Not allowed nuts in school

[pingu2209]

A friend of mine is really concerned about a letter home from school and subsequent conversation. Her dd is very fussy and will only eat peanut butter sandwiches. It is a long battle for her and the doctor is very concerned about her weight as she eats very very little. Has to be white bread, no crusts etc. I would go as far as to say it is an eating disorder - she is 9.

Her eating has to be tackled and the mum is getting help. So far the specialist help has said that it is a good idea for her to eat peanut sandwiches as this is pretty much all she will eat and will give her nutriants etc. They said the key is to increase the types of food, rather than take away what little she does.

But the school has said nobody is allowed any nuts, inc. peanut butter sarnies, in school as there are a handful of children with severe nut allergies - that could kill them.

My friend is at a loss. She asked whether her daughter could eat her sarnies away from the allergic children. The school has still said no, just incase there is peanut butter on her fingers etc that the allergic children could accidentally get it on them.

Who is being unreasonable?

Totally agree with Valium

Of course the school's not being unreasonable!

Kids die from nut allergies

The child in question has other food options despite her disorder

If you google recipies to make marshmallow they have egg white in. Thi why anyone would go to the faff of making their own i do.not know. Shop bought dont have egg in.

Do they mean those tunnocks teac cakes? Its a biscuit base wuth marshmallow and then coated in chocolate. They sre quite nice! I would guess the biscuit base gas egg in?

Anyway.

I understand that allergies are horrible as i am allergic to pretty much all furry animals, straw, hay, grass, rape seed, dust mites and lots of pollens. I can avoid animals but the environmental ones i just have to manage. Thankfully not anaphylactic. It must be a very scary thing having a chikd that is and this thread shows its emotive.

But ultimatally the school do have a legal obligation to ensure the childs needs are met. You can argue that one is more serious than the other but ultimately the school.has to accomodate both pupils. Given that the official advice is not to ban a product i think the school need to look into their policy and try and sort some form of compromise.

There is advice on management and education that the school can get from the anaphylaxis campaign.

And calling the girl.fussy or sayingvthat she could eat etc is just belittling the problems a bit like some people do allergies, i have an inlaw who thinks allergies are a 'trendy fad' ans cant understand why i dont want her dog in my house. its wrong and shows a lack of empathy to belittle either someone with allergies or tge girl with food issues. Ultimately she is a child who has issues she is having medical specialist treatment for, legally those needs to be accomodated by the school.

proud the child will onlt eat those sandwiches or white grapes apoarently. Grapes are hardly going to provide enough energy for the school day.

More children die from ither foid related allergues than nut allergies. Dairy/eggs etc both big alkwrgens and are not banned.

Saying no.nuts doesnt necessarily make a school nut free. Si many parents dont know or think to check if stuff is nut free and i would bet plenty of schools thar think they are nut free have them in mschool on a daily basis in some form tbh.

Many schools manage children with anaphylaxis without banning nuts/other allergens.

This school dint have to lift yhe ban for everyone if they dont want to, they do.need to be able to accomodate this childs needs tho.

I do think a nut ban can create a sense of false security. I worked for a kids' summer camp once with a "hardline" company policy blanket nut ban. (We had to go through the camp rules with the kids every morning and this was a big one) The staff at that site didn't know that nutella had nuts in (the clue is in the name but still...) and of 30ish kids I would estimate about 10 had some variation of a nutella sandwich in their packed lunch.

Yes chocolate spread is one that many people forget tho schools healthy eating policies mean its not as prevelant in lunchboxes now maybe?

But how many kids have cereal bars and similar snacks? Lots of those can contain nuts and i bet most parents do not chrck the ingredients. Obviously if you have allergies or your child does then you do but if you have no experience of allergies you may well not realise the extent of foods that can have an allergen in thrm.

Sorry. I agree with the school

My ds is very very allergic to all nuts, peas, fish and raw egg. The nut one is the worst though. He looks like this about two hours after his reaction, and we've had to call ambulances as his tongue has swelled and he couldn't breathe (as at the time our GP thought I was exaggerating and refused an epi pen).

So, while I sympathise with the situation, I also have a fussy dd, and frankly, the more you give in and make an issue out of it, the more they will out right refuse to eat. A dietitian told me that refusing food s a part of childhood and if there is no medical reason to not eat a food group, you should keep trying. After all, she'll only do it for so long before she gets hungry enough to give in. Worked for us!

Just to reiterate-the op's friend's daughter is beyond fussy eating. She is receiving treatment for what seems from reading the op like a food phobia. If you left my nephew without food that he was okay with he wouldn't eventually just eat it. Gradually, with a lot of help he is eating a wider variety. And luckily for him the foods he is eating are allowed in school. It has taken me ten years of thinking he's fussy and that I could cure him in a week to realise that it's a bit more than that. The school has a duty of care to all its pupils.

Food phobia. Ridiculous. If you constantly pandering to kids, they will behave this way. There weren't food phobias, not when I was a kid.

Until I was 10ish I would only eat 6 different foods. Before I was 12 I had developed anorexia. I still have it now, aged 29. Food anxiety is not a small or a fake thing.

Unfortunately I can't see peanut butter remaining one of the things this poor little girl will eat if she is allowed to take it into school. There will be fuss, extra cleaning checks will be put in place and I wouldn't be surprised if starts seeing it as a dirty or dangerous food and will no longer eat it.

As it is the only calorific food with a good fat quantity in her diet I wouldn't be pushing for her to have it in school at all. I'd keep it at home where she can continue to enjoy it as a safe food.

I am with manic on this one, I developed bulimia in my teens and whilst this wasn't due to food as much as image issues and stuff that had happened as a child it is really serious and a life long condition even if well controlled as mine is. Mentally I will never be cured.

I don't think it is right to minimise the seriousness of food issues/phobias in children as this is a different issue to pandering to children with food.

Fellowship there were food phobias years ago (obviously I don't know your age), eating disorders have always been around. There are famous people that have suffered for years so 'normal' people must have also.

Don't forget eating disorders can kill too. I've known people die from eating disorders but not allergies.

The school have a duty of care to all children not just the allergic ones. Is anyone aware of a child with anaphylaxis having died from traces of allergen on a food phobic clasmate's skin?

I had food issues myself as a child (although not as severely as the case in question) and I assure you that there is more to it than fussiness. I simply could not tolerate certain foods in my mouth and the sensation of them would cause me to retch or even vomit. If I could have eaten them I would have done.

Don't forget eating disorders can kill too. I've known people die from eating disorders but not allergies.
Lena Zavaroni and Karen Carpenter just two of many

Never heard of either of them bruffin. I wasn't saying that allergies don't kill but that I've not known anybody die from one.

Those of you who are saying that this child has other options are wrong. If it were that simple she would be eating something else. If you've not suffered food issues or psychological illness you can't imagine what its like for her.

If the school cannot meet the needs of both this girl and the children with nut allergies then they are inadequate and failing in their duty of care. They should be getting expert advice on how they can meet both children's needs not simply saying "We can't help one because it may jeopardise the other."

We should not be debating which is the more serious condition as both can kill.

The effect of not having her pb sandwiches is almost certain to have serious effects on the girl's health and could kill her. Unless she is planning to sit by an allergic child whilst eating or kiss them afterwards I'd say that the benefits of having the one calorific food she can eat outweigh the risks.

From the UK Anaphylaxis website:

"Should parents insist on a school being a peanut-free zone?

Generally speaking the Anaphylaxis Campaign would not necessarily support ?peanut bans? in all schools. Schools do however have a duty of care to all pupils, so need to have procedures in place to minimise the risk of a reaction occurring in a food-allergic child. Schools may wish to write to parents asking for their cooperation in making life safe for allergic children. Call our Helpline Tel: 01252 542029 for more advice."

Perhaps your friend could call them to see if they have any ideas on how to help the situation?

proud i agree totally. The school are failing in their responsibility for this child. Yes there is an issue re allergy but as the official advice us not to ban then i realky think the school need to work out a way to accomodate both children and they have a duty to do si.

If the ht is simply dismissing this child as a faddy eater he needs to be educated and then get the appropriate information so he can accomodate the needs of both children.

ProudAS

I was agreeing with you
Both Karen Carpenter and Lena Zavaroni both died from the consequence from Anorexia.

They were both well known singers of their time

Lena Zavaroni

Am a bit surprised you havent heard of The Carpenters

However there was a 17 year old that died from nut allergy in the last few weeks. He ordered from a chain of chinese that he had used before and assumed they used same ingredients in every branch, but this one used nuts in that particular shop. It was clearly mentioned on the menu, but they assumed it would be the same.

Bruffin they were the two people I was thinking of when someone said that food phobias did not exist when they were a child.

Im 50 and there were at least 2 girls with anorexia in my year at school.

I think anorexia and bulimia and other food issues are on the rise amongst children actually and also in teen boys. There has been some stuff in the media about it recently.

Sorry Bruffin - I have heard of the Carpenters but didn't put two and two together. I had friend die from anorexia in her early twenties.