{Guest Post} Allergies in Children: Beyond an Itch and a Sneeze

After my oldest had a reaction to peanut butter, my husband mentioned he had a peanut allergy as a child. I mentioned to the paediatrician that had I known this I would’ve avoided giving her peanut butter. He advised that allergies parents have, or don’t have, is not an indicator of an allergy that the child will or will not have. He told me that the best way to know is for a child to be exposed to an allergen, and/or to be tested.

EXPOSING YOUR CHILD(REN) TO ALLERGENS

One of the most important things you can do is to equip people with information about your child’s allergy and/or medical condition.

WHO NEEDS TO KNOW

The people who absolutely need to know about your child’s allergy are the ones who come into regular contact with your child, and who spends time with your child in your absence. This group includes: the grandparents, the aunts and uncles, fellow parents who invite your child for play dates or birthday parties, nannies and au pairs, child care givers at the day care and aftercare, teachers at school, instructors at extra murals.
Although it is important to make the adults aware who interact with your child regularly, it is equally important, perhaps even more important, to make your child aware of their own allergies.

HOW TO SPREAD AWARENESS

When it comes to spreading awareness amongst the adults your child comes into contact with, the simplest is just to talk about it. Don’t shy away from making people aware of your child’s allergy; there really is nothing to be ashamed of. When you are leaving your child with someone be sure to advise or remind them that your child has an allergy, and provide basic medication, your contact number and another emergency contact number.
If you are nervous about leaving your child with people, then ease into it by leaving your child with their grandparents first, or with your own siblings. You may feel more comfortable explaining the do’s and don’ts to close family. You may still have some reservations, this is normal, but the process becomes easier as you spread awareness.
If your child is at day care or school, be sure to complete the section on the registration/application form for medical conditions/allergies. If the allergy became known during the school year, then use the school message book and/or e-mail the school to inform them of the allergy. What is also extremely useful, which is something I did for both my girls this year, is to send a note to the school with pertinent medical information, which can be kept on record. You can include the following information: a description of the allergy, the allergens to avoid, symptoms to look out for, actions that need to be taken (including medication to be administered and dosages), and very importantly the emergency contact details. It is also useful to get an allergy band which they can wear, and are available at pharmacies or online stores. Although panic can strike in the event of a reaction, especially when people are not used to dealing with children who have allergies, it does alleviate the stress somewhat if they can refer to an information sheet for what to do and who to call.

Have age-appropriate conversations with your child about their allergies and conditions, and explain what it means. Take the time to explain what they can and cannot eat, and what could potentially happen in the event that allergens are consumed. Children learn through repetition, so remind them regularly of their allergies. Use any opportunity you can to teach them about their allergy and how to manage it, no matter how young they are.
My oldest is 4 and for some time now will ask me “Mommy, does this have nuts?” before eating something. She’s also reminded when visiting family or attending a party, not to take anything from the table without checking with me or her dad first, in case it contains nuts. When I’m checking product labels in the store and she asks me what I’m doing, I explain I’m checking for nuts to make sure she and her baby sister can eat it. So there are plenty of simple ways to make your child aware of their allergies. If you have a mix of children with and without allergies, or with a different set of allergies, then make awareness a family matter and not just isolated to the child with that allergy. It not only adds to a sense of family cohesion but also helps with the management of allergies within the family.

BE PREPARED!

Life happens! You can either be left feeling like a headless chicken running around frantic and with no sense or perspective, or you can be prepared. Understanding your child’s allergy and the extent thereof, and understanding the risks associated with allergic reactions, is a big part of being prepared. Knowledge is power and having it means you know how to react. But knowing means little if you’re not equipped with the right tools. Sure, you can get to the nearest doctor or hospital ER, but there are simple things you can do immediately that will help the situation.

KEEP MEDICATION ON HAND

Antihistamines and allergy medication is a must for your medicine cabinet if you have allergy sufferers in the house. Allergex is a great option – it is readily available, inexpensive, and comes in syrup, tablet, cream and eye drops. But your doctor may recommend specific medication that you can keep on hand. If your budget allows, keep medication at home and your nappy bag or whichever bag you carry with you when you head out with the kids. That way you don’t need to remove medication from the house every time you head out. If you don’t need to keep the medication refrigerated you can even just keep them in your baby or child’s bag so that you have it with you at all times.
I find it useful to carry a few plasters (character ones are fabulous at quickly calming the storm from minor scrapes and bruises), cough and pain & fever syrups in addition to allergy medication. A little space set aside in my baby bag and I’m covered for the little eventualities which tend to happen with kids around. It might seem like an inconvenience to carry extra goodies around all the time, but trust me, it really is better to have it and not need it, then to need it and need to scurry around for it.

GET AN EPIPEN

If you have children who suffer from allergies you need to get an Epipen Junior. It is a single-dose auto-injector that provides 0.15mg of epinephrine (adrenaline) to the system. Speak to your doctor or paediatrician about getting one. They cost over a thousand per pen, which is steep if you consider its a single-dose injection (yes, if you’ve used it you toss the device and need to get another one). If you are a member of a medical aid scheme, contact them to find out if they will cover the device for you, and how you can go about obtaining it so that it is covered. It might be that your medical plan covers it as part of your medical aid savings, or even as part of your chronic benefits. The best if to give your medical aid customer services a call and find out.

You may be thinking that getting one is not worthwhile since you can just get your child to an ER. But, when anaphylaxis hits, breathing can become difficult and even cease en route to the ER. A shot of adrenaline can afford you that extra precious window to get your child to the ER. Do note that you should only administer adrenaline if your child has difficulty breathing, starts wheezing, or passes out. You don’t want to administer adrenaline if the reaction is less severe than this, especially not in small children.

KEEP CALM (AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE)

This may seem easier said than done, especially considering the definition of anaphylactic shock. But children are more sensitive to our emotional state than we may realise. Whichever parent handles stressful situations better should take control of the situation. If you’re alone with your child, or both parents get flustered in a fix, or you’re just not the type to put a plan into action on the spot, then just think MED. My quick little acronym for Medication, Epipen, and Doctor. Simple enough, right? If your child shows signs of an allergic reaction, then think MED and do the following:

• Administer allergy Medication or antihistamines immediately, e.g. Allergex; a 5ml dosage is safe for most ages.
• Grab your Epipen. Keep it close in case you need it. Remember, use it only if your child has difficulty breathing. You can check their airways for swelling or a swollen tongue as well that could prevent breathing.
• Get to the nearest Doctor or hospital ER. My personal advice is to head straight to the ER where they will see you to swiftly. I have come across doctors rooms that do not triage by default, so unless you know your GP prioritises emergencies first (and allergic reactions qualify) then don’t waste your time and head straight to the hospital instead.

Being prepared goes beyond making sure you have medication on hand and can get to the nearest medical center. It also means being mentally and emotionally prepared for seeing your child endure a reaction. I can tell you from experience it is not an easy thing to see and can leave you with a lump in your throat as you try to put on an everything-is-going-to-be-okay face for your child while you know their tongue is becoming more and more swollen while your husband makes the drive to ER. Being prepared means that you know an accident can happen and your child may react. It’s getting used to comments about carrying a pharmacy with you when you head out. It’s knowing they might need to spend the night in the paediatric ward for observation. It’s praying that people (especially other parents) will abandon the mindset that allergies can’t be as bad as we make it out to be, and that it surely can’t be a big deal if your child has one tiny morsel of whatever they’re allergic to. Being prepared means taking each day as it comes, knowing that when life throws you a curveball you’re ready on the field to bat.
From a parent who has had both little daughters overnight in hospital within a few months of one another fairly recently, you can trust me when I say that being prepared is not overrated. It’s your child’s life.

USEFUL RESOURCES

• Allergy Foundation South Africa: AFSA provides information on an array of different allergies, with articles, an FAQ section and details for making contact or getting involved.
• Allergy Kids: Another useful source of information, with recipes and information galore. Definitely worth a browse.
• Allergy bracelets can be purchased at many pharmacies. But for something more personalised you can check out Ice Tags or Ice ID. They cost more than the bands you can pick up at the pharmacy, but you can add emergency contact information to these bracelets as well. The kiddies ones also come in cute designs.
• Faithful to Nature: This health store offers a wide variety of health foods and products, including organic foods and allergy-friendly options. They stock products from creams to shampoos, to teas and snacks. They offer delivery, or if you reside in Cape Town you can collect from their premises in Muizenberg.