Another nut allergy rant

[Podmog]

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[lucy5]

Its infuriating! Ive been banging on about allergies at my school since last september. They are not taken seriously. One boys epipen is stored in the doctors office in a locked cupboard down a corridoor and one flight of stairs down. I told primary head that this was unnacceptable especially because the Doctor is very rarely in her office. I said it should be in the classroom but was told that insurance didnt cover teacher administering it. Soo i asked for training, still havent had any. So far the little boy, who is allergic to egg and nuts has been given tortilla, luckily he realised it had egg in it and only had the tiniest mouthfull and luckily didnt react too badly. This week he was given, flan a bit like egg custard. He had a terrible reaction, the people on duty did not know the number for emergancy services, luckily his mum lives over the road and came over. At this point he didnt look too bad was just starting to throw up. I say this because he then had to be rushed to hospital, swelled up like a balloon and had to have an adrenline drip. What have the school done about this? Put his photo up in the staffroom. What is it going to take for them to learn? I am fed up of hitting my head against a brick wall, I dont know why they wont listen.

[lucy5]

just bumping for you pod!

[Podmog]

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[scotlou]

You're situation with school sounds bad - I've no experience of any allergies but wanted to know - my dd's nursery recently informed us taht since one of the children's mums had a bad nut allergy we were not to put any foods that might contain nuts in the kids packed lunches. I thought that was a bit excessive - are they right?

[serenity]

No it's not, if her allergy is really bad.

One of the boys in our school ended up on life support after he rifled through a pack of cards in June that had last been used the previous christmas by people who had been eating nuts whilst playing. I'd imagine that wouldn't be as fresh as a child putting peanut buttery hands on her child's lunch box, school bag, whatever and it then transferring onto the mum after school. Our school is completely nutfree, and I think that all schools with allergy sufferers should be too.

[tatt]

If a child has a very bad peanut allergy they may react even to traces of peanut protein in the air. Fortunately that is rare but if a child who has eaten nuts holds hands/ passes a book to or has any other contact with an allergic child they can give them a reaction. The reaction can be a rash or if the nuts reach their mouth it could be life threatening. So banning all nuts from packed lunches is not excessive if there is someone with a severe allergy. Peanut doesn't wash off with just water, either, so it can be on small children's hands even after they have "washed" them.

It would not do any harm now to speak to one of the parent governors. You may find that there are other allergic people at the school they don't know about. It also helps to refer to the new guidance for schools on medical needs (new because it was updated recently). Mentioning their obligations under health and safety legislation doesn't hurt either.

I know you've done alot of letters for friends in the past but maybe time to remind the others child's parent too.

I think all playgroups and primary schools should ban nuts. As children get older they can be trained to cope with their allergy better, young children shouldn't be put under that pressure.

Podmog I have found my best ally is the school nurse. They will do the epipen training an if you ask nicely they will probably let you go along. Do go if you can to make sure it takes place. Also if you have old epipens/ another trainer pen they are good for practise. The nurse ususally takes one but with the staff haven't limited time the more you have the better. Make sure you get it back though.

[tatt]

sorry just realised that got a bit jumbled up. First bit was meant for scotlou, rest for Podmog but not in the order it appeared . The school nurse might be able to help lucy5 (if you aren't the school nurse ). The ananphylaxis campaign video is often show at epipen training where I am and can be useful. I offered to take mine to show the school governors but they changed the policy anyway when reminded about the health and safety legislation.

[Podmog]

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[tatt]

Yes I am in the UK. The document is here (cut and paste it, I don't do links)

www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4009756&chk=jK/pfO

Used to be available as a download on Dept Health or education site but they sent me one free of charge anyway. Got mine about 6 months ago, can't remember if it was from health or education but it's the same document.

there is also this education site

www.dfes.gov.uk/sickchildren/

but don't know if anything there would help.


Personally I wouldn't say the bit about hating anyone to have to adminster an epipen. I just say that even witnessing a reaction can be distressing and frightening for young children. Also wouldn't refer to disability commission yet, keep that for if you need to up the pressure.

What's your school nurse like? When we attended an anaphylaxis campaign meet up the regional contact would have helped us educate a school if necessary. Worth contacting yours to see if they will do the same.

[tatt]

Just looking back at what happened. Podmog what did the staff do about your daughter's reaction? Did she tell them or did they notice? You won't be able to make your child totally safe at school so you have to be confident about how the school will react if something goes wrong. Where was her epipen?

Now mine has moved to secondary I don't feel at all confident. I'm going to try and educate her friends as I find children are often more responsive.

[tatt]

been thinking about this some more. Do you think you'd feel happier if a personal letter went to all the children in your daughter's class, explaining what happened and asking them to take more care? Has the school talked to the children about why they shouldn't share food? Have you been told what cleaning takes place after lunch to remove food? At our school the staff had sprays that were used on the tables, but the floor wasn't cleaned all that well. That risk was one we had to live with. You could offer to host a session for parents about nut allergy but probably very few would turn up.

[Podmog]

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[tatt]

They are probably worried about human rights issues if they try to impose a total ban. I don't actually know how health and safety legislation fits with human rights issues so which would prevail. But bottom line is they would find it very difficult to "police" a ban. However you could suggest a "nutters" table for those who refuse to do without their nut sarnies -depends if you'd rather it be open or hidden. This child's parents knew about the problem and sent the child in with peanut butter so really you have to get to them.

If the head won't write now to all parents you could ask him if he would send out a personal letter from you. I'd be very open about how upset your child was, how unpredictable nut reactions can be, how lucky you were that this one wasn't more severe and how distressing it would be for their child if they witnessed a more severe reaction and had to live with having caused it. But this does have the drawback that your child will get invited out less often - you have to balance security against social isolation.

As far as the wider school goes your only option really is to involve governors/ LEA. Reminding them that children do not always know about nut allergy when they start school is probably the most effective argument. Hopefully the school nurse will be more supportive now your child has actually had a problem at the school, but again she may not see what can be done. If you phone and explain exactly what you want she may be more supportive.

In your place I'd probably have taken my kid out of the school - and messed up their truancy figures - until they'd had the epipen training. Schools hate to have unauthorised absences as the LEA ask questions

[Podmog]

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[bobbybob]

What DH's solution then?

[Podmog]

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[tatt]

sorry but I'd take her out of school, if dh didn't like it he'd have to lump it. I'd guess it isn't him who deals with the distressed child afterwards. Two exposures in what, a week, and they haven't had their epipen training yet? That's too much. You're with her by the pub and anyway that's not the same as a place where people who've been eating nuts can hold her hand. Was it the same child this time, another one or just traces on furniture?

Reminds me of that article in the anaphylaxis campaign mag which said the husband had a different attitude but he hadn't beeen to the doctor's appointments. Makes me wonder if yours has.

I would take her out of school and phone the LEA. I'd ask to speak to the education welfare officer and explain why my kid was out of school. I think its the EWO who's responsible for keeping kids in school. I'd also speak again to the school nurse.

[bobbybob]

No sorry, the whole "oh we go places all the time and nothing happens" argument pees me off.

Allergies are made worse by constant exposure - and twice in a week is pretty constant. You need school to be peanut free precisely so your dd can walk past pubs (and hopefully one day into them), go on planes and take a simple trip to the supermarket. You can't make everywhere peanut free which is why the school should be.

She is missing out on her education from feeling very sick twice in a week. Take her out, then is dh wants her to go back he can start writing the letters. All very well having his opinion, but you are the one doing all the work - let me guess you do the label reading, cooking and most of the worrying?

[Podmog]

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[bobbybob]

Bob goes back to nursery tomorrow, for his first full day since our own peanut debacle. I have a new mobile phone with a million hour battery and a million things to do!

Would be interested in any men coming forward saying they are primarily responsible for managing their child's allergies. There must be one out there...

[foxinsocks]

poor you podmog. I think half the problem is that other parents don't understand the severity of the issue. Dd went to someone's house last week - she's a very good eater but has an egg allergy (not anaphylactic). The woman (a doctor I kid you not!) gave her egg based pasta - the woman then mentioned that dd hadn't eaten very much because she said the food made her feel ill (in a tone that implied dd was putting it on). I mean ffs!

When you don't deal with severe allergies day in day out, I think it is easy to forget that one small slip up could potentially cause the death of a child. I would urge your headmaster to write a very stongly worded letter to ALL parents explaining this. It's not that hard these days to exclude nut containing foods.

[bundle]

podmog, our school has just put a stop to people bringing in party bags/birthday cakes for just this reason.

[tatt]

Was it the same child this time? I haven't heard the repeated exposure makes it worse bit, its sometimes suggested the reverse is true. Our consultant says its totally unpredictable but as any exposure could be fatal we're not about to try repeated exposure deliberately.

Obviously if the kids at school are bringing in peanut butter then you have a fight on your hands. We find most parents aren't aware of the risk from chocolate, ice-cream and breakfast cereal so our hand-out explicity mentions some of the dangerous lunch box things (like twix and mars bars) and the "safe" ones (like kitkat and wagon wheels).

[Podmog]

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[tatt]

the head may be doing more than he has let on but if you aren't aware of it other parents won't be either. I'd guess that means he's still negotiating it through the governors. It might actually help if you had a word with the parent governors, explained what you know of what the head is planning, explain how important it is to your child and offer to show them the anaphylaxis video. If you don't have one I could post you mine, you know how to contact me

I often wish I'd videoed mine when they had a bad reaction to show to other people. Not the thing you think about at the time, though.