Is it okay for DC to have peanut butter for breakfast?

[TwentyOneTwentyTwo]

I took my son to nursery today and as I was saying bye I mentioned in passing that he'd got peanut butter in his hair this morning. The teacher seemed worried and asked if it was still in there. I said no, maybe there's a tiny bit. I'd got it all off but hadn't washed his hair. She said it's probably fine it's just she had a nut allergy. As I was walking back though, I thought maybe it's irresponsible to give him peanut butter in the morning? He has it every morning really and now I'm worried he could make someone ill. How much should I worry about it? I have no idea how much allergen is on him. And even on a bus or in a shop or something it could hurt someone maybe. I guess it's more concerning for a toddler because they are such messy eaters, it could be anywhere on him really.

What if the allergy sufferer is a child? Such ignorance.

It is the same as pollen but it can be way worse. Some people are so bad that a few airborne particles can hospitalise them, or worse.

I think in your position I'd rethink him having PB for breakfast on nursery days and let them know that so the allergy sufferer can relax around your child.

I am very educated in this topic

I think you've shown otherwise.

Very much not ignorant.
You then educate the child as much as possible and have to be extremely rigid and focused on who is responsible for the care of the child.

Right...my Doctors would disagree but go on then.

This is becoming quite laughable now @AskingforaBaskin
Have you ever tried to "educate" a baby/toddler/small child on such a topic? My DD had her first reaction at 6 months and now at 3 years old she does know that she can't have nuts as they make her poorly but seriously? You think it's a young child's responsibility to manage rather than the adults knowingly sending their kids to nursery having eaten peanut butter on the basis that they don't like being told what their child can and can't eat?! For someone who's said it's a topic they're well educated on you've certainly shown otherwise.

But not necessarily relevant here. There are signifìcant differences in the incidences of different allergies in different countries, possibly related to different diets and presumably to genetic factors too.

For instance, peanut is the commonest legume allergy in the UK (peanuts are not nuts and the allergy should not be categorised as "nut allergy" as the most likely cross sensitivity is with other legumes) but others, such as lentil allergy are relatively rare here. Go to Spain, and you'll find lentil allergy is well recognised, with peanut allergy being less common there. So global data isn't really that useful.

My teenage son has had multiple allergies all his life, some IgE mediated, some non IgE mediated and is anaphylatic to all tree nuts, peanuts and several other legumes and sesame. I expect things to be accurately labelled, restaurant servers to know what's in their dishes and if I ask, for people not to serve those allergens when we are in their homes etc. But the responsibility for avoidance is primarily ours. We can't expect the rest of the world to stop eating things he might react to, or to magically know about his allergies. In this particular scenario I would say that the nursery worker has a responsibility to ask parents not to give their children peanut if her allergy is sufficiently severe, and the parents have a responsibility to respect those requests. But I don't think people should be expected to avoid a perfectly normal food because there might be an issue.

Yes I have.

I think its the adults responsibility

But you ate arguing with emotions I am stating fact.
You can't control others so plan for that

As should the nursery worker

But not necessarily relevant here.

You know what, I provided some example links to a demanding poster. But they weren't good enough, then I provided a UK link... Peanut allergy is the leading cause of food product triggered anaphylaxis deaths in the UK too, whaddayaknow.

It's not about trying to control others though it's asking them to avoid allergens when their child is mixing with someone who is allergic. It's not a lot to ask to save someone's life but the attitudes on this thread are disgusting.

Imagine thinking your kid being entitled to eat peanut butter that day is more important than another child's life. Unbelievable.

You say this but my evidence states otherwise

I am stating fact

Like your facts re dairy...?

I don't. But in a larger society there will be arguments where they believe their needs higher.

So plan accordingly

You say this but my evidence states otherwise

No, I don't say this, the research compiled says this, and you have not provided your 'evidence'.

Yeah you've said that quite a few times now @AskingforaBaskin but as I've stated already my child's care plan includes 2 epi pens, which do not always work. So I can plan that she needs to have them in an emergency and she still might die because of the piss poor attitudes of people like yourself who think it's a 3 year old child's responsibility to make sure no one else kills her with something she's allergic to. I'm not engaging with you any further, there's clearly no point.

food.blog.gov.uk/2021/02/18/food-anaphylaxis-in-the-uk-what-weve-learnt-by-analysing-national-data/

The allergens causing the most fatal allergic reactions

Perhaps surprising to some, it was cow’s milk, and not peanuts or tree nuts, that was identified as the allergen responsible for the most fatal reactions.

A total of sixty-six deaths were reported in children from 1998-2018. 14% of these were caused by peanuts, 9% by tree nuts and 26% by cow’s milk.

Not read whole thread but I have seen a teacher frantically wipe down a child who arrived at school with PB on his face, due to the risk to another child with allergies.

so I’d probably avoid it.

Another question I have is - what about at the end of term / Christmas when you give the teacher a (sealed) box of chocolates? Does that also present a risk if some of the chocolates have nuts in them? Even if the teacher is going to take them home unopened (or do they open them in staff room)?

Staff werent allowed to bring any food with nuts in and they werent allowed nuts for breakfast before going to work

I wonder how enforceable this really is. You can't reasonably insist that people don't eat certain things in their own homes, an employer can only ask.
What happens if there's someone with a nut allergy snd someone else with a dairy one?
Fair enough to make the workplace but free but assuming everyone will comply with not feeding their dc nuts or dairy at home would create a false sense of security and might get unworkable anyway, if there is more than one person with different allergies in a setting.

A grass allergy can't kill you, can it!!

Nobody's asking you to give anything up, just to not consume it around nut allergy sufferers.

If that's something you wouldn't be prepared to do if asked then that's about as selfish as you can get.

louisa your language is quite disturbing. You still 'this could result in my child being killed by another child'. What an awful thing to say. Severe nut allergy is a terrible thing and my heart goes out to you, but if a child had inadvertently been given nuts and your child has a reaction, that does not mean that child has killed yours. No one at all is saying it's your child's responsibility, at 3, to ensure they stay safe. Baskin is simply highlighting that allergy free nurseries don't work, not least because many parents are simply too distracted or stupid to remember all the rules.

Yes - you obviously didn’t know before but now you do I’d be more careful.

Yes, this is really easy. Now we eat so many nuts in our house and my girl had nuts from day one of weaning. We don't know anyone with an allergy either, but if I'm going anywhere that is an event for children I just don't use peanuts at all on that day. She goes clean and doesn't touch nuts until home.

It's just sensible given that now every fourth child has a severe nut allergy.

It’s very different knowingly continuing now you know though isn’t it?

I mean my peanut allergy child eats dairy, and would eat say an ice cream whilst out playing in the garden with neighbours toddler. If their toddler was allergic to milk, no way would I let him have the ice cream and they would have to both have something else.

Your right there’s lots people can be allergic to, so can’t avoid them all. But if nursery / school staff member was highly allergic to something even unusual like oranges or sometime would just avoid giving to child once I know. It’s just being nice which isn’t a bad thing

Apologies that you find it disturbing but it's the reality that parents of children with nut allergies have to live with. I'm not suggesting another child would be murdering my child, but it could certainly be the actions of that parent sending their child covered in peanut butter that resulted in my child's death yes. You've chosen to be offended by the language I've used and spectacularly missed the point I've tried to make so well done. It's a very emotive subject for me as my child is so severely allergic and I won't apologise for that.

I would happily avoid giving my kids PB for breakfast if someone looking after them with an allergy asked me to.