Epipens and babysitters

[Smithagain]

I'm so glad to find this board. We've been living with allergy issues for years, because DH is severely allergic to nuts, but having children with allergy issues creates all sorts of new issues.

My question is, if your child carries an Epipen, how do you approach things when you leave him/her with a babysitter?

DD1 is four. She has an Epipen for a bee sting allergy, and we also exclude nuts from her diet because of DH's allergy. She also carries Piriton syrup as her "first line of defence".

She is at school now and beginning to go round to friends' houses without me more often. So far, they have all been people I know well, but it's still a big thing to ask them to familiarise themselves with an Epipen. I have done some written instructions, which are in the case with her medicine. I leave the medicine with babysitters - tell them where the instructions are - and make sure they are clear about how to avoid giving her nuts.

I feel that I should make them more familiar with how the Epipen works, but really that requires a proper training session which there usually isn't time for. And I don't want to scare them unduly. I want DD1 to be safe - but I also want her to have the opportunity to go to other kids' houses without huge amounts of fuss.

What do you do?

Hi,
I dont't have any first hand experience of this except my VERY basic 1st aid training at work but I think you should explain to make you, the babysitter and you DD to feel and be safe!
Could you write basic insructions somewhere just in case!
If I remember rightly its IM isn't it? So surely a basic lesson on getting it onto a muscle i.e thigh is fairly simple and would be better than them being told nothing?

Hi Smithagain,
My ds is 4 also but not at school yet.He's allergic to nuts and has epipen etc.So far we've only left him with close friend that I have explained the use of the pen and supplied safe food if he's away from home.
I have used the dvd from the anaphylaxis campaign that explains how to deal with an emergency,but I agree it's a bit awkward asking a casual acquaintance to view it.I so far have avoided the going somewhere on his own so haven't any answers.

I will have to face it sometime and only let him go somewhere that I can feel able to "train" the other parent adequately.
Ds is quite good in that he won't eat anything without asking first but at 4 obviously can't be trusted yet.
Will watch this thread.

ps welcome to mumsnet!

I must add that we use 14yr old dd as our babysitter as she's been trained to use pen.

Hi Smithagain, i ordered a trainer epipen from the anaphylaxis campaign. This would make it quick and easy for you to show anyone how to use it.

Mell2 - what a good idea - I had forgotten you could get the trainer pens. That would make it much less scary - along with the written instructions (which I already provide) as backup.

I've recently done a first aid course that included the epipen, it was very interesting .

If its friends from school that she is now visiting why dont you organise a coffee morning to get to know some of the mums and at the same time have a training session with th epipen when you get the trainer pen.

If you are in the Surrey area I do babysitting .

another recommendation for the trainer pens - whenever I left mine I'd talk the adult through using it and ask them to actually try it out. Amazing how many people are really reluctant to put it against their leg, even when you've demonstrated it on yourself first.

Now I make my child show me they know what to do before they go somewhere new and I try and train their friends.