Training another school on Friday

[tatt]

oldest has just started a new school and their last refresher training in using epipens was 4 years ago. The first aider didn't seem confident about using one. So I've arranged refresher training and am attending it this week (to make sure it happens and see the lastest video with the new way to give a pen). I'm taking an out of date pen and an orange in case anyone wants a more realistic go than the trainer pen.

Anyone any suggestions?

No suggestions tatt but I will be watching this thread v carefully. My ds (2) has severe allergies and I will be crossing this bridge in a couple of years. I have not yet dared to place him anywhere. I have trust issues with this still.

mymama it is scary but as your child gets older you'll become more relaxed about it. When I was worrying about whther my child could have a biscuit with a "may contain nuts" warning the parent of an older nut allergic child said "mine will react quickly", handed her a biscuit, said try that and then told me they were safe. Can't imagine me ever doing that. I do try to follow the anaphylaxis campaign advice to think of it as as crossing the road but where there is back up (epipen) if training fails. I know that the kids are more at risk from other parents bad driving than their allergies. Doesn't mean I don't have to make sure that there's always someone who know how to use the pen but it does help a little.

tatt I trust myself and the epipen I just get really frustrated at the lack of education/concern/understanding from others. I have only being doing this for 17 months.

mymama - I have relaxed noticably in the last 6 months since ds started talking fluently, and bing able to reliably tell me stuff that happened in the past. (ds is 2.5)

I have a major issue with ds's nursery, but have compromised on just sending him after lunch 2 afternoons a week until it is resolved.

I have started to let my MIL look after ds (well I had too really as I was in hospital with pneumonia) but I only let her prepare and feed him 1 meal.

Tatt - good luck with everything.

bobbybob what are your ds's allergies/how severe??? My main concern at mo is egg and nut. My daycare centre that ds1 goes to is fabulous - constant epipen training etc as already have a few severe allergy children (inlcuding grasses/trees etc. However are unable to ban nut products and all children eat together at little tables etc so until ds2 gets a little older (and less messy with eating) I am not keen to leave him.

Why can't they ban nut products?

I get a little upset seeing ds sat all on his own at the head of a table flanked by a teacher on either side, but it's better than the alternative - which is not to go at all.

My ds has never grabbed other people's food, especially if it is something he is allergic to.

Our main issue is that he is allergic to latex, which means that other activities (playing with balls, collage with PVA glue) are an issue. He is also allergic to peanuts and eggs.

why can't they ban nuts at your daycare centre? They are banned at many primary schools in Britain. In a friend's school one of the teachers has a severe allergy and the parents have been asked not to send in anything that may contain nut traces. They've been given a list of suitable snacks. I've never known one prepared to do that where its a child with an allergy but most do ban actual nuts and items containing them.

Gues you're not in Britain (daycare) but we have anti-disability and health and safety legislation that can be used to help get a ban.

First aiders aren't allowed to administer medication

Crikey, is there no legislation that insists training in the use of epipens should occur more frequently than every 4 years???????

they may not be allowed to administer medication elsewhere but the teacher I spoke to said she'd be the first port of call at this school. I'm not going to start arguing about it if she's willing to be trained.

I am a senior TA and first aider and administer a variety of meds at work.We are a SEN school but my daughters school can administer emergency meds.

You aren't insured though.

Are you sure? if so, do that means that, in order to be insured, schools should promise not to administer life saving treatment to a child in extreme distress? if that's not first aid, I don't have a clue what is... Besides you sign a form to authorise the school to use the medicine in case it's needed.

If we are authorised by parents and had appropriate training.
One thing we administer is rectal valium and midazolam(sp?) ,if we didn't the child may end up in hosp extremly ill if they don't get meds asap, this is the same as epipens could be life or death.

tatt - no legislation in place to ban nut or nut products. They have asked parents not to send them though - which of course nobody really listens to. I don't know where I sit on th whole banning debate. Has anyone read Linda Coss's book on How To Manage Your Child's Life-Threatening Food Allergies (thoroughly recommend). There is plenty of info in it about dealing with daycare/schools/airlines etc etc etc.

bobbybob - latex would be extremely difficult. I feel so very lucky to only have the egg and nut (never thought I would say that - can still remember crying all the way home after first skin prick tests).

haven't read the book, might see if it's in the library.

I think primary schools should ban nut products from schools, especially as children now start at 4 and some children are not given nuts until age 5. I have campaigned for bans to be intriduced in primary. I'd be happier if secondary schools banned them too, or at least banned them at parties but I'm not going to try and get a general ban introduced. By the time they reach 11 you have to have done some preparation to live in a world with nuts everywhere. However as mine still isn't very good about handwashing the contamination risk is worrying.

Apparently they heat up peanuts in a science lesson. They will use a substitute for a lesson with a nut allergic child but asked me if she would have any problem with breathing fumes if her class were there next lesson. She won't but she could pick up traces from the burners/ desks.

tatt book is brilliant. Real life experience accounts (her son was extremely allergic to milk,eggs,nuts). It brought up some things I hadn't thought of. If you can't find the book in the library search Linda Coss on the web and she appears on many websites.

found a website with sample pages but as its us based I don't think it would be worth me buying now. Maybe the anaphylaxis campaign should do an english one as a fundraiser.

mymama - no there is no legislation to ban nuts - but there is human rights legislation about the right to an education and not discriminating on the grounds of a disability.

I am using it at the moment (in NZ).

I know of a kindy where they have told parents they will throw away anything that contains a peanut - and they do.

bobbybob - that kindy sounds great. The general concensus here is that they ask parents not to send them but they don't enforce it. There has not been enough education and media attention to bring it to that level yet I suppose. I have read your thread about your prob with your son's child care. Hope everything goes well for you.

They have to enforce it, and I can't understand why the thought of a kid have an anaphylactic reaction isn't enough to make someone throw a peanut butter sandwich away.

Probably because they don't know or understand what anaphylaxis is. To be honest, before ds2 was "diagnosed" I had heard of peanut allergy and the severity but I did not realise it is not just a case of not eating nuts!! When my ds1 was getting christened (before ds2 born) the priest came for morning tea and I put out banana muffins with peanut butter in the recipe. He took one bite and asked if it had nuts in it and I said "but only one tablespoon in the whole recipe". His mouth had started to tingle. We went on with our morning tea with no further incident and I thought nothing more of it. I bet he was sitting there quite stressed about it though!!! I now fully understand.