Anaphylaxis Baby & Toddler Group

[Hillary]

Would anyone be interested in setting up a Baby & Toddler group for Anaphylaxis sufferers?

Hi- I ran a group where we were very aware of allergy. Had fruit- no biscuits, fruit juice not squash. I nade all the playdough ( incl gluten free version) and made gluten/dairy/nut/egg free biscuits to decorate. Where abouts are you?
btw dd1 has nut allergy and ds had egg/milk and nut allerhy.

I'm in Stevenage area, it's so difficult isn't it i went to my local toddler group and they couldnt guarantee that there wouldn't be egg or nut free foods there as other children and mums bring their own foods etc. they said the children wouldn't eat fruit as they were used to biscuits.

So many people are anaphylactic now i'd be prepared to start something up, i think there wold be people fighting to get in.

It would safeguard any triggers and we would be able to realx.

When i took my daughter for her 2 year check i asked if there was such a thing and they said no!

APart from formula we strongly discouraged any other food -as in food from outside and we wrote to all the parents/carers and built it into our toddler guidelines. The fact they are 'used to biscuits' is a pretty poor excuse IMHO!!!

Hi just joined Mumsnet; I have a 3 year old daughter with nut and egg allergies and thought I'd let you know about a great new range of allergy awareness products called 'star allergy alerts'.You can order online at www.starallergyalerts.com.au.
The range offers badges, stickers and t-shirts in bright colours with cute characters that kids will love to wear. Perfect for Day Care, Toddler Groups, School, Camps, Parties, Sleepovers; anywhere really...

Hi, I just joined today - I have 14 year old severely nut allergic daughter.

As I said on another thread, I've grown up with this damn allergy thing for 12+ years, it's amazing though that some things don't change in all that time.

You'll find nurseries are very reluctant to feed allergic children - they have their reputations to watch and usually insist you take in your own food for the child.

It's the litigious society we live in these days, albeit that we should put the welfare of the child first ie. education and welfare but it doesn't work like that in the real world!

I wish you success with a B & T anaphylaxis group but I honestly doubt it will work - we have to learn to integrate these children into a "normal" environment - I've managed to do so over the years, my initial reaction upon nut allergy diagnosis was to wrap her up in cotton wool - but it doesn't work. They have to learn, as they get older, to integrate and socialise and take responsibility. If anything this allergy thing makes better kids of them they can sus out if other kids are trying to trick them into eating something they shouldn't or name callling - it's all part of growing up but, believe me, it does get a little easier as time goes on.

I think the most likely to benefit of that group are the mums. Having a place where you can exchange information about how to cope with severe allergies while your children play safely around sounds like a great idea. But I also agree with Kee, children have to learn to cope and take care for their own allergies (little by little over several years). It breaks my heart when DS asks me if he didn't have such allergy he would be able to eat what the other children are eating, but unfortunately that's the truth and by building a perfectly safe environment I would not be protecting him but making him believe that he could eat anything all the children have which could be somewhat dangerous.

Anyways, I know that after the climbing frame incident you are bound to feel more vulnerable, I would too, but for our sake and the one of our children we need to try to break through our fear and allow ourselves to trust the environment again. I know it's difficult but there's a whole life to live out there. Many hugs Hillary.

Welcome Ke

please bear in mind you may not be able to post freely here in future

Chandravilla - many thanks for the kind welcome.

Zippizappa - were you referring to me specifically with your comments or to us all in general?

Hi there everyone!

I'm Back!! - in the middle of moving home pulling hair out, boxes, children, workman everywhere!!

I thank everyone for their comments - i'm looking forward to starting up this group i think it will be time off for everyone involved, a chance to get advice from other mums & dads, have a moan, exchange tips etc especially good for new mums with anaphylactic children/babies who are scared and need chilling out.

We do need to have faith in our comunity but sometimes its difficult as our comunity are fully aware of a diebetic or the classic nut allergy but when it comes to the word anaphylactic they simply stare with a glazed look! yet an anaphylactic sufferer needs their epipen like the diabetic needs their insulin, maybe not in exactly the same way but it still poses a life threatening situation if they dont get it!

We need to educate our community, we need to encourage our children to play within it but we also need time off! Thats what i'm hoping this group will achieve - time out! an hour where you can let your child play whilst you have a sit down and a natter like all those other mums & dads who don't have anaphylactic children do.

KE - to say you doubt it will work is a little negative surely its better to try and fail than not to try at all!

I'm off to load up more boxes!!!!!

By the way I'm starting this club in SOUTHEND-ON-SEA so if theres anyone posting from there I'l see you soon! (grin)

Good luck with the group however make sure you have excellent public liability insurance - just in case!

Kee

Having been part of various policy writing groups can I suggest that any literature you produce says something along the lines of 'whilst we are working toward providing a safe environment for allergy sufferers we cannot guarrentee that we can say we are a nut free group(Insert whatever allergies you are protecting against). We have just wriiten aguidelines for church which is a public building so other users may inadvertantly bring nuts onto the premises etc and you would not necessarily know about them. Just trying to help.

Good Advice Cheers Guys!

I shall word it carefully, was planning on holding it at my new house which is totally free from triggers but you never know.