know he was allergic) and I got to wait forever (in my head) for the ambulance I decided that I could be polite and pushy all at the same time. Side note: most nuts are roasted in peanut oil. Be sure to differentiate between peanuts and tree nuts. Many people don't know there is a difference. The peanut grows on a bush under ground and is really a legume. Be wary, be constant, and you'll be awesome. I could go on and on and on, but if you want me to do that you should ask. Some folks get annoyed and those who don't have allergies don't understand how far you have to go, asking parents to make sure and wipe their hands, question every snack or dessert that comes around. We don't celebrate Halloween, just to dangerous. I'll find my link for the id bracelet and post it.

Alison - posted on 10/24/2008

My daughter has a severe allergy to peanuts/tree nuts. She has an epi-pen and to all those Moms who are concerned about knowing WHEN to use the epi-pen...TRUST me, you will know! We actually found out - by accident - that she had this particular allergy. For some reason or another whe she ate nuts, I had the presence of mind to give her some Benadryl as soon as things seemed the slightest bit unusual. I think that probably helped to save her life. The first thing I noticed was some blotchiness on her face...that's when I gave her the Benadryl. When she continued to get worse (lips swelling, labored breathing, etc.), if I'd had an epi-pen at the time, I would have CERTAINLY used it. There was NO question in my mind that she was having an allergic reaction! You WILL know when the time comes!

Emily - posted on 10/24/2008

My son is 2 and also is allergic to peanuts. He was diagnosed through the blood RAST test at 6 months old. Then, he was allergic to wheat, eggs and peanuts. He has outgrown the wheat (thank goodness, that one's a toughie!) but is still severely allergic to eggs as shown through a skin test and will not be tested for peanut for another couple years due to the number in the blood test being so high. Like someone else mentioned, the peanuts are pretty easy to avoid because they're printed everywhere if there's a possibility of contamination. The eggs are a little less so...but it's pretty easy to avoid.

I happen to think soynut butter takes like a foot! We ate it for a while but I recently found Sunbutter (sunflower seed butter) that actually DOES taste pretty much like peanut butter.... Props to those soynut lovers!

Carson also carries the epipen wherever he goes...we've never had any contact with peanuts...but I kissed him after I ate M & Ms (not the peanut M&Ms, just plain ones) and he broke out all over his face....so I think peanuts are going to be off limits for some time in our house. (M&Ms say on the package they may contain traces of peanuts).

Michelle - posted on 10/23/2008

My son son has peanut, wheat and dairy allergies. I find that peanut is the easy for me to avoid because there are always labels and they clearly say processed in a facility or includes peanut. There are lots of alternatives such as soy butter (tastes just like regular peanut butter) and you can even buy it at walmart. We do not know how severe his peanut allergy is but we do carry and epi-pen but have not had to use it.

Jenifer - posted on 10/23/2008

My daughter was tested when she was around one, and she was allergic to nuts, and eggs.(animals, and everything in the environment) She is now 10 and had the blood test, it showed she would not be allergic to eggs or nuts, thank god I have a great allergist, he decided to do a test in his office to make sure, we brought in a hard boiled egg and he just rubbed it on her skin, and let it sit for 20 min, because she had no reaction, she ate a very small amount, and still had to reaction, she now eats eggs. About a week later, we did the same thing with the peanuts, we used peanut butter and she did have a reaction on her skin(arm) and he said he wouldnt test her again for 2 more years. My daughter carries an epi pen everywhere!!

Michelle - posted on 10/22/2008

Yep, my boy will be re-tested. They also said he'll likely not grow out of the peanut allergies but he has other allergies that he may grow out of.

Carey - posted on 10/22/2008

They did the blood test on my daughter at 12 months....she is allergic to p-nuts. We carry the epi-pen as well, hadn't had to use it either thank goodness...but I have seen a child (very scary) have a reaction and it was obvious the pen was needed. The child's nurse said "you will always know when to use it". My daughter has eaten something with p-nuts once and the reaction was minor. Our doctor said she would never grow out of it?? yours is re-testing?? We've heard numerous things about that issue.

Mary Anne - posted on 10/22/2008

Well, at the moment my daughter has not tested positive for anything. Although, she is allergic to dairy and I am afraid she will be allergic to other foods.

I, on the other hand, am allergic to peanuts. So if there is anything you want to know, just ask!

Michelle - posted on 10/22/2008

My son tested positive for his food allergies - peanut being one of them - when he was 6 months old and his allergist will re-test when he is a year and a half old. We carry an epi-pen but have luckily not had to use it. I worry that I wouldn't be able to tell right away if I needed to use it. I never knew how scary allergies were....