School allergy policy and cosmetics - AIBU to think this is overkill?

@Ontarioontario yes, I've read quite a lot about airborne allergies and it seems as if there is very little evidence to support the idea yet it's widely believed to be a common problem. I'm sure it's not impossible but certainly not as common as is believed. It's now thought the majority of in flight reactions to nuts/peanuts have not been airborne at all, but due to residue on seats, tray tables etc. Turn around times are so short these days that proper cleaning isn't done very often, so a peanut allergy sufferer is probably more at risk if someone ate a bag of peanuts in their seat on the flight before than from a passenger in another part of the plane opening a bag on the same flight. Cleaning the seat, especially the arms, and tray table is probably the most important thing to do to prevent in flight reactions.

You can’t guarantee a ‘whatever allergen’ free school. It’s not possible. Look at what happens when schools ban junk food. Parents would pack the stuff just because they’ve been told not to.

My comment was just offering a reason as to why some schools choose to go nut free. It’s easier for them to manage as a blanket approach.

I’ve taught in nut free and non nut free schools. Parents put what they want into lunch boxes and no one is checking them as they come through the door. Add that to ‘May contain nuts’ which is now on virtually everything.

I’m not campaigning for an ‘x allergen’ free school. Like I’ve said, my 3 year old knows he can’t eat food from other people (unless it’s me or his dad, or nursery) and as he grows up we will continue to help him manage his allergy, but at the same time school have a duty of care to prevent those children with allergies being exposed to them. So far only one hospital admission and I want to keep it that way.

Airborne allergies are less common (I hesitate to say rare because there’s a question about how much of this is down to careful allergy management in limiting exposure) but do exist. How schools choose to do that is up to them. No one has to follow school rules. If people don’t like them they are free to send their kids elsewhere.

Why would kids need to take skincare products or cosmetics into school? They are only there for a few hours a day.

@LauraNorda

What an absolutely ridiculous response. I'm sorry, but you clearly don't have a child with an allergy (and you also seem to be lacking empathy).

Do you think most working parents are able to home school?

Schools keep children with food allergies safe, in a similar way to how they help those with SEN and how they care for kids with other medical issues like asthma. It is very achievable.

Even if parents could home educate, would this be a suitable education and life experience, equal to that of the child's peers, regardless of who the home educator is?

My god though it must be an absolute fucking nightmare as a parent to have a child with an allergy that could kill them at any time. I don’t think I’d ever sleep for the worry of it.

Don't you think then, that it's strange that not only do all the main allergy charities not only not lobby for "free from" schools, but actively advise against this policy? If there was evidence that this type of strategy did actually save lives then one would surely expect the organisations who promote allergy awareness/safety would be pushing this agenda. But they don't. Because it's not the best approach.
The false sense of security doesn't only apply to the children, it applies to the staff too. It's impossible to police a free from policy 100% consistently and it's more dangerous to think that your school is nut/seed/whatever free than to acknowledge that it isn't and learn how to manage that. I mean obviously you'd expect them to be sensible about it - I'd not be impressed if my DS's class had been asked to make nut roast in a cookery lesson for instance - but you cannot eliminate allergens completely and consistently.
My DS had his first anaphylactic reaction when he was less than 2 years old and by the time he came to start school we had identified a further 5 potentially life threatening allergens so I was initially quite alarmed to discover that the school didn't have a "free from" policy. But both his Consultant and everything I have read from reputable sources reassures me that this is in fact the most sensible approach.

Your child may have a right to state provided education but a nut allergy does not confer any additional rights that infringe on or over-ride anyone elses rights.

If you were THAT concerned you have the option of home education but that would start to inconvenience you and I think you would baulk at that, wouldn't you?

Yes I've seen that before.

I once saw a woman incensed that a man was feeding nuts to the squirrels in the park. That's not a healthy level of anxiety to be passing on to her DC and I suspect stems from nut free schools and a false sense of security, and then poor risk assessment in the real world.

There’s a big misunderstanding that allergies can be serious or mild. Reactions can be serious or mild, but someone can have mild reactions to an allergen and then without warning have anaphylaxis. All allergies are potentially fatal.

School don’t have to disclose if or which child has an allergy, in fact they aren’t allowed to due to GDPR legislation. They can’t even say there’s a kid in the class with an allergy because of the potential for identifying them. You don’t have a right to know other people’s medical history, but that shouldn’t be a requirement for you to follow a request like this.

“and this is a very legitimate risk I think) they go to secondary school and suddenly people have peanut butter sandwiches and that experience crippling anxiety because they've never learned how to be safe around their allergen.”
@CelesteCunningham you are right ,this has actually been identified as an issue in research with people with peanut allergy, as their anxiety response to being around peanuts and their fear of airborne risk is actually more triggering of symptoms than what is triggered by the peanuts themselves… “AbstractBackground: Allergic reactions to food allergens usually occur after ingestion. However, fear of reactions to airborne peanut is a common concern for people with peanut allergy. There are no scientific reports on severe reactions with airborne peanut allergen.”

If someone has a very severe allergy which could be fatal then I absolutely think every student should refrain from using that product but not a blanket ban just in case.

By the time they are at secondary school they are old enough to understand they can’t do this and why not.

No one is saying don’t teach your kids how to be safe, you are being deliberately obtuse here. Mine isn’t even at school yet and he knows he can’t just take food from anyone. We are broken records about this because we don’t want our children to die. He only has safe food everywhere he goes because due to his age we and nursery can manage this, yet he still knows.

None of the allergic kids I taught had ‘crippling anxiety’ about their allergy. Their parents have been drumming it into them from a young age because we know that the general public will use any excuse whatsoever rather than accept allergies kill and just try to be a bit considerate when in contact with allergy sufferers.

And when they go to secondary school and unthinkingly take a bite of their friend's lunch because they're accustomed to only being around safe foods?

Or (and this is a very legitimate risk I think) they go to secondary school and suddenly people have peanut butter sandwiches and that experience crippling anxiety because they've never learned how to be safe around their allergen.

Completely agree with this.

The way to throw a bomb into any peanut/nut allergy group is to state (truthfully!) that you're very grateful your child's allergy is to peanuts as they're so easily avoided.

The misapprehension that nut and peanut allergies are more severe or special does my head in.

That level of milk allergy must be very difficult to live with.

However many schools are nut free because having a child die on premises is far worse than creating a false sense of security.

Haven't RDTFT but you're definitely not BU.

My DS has many anaphylactic food allergies and I'd never expect this level of "protection".

Frustratingly, he's highly allergic to dairy (anaphylaxis from it being steamed nearby and hives if it touches skin) and it wouldn't ever be removed as a food source. I completely understand why. However, it then does frustrate me that a school is banning castor oil!!

There's a thing called "peanut privilege" whereby nuts (and sometimes seeds) are actively prioritised over other allergens. Quite unfair as dairy is actually the food responsible for most anaphylaxis deaths in under 18s.

‘Reasonably priced’ I’ve heard it all now. What monetary value do you find acceptable? I’m just curious to know how much my child’s life would be worth to you, and how much exactly is too expensive if it puts another child at risk?

My response was based on the poster insinuating that parents are selfish to try to prevent their children being exposed to an allergen that could kill them.

Come back when your child has been blue lighted to hospital because someone thought having a nutty snack or cosmetics were more important than not potentially killing the person next to them.

When this happens we have to use inhalers, inject our child twice with adrenaline, give them antihistamines and call 999, while fucking PRAYING (whether we believe or not, it’s amazing how quickly you find a belief in God when it’s life or death) it’s enough to keep them alive. This doesn’t stop the allergy, it just buys us time to get our child to hospital where hopefully they don’t die. It’s not the same or in any way comparable to managing ASD sensory issues. I genuinely couldn’t care less if you think my response was rude.

Families on low incomes will be entitled to FSMs, and beans are an excellent source of protein. I do agree these measures should only be taken in schools where children have airborne allergies, but if they need to be taken, they should be.

‘Reasonable adjustments’ are not bringing nuts into school in your lunchbox. Not policing what shampoo and moisturiser someone uses at home. If the child really is THAT allergic that they will react if someone has moisturised with castor oil the day before, I agree with pp that they shouldn’t be in mainstream school, sorry.

Which many are more expensive and so not good for low income families, and also lots of vegan products contain nuts. Then what about the other allergies which are common? Eggs, gluten, soya? What if there’s a nut allergy, dairy allergy, soya allergy and a celiac? Which is more important? Surely all allergens or none should be banned, and it wouldn’t be possible for all to be banned.

Exactly, allergen bans aren't the way to go for the vast majority of children with allergies, including those with anaphylaxis.

I have a DD with a peanut allergy, I think it's important she learns the sensible precautions to keep herself safe at a young age. If we were to make home, school and after school club completely peanut free I would worry about her making the adjustment as she grows.

This particular case with the cosmetics is well worth a friendly chat with school.

OP - from the Allergy Uk website :

‘No nut’ policies and allergen bans

Many parents and schools try to implement a ‘ban’ certain foods (such as nuts) from school premises. However, we do not recommend a ‘no nut policy’ in schools, as it is not possible to guarantee and enforce a nut free zone, as staff cannot monitor all lunches and snacks brought in from home. A free from environment creates a false sense of security and does not safely prepare children for environments where nuts may be present. School would need to consider other children with different food allergies and it is not practical to restrict them all. Therefore, school’s should have procedures in place to minimise risk of reaction via cross contamination.

Why is no dairy too far? Some people are allergic to dairy- is so hard to have a dairy-free lunchbox? Your kids can glug milk by the gallon at home if they want to.

Read the advice on allergy uk. Banning foodstuffs in schools is not best practise.

Better to promote food checking, clear labelling, good standards in food preparation, no sharing and handwashing. The world is full of dairy, nuts, gluten, soy, seeds, anything can be an allergen and its better to learn how to live safely with it.

It's only one meal, plenty of dairy free and vegan products are available.