School nut allergy policy

[PigeonPairinSomerset]

I’m fully prepared to back down on this one but keen to know if anyone supports my view - our school has a nut free policy which I know is common. I am aware how severe these allergies can be in some cases. At our school however , there are children who would only have an allergic reaction if they actually ate food containing nuts. Some of my children’s favourite foods are peanut butter and houmous, which they can’t have in their packed lunches. AIBU to think that the school could just encourage kids not to share food? And for the parents of those affected kids to teach their kids not to eat their friends’ food?! I feel like some really healthy options for my kids are now off the table.

@CelesteCunningham do you have evidence of this?

This is not my experience with my son's nut allergy

Any airborne allergies that trigger ige reactions should be treated the same.

I think nuts are more commonly known for ige reactions whereas typically egg and dairy are non ige. Although obviously there are always exceptions.

Teen DD is anaphylactic to a couple of types of nut. Her primary and secondary schools both have nut-free policies, which has meant she didn't feel worried about being exposed to nuts while at school and could fully enjoy her time. So naturally I am grateful that this policy has benefited my DD.

However, I do also understand the reasons given by the Allergy organisations for not recommending nut-free policies. There's a big world out there full of nuts, after all. And what about all the other people with severe allergies, no schools are instituting dairy-free, egg-free, etc policies are they?

<Wedges self firmly on fence>

My kids school is nut free which I fully support as my oldest has a serious cashew nut allergy. Luckily cashews are unlikely to be encountered as much as other nuts but I understand why it's necessary

https://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/fact-sheet/peanut-and-tree-nut-allergy/

Not my evidence obviously, but if you search "air" in this link you'll see a couple of relevant bits. Basically, unless the nuts are being ground (so there's lots of dust flying around), there's no evidence the protein becomes airborne.

So, a child eating a peanut butter sandwich doesn't present a risk of an airborne reaction, but does create a risk of a contact reaction as peanut butter is sticky and so traces will easily spread.

Both airborne and contact reactions are much less likely to be serious than reactions to ingestion, so that's where the risk mitigation needs to focus.

Egg and milk are very very common non ige allergies but can also be ige allergies, and obviously very hard to avoid. If you separate nuts and peanuts in the stats, milk causes more anaphylaxis than either (possibly just in children, I'm afraid I can't remember).

It's possible to keep children with other allergies safe without bans, there's a child in my youngest's nursery room who is anaphylactic to milk and they aren't milk free. They take other steps to keep her safe. So there's no need for nut bans, and they do create a complacency risk.

@CelesteCunningham that's really interesting thank you.

My son has peanut and dairy allergies. The dairy is non ige . The peanut is unusual in that he has a ige reaction but has never had a severe reaction (thankfully)

My understanding was that it could be airborne but I take on board your points about contact etc.

I guess schools have to weigh up factors like nutrition benefits re risk and what causes a reaction. With peanuts for my son it can be baked, ground in to something etc as well as peanut butter, peanuts etc. with ige egg or dairy would the allergy still present if baked in to a cake (as a contact allergy) or is it only if ingested. It would be a lot easier to say no eggs in egg form than to say no traces of egg thankfully.

I'd support a school banning any food products if the risk was justifiable. I understand peanuts are the popular one so a lot of places may blanket ban when there's no need.

*egg entirely not thankfully!

It’s not just about breathing in nut contaminated air, it is about kids and their behaviour. They swap lunches, my son (many epipen worthy food allergies) had someone wipe their PBJ all over his face and nearly killed him (high school). Little kids put their fingers in food and put their paws bloody everywhere even if they are not being malicious.

@autienotnaughty there's a lot of misconceptions about allergies out there, and sometimes allergy groups can be the worst for that.

Sounds like your DC's peanut allergy is similar to mine! We have epipens but the hope is we wouldn't need them even if she did eat something. I think everyone with a peanut allergy reacts to baked peanuts etc, it's not like egg or milk where you can do a ladder I don't think. Interestingly one exception is peanut oil which apparently most can eat but I haven't risked it yet!

Someone upthread mentioned peanut privilege and it's a real thing. We're eternally grateful our daughter's only allergy is to peanut - it's automatically taken seriously and so easily avoided. We've had a few friends over the years who were anaphylactic to trace amounts of egg or milk, they really struggled to be taken seriously.

Ffs. How there are even any people saying you’re not being unreasonable here is beyond me.

of course school should encourage not sharing food and allergy children should know not to trust random food. But school has to safeguard and can’t guarantee this. Your child’s like of a peanut butter sandwich doesn’t trump someone else’s life 🙄🙄🙄

OP accepted that about an hour after she first posted two days ago :)

I agree I'm very grateful my son has never had a severe peanut reaction and that it is taken so seriously. Luckily his dairy allergy is non ige as I agree people do not take it as seriously. A teacher once gave him a slice of chocolate cake and slt back her saying well it's not serious! And it isn't but he still shouldn't have to suffer!!

I do not give my dc peanut butter for breakfast on school days. We do not know who, but we do know that a child on his year has an airborne nut allergy. I would not take a chance on that. Plenty of time outside school for peanut butter.

I think there is also that misconception that nut allergies are the most serious allergy to have, which is not true. It’s anaphylaxis which is what is dangerous regardless of the trigger. There was a boy recently who had cheese thrown at him in a bullying incident and he had a dairy allergy and died. Nobody ever calls for schools to ban dairy ?

One of my dc had a severe allergy to egg which caused anaphylaxis - he was seated on the ‘allergy table’ at school , where some kids had cakes and egg containing foods but they all had nut allergies 🤦‍♀️

The cheese incident btw was in 2017, not exactly "recently".

The nut is not the most dangerous, but it is the one that is mostt widely spread that can cause anaphylaxis- I know a lot of people with asevere nut allergy but only one person with a not even severe egg allergy.

@Tulipsareredvioletsarebue

Actually, dairy is the leasing cause of anaphylaxis and death in those under 18 in the UK.
So obviously pretty pertinent when talking about schools.

Oh yes I must have forgotten that pre and post 2017 anaphylaxis was different 😳

Your knowledge of some with severe nut allergy and one with a ‘not even severe egg allergy’ is not exactly going to be an accurate representation of the full picture.

This. There was a thread about fragrance allergies and aeroplanes the other day. A very common allergy which can cause severe symptoms including anaphylaxis. The majority of posters did not give two shits and we're more concerned about not being able to wear their favourite fragrance than the fact than how it might risk and restrict the lives and health of people with fragrance allergies.

Not seen that thread, but surely that'd be harder to police (for want of a better word?)
I say this as someone who is full of allergies and intolerances myself.
Nuts in a school can be avoided.
Hoping all the staff and passengers on a plane comply and don't come stinking of perfume or strong products, not so much.

I have a severe egg allergy. My eyes swell shut if you were to cook one in the same room as me.
I don't even have to be eating one to react.
Severe egg allergies can be severe and/or fatal.
Doesn't take a leap of the imagination for me to think if eyes can do that, so could airways.

I agree it’d be much harder to police. My comment was more about the reference in attitudes on the two threads.