Living with food allergies can be worrying and difficult at times, and sometimes avoiding allergens can be harder than you think.
With good knowledge and planning, living with food allergies can be safer and simpler. This blog aims to provide you with some of my tips to keep your child safe:
Qualified professionals
Ensure that you have the support of a medical team if your child has a food allergy, and seek support from a qualified children’s dietitian for diet advice. Your allergy team / health professionals with guide and support you. Their advice will be tailored to your child’s individual needs, as not all food allergies are the same, so treatment will vary. With the right support, some children’s allergies can be improved, so that they grow out of them quicker, although not all allergies can be outgrown.
Food labels
Within the EU food labels should clearly list foods that are considered one of the 14 commonly found food allergens. They should therefore be highlighted in bold or italic writing on food labels. Be cautious however if you are out of the EU as labels may be different.
Traces
Some food labels say may contain / made in a factory containing which can be confusing. This means that there is a potential risk of cross contamination with a food allergen. If in doubt then you should avoid these. However not all children need to avoid these foods, so it is important to keep in regular contact with your dietitian, so that you can ask these questions.
Environment
This section is around assessing what your child can reach, and put in their mouth around their environment. If your child has a mild allergy, this section is likely to not be too important. If your child has a life threatening allergy it is really important to consider the environment they are in. Around the home are there food allergens within reach? Are there siblings who might share their food? Are you as parents eating food allergens then touching/kissing your child? You may need to discuss your child’s needs in depth with your childcare provider. For example are other children eating allergens, or putting toys in their mouth after eating food allergens? Are children all using the same blown toys such as whistles? Can the childcare provider provide meals according to your child’s dietary needs? It is important that you consider things like this in your own home, and any other environments that you child goes to, to minimise the possibilities of exposure to the food allergen that they are severely allergic to.
Eating out
Eating out can be a challenge, and you must be able to trust the place you are eating. If in doubt just do not eat there, as our instincts tend to be protective. When eating out, call the restaurant ahead to check whether they have suitable options and are aware of cross contamination. Check that highchairs provided have been cleaned properly. Ensure staff are aware of your child’s allergy every time you visit, even if you have been there before. Some restaurants have allergy menus or clearly state the allergens in their foods. If you ask about whether a meal contains an allergen, the restaurant should know this information, and be able to give you an answer. If they cannot, do not eat there.
Cross contamination
Good handwashing before eating is always good practice. It can also help your allergic child to be even safer. If an allergen has been touched, it can be washed away before they put their safe food in their mouth.
Make sure friends and family are aware of your child’s allergy, as some children can react from touching or kissing a person who has come into contact with an allergen.
Be prepared
If your child’s allergic reactions require medical treatment, ensure that these are always with your child, particularly when eating.
There is an abundance of recipes online, and many of which are appropriate for various food allergies. Have a good search online for allergen free recipe ideas. This will help you with new ideas, and also help you to expose your child to a good variety of foods, in a safe way.
Allergy UK is a good online resource for reliable allergy information.
If you have any questions or would like some support, please get in touch. For more information on allergies try my other blogs in the allergy section.