Why+are+food+allergies+a+challenge+amongst+elementary+school+students?

Chelsea Gadoury


 * Question: Why are food allergies a challenge amongst elementary school students?**

1. Gorman, C. (1998, October 5). Don't ban peanuts. //Time.// Retrieved from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,989243,00.html


 * Summary:** This article begins by telling us about parents of a three-year-old son who is severely allergic to peanuts. They demanded that the local elementary school create a ban on peanuts so that when their son enters kindergarten there won't be any risk of an allergic reaction. It is then questioned whether a school can accommodate the child's disability without having to deprive the other students of enjoying peanuts. The article then goes on to talk about how it would be easy for many people to think that the parents are just overreacting, and that having a peanut allergy is more annoying than it is life threatening. It is brought to our attention that in fact a good number of people with peanut allergies can have serious consequences even by just smelling peanuts. The article also mentions that deaths resulting from food allergies are more common than deaths from bee stings. The article says that the answer to this problem isn't a ban against peanuts because there is no efficient way of enforcing it and that instead people should do some research and take precautions to lessen the risk of a reaction. It also states that teaching students and teachers what to do if a reaction were to occur is more beneficial than banning peanuts altogether. The article concludes by saying that some accommodation of students is okay such as peanut-free lunch tables, but in general teaching children how to take care of themselves is more important.


 * Reaction:** I strongly agree with this article. I believe that even though there are many children out there that have food allergies, there are even more children who don't. Banning peanuts from everyone at the school is unfair and most of the time isn't followed strictly anyways. Educating the staff at the school and the children themselves seems like it would work a lot better and still allow the other students freedom to consume peanuts. I was surprised that so many people die every year from food allergies, and how the airway completely closes off when there is a reaction. Since this article is about 13 years old, I hope that people have come up with better ways of protecting students with allergies and that they have developed more vaccines to control the reactions.

2. Seltz, J. (2011, January 3). Schools to bring in peanut allergy expert. //The Boston Globe.// Retrieved from http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/dedham/2011/01/schools_to_tackle_food_allergy.html


 * Summary:** This article talks about how a food allergy expert will be coming to speak at Dedham High School. The reason for this being an increase in the number of students who have food allergies. Out of 2,900 students 120 of them have a food allergy. Gail Kelley, the district's nursing director, is working with a subcommittee to update the current food allergy policy. One of the new requirements would be to eliminate food as a reward or incentive and also prohibit the sale of outside food and beverages during the school day. Even with all the changes Kelley says students would continue with their individual plans of keeping themselves safe in case of a reaction. Kelley also says that they are not advocating for peanut-free schools because students have various other allergies besides peanuts and it also is believed that people begin to let their guard down in "peanut-free" environments. The article says that the proposal to adjust the policy has caused much debate amongst parents because they worry about how far this will go before it's too much. In response to all of this Kelley invited Dr. Michael Young, author of "The Peanut Allergy Answer Book", to speak at the school. She is hopeful that not only parents of kids with allergies will come.


 * Reaction:** I think that this article addresses a very important issue. I agree that bringing an expert in might help to inform people on how to solve this growing problem and also to answer questions that anybody might have about food allergies. The part about when will it be "too much" is very interesting because I too wonder how much will change because of the students with allergies. Trying to accommodate everyone's needs is always a difficult task, but when it comes to health issues it's a little different than other issues. Understanding that not everyone is allergic to peanuts and that there are numerous other foods that people are allergic to is very important and will need to be included when deciding how to update the policy.

3. Hoff, D. L., & Mitchell, S. N. (2010, April). A peanuty dilemma. //Phi Delta Kappan, 91(7),// 59-63. Retrieved from http://0-web.ebscohost.com.helin.uri.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=64acf951-dae4-49ea-afc8-6b3efc66909f%40sessionmgr10&vid=5&hid=9


 * Summary:** This article focuses primarily on the arguments debating whether schools should become completely peanut free or not. Obviously most of the parents siding with a school becoming peanut free are those that have children who are allergic to peanuts. They bring up such topics as their child's safety being more important than other kids not being able to eat peanuts and other foods that contain peanuts. Many of the parents said its a small price to pay for their children to avoid the risk of an allergic reaction. Although at first thought demanding that schools become totally peanut-free environments seems like a good solution, it really isn't. The article presents the problem that a school could never be 100% peanut-free. It is difficult to monitor the lunches of every child at the school and somewhat invasive to require pocket checks every morning after the students arrive. Another problem would be the rest of the day and the rest of the child's life. Preventing an allergic reaction at school is only helpful until the end of the school day, the child then becomes at risk anywhere else they go after school. The article also mentions that teaching the child to stay way from peanuts rather than banning them is more beneficial to them in the long run.


 * Reaction:** I agree with this article. I don't think that any school should be required to be peanut-free and that it would be unfair for the other students. I also understand the concern of the parents with children that have peanut allergies and that there should be accommodations for them. I don't think that the parents against having peanut-free schools are being insensitive because some families are low-income and peanut butter is a cheap and healthy food for their children's lunches. Not allowing them to eat what they want because of a few students that are allergic doesn't seem like the best solution.

4. My turn: a plea for my daughter. (2008, May 31). //Newsweek.// Retrieved from http://www.newsweek.com/2008/05/31/a-plea-for-my-daughter.html


 * Summary:** This article is about a mother who just learned of her daughters severe allergy to peanuts and other tree-nuts. That coming fall her daughter Lydia would be entering the first grade. She expresses how nervous she was to attend the back-to-school night and inform the teachers and other parents of her daughters allergy. She goes on to say that her daughter's allergy was actually caught by chance from a doctor who was initially testing her for asthma. The mother then talks about how drastically their lives changed after the diagnoses because they no longer could go to the chinese buffet they loved, ice-cream parlors, bakeries, or doughnut shops. She explains the pain she feels while watching her daughter learn how to use an epinephrine pen. She knows that her daughter won't be able to go to birthday parties anymore without speaking to the parents and bringing her own homemade cupcake to eat. She's afraid that when Lydia is older she will be too embarrassed while with friends to ask what's in food being offered to her and to tell waitresses about her allergy. She mentions a comment she saw on the internet written by someone who was denied peanuts on the airplane. She remembers before this all happened that she too would be somewhat annoyed at other kids with food allergies. Now she understands the importance of keeping her daughter safe and away from nuts. Although she isn't looking forward to discussing her daughters allergy at the meeting, she knows that she doesn't really have a choice.


 * Reaction:** This article was very sad to read. This mother cares so much for her daughter and is put in a very difficult situation. I've had friends who were allergic to peanuts and other various foods and watched them struggle to order something off the menu. They would always need to speak to the waitress or the chef and make sure they didn't accidentally use the same spoon or pan. It's hard to expect all of the teachers and other students to look out for your daughter while at school, but if you say nothing to them then there is a chance she could have a sever allergic reaction. I think people need to be more understand and realize that they would do the same exact thing if it were their child in that situation.

5. Behrmann, J. (2010). Ethical principles as a guide in implementing policies for the management of food allergies in schools. //Journal of School Nursing, 26(3),// 183-193. Retrieved from http://0-jsn.sagepub.com.helin.uri.edu/content/26/3/183.full.pdf+html


 * Summary:** This article reflects on how serious experiencing an allergic reaction can be. It goes into depth about if anaphylaxis were to occur and what it is. This article also provides various statistics on children affected by a food allergy and lists some foods that are common for them to be allergic too. The article discusses the dramatic increase in children allergic to a particular food and how this responsibility not only affects the parents but also other caretakers and the teachers and staff of the schools the child attends. It provides guidance on how to manage food allergies in schools without creating policies that make a child feel left out or discriminated against. The main categories that the articles talks about are underlying principles, confidentiality and anonymity, equal benefits and burdens, and empowerment. When broken down into smaller sections, the task appears to be simpler to accomplish. One of the most important sections is empowerment because it encourages staff and students to be educated about food allergies, which allows for students to look out for themselves and avoid certain foods that they know will create a reaction. Making sure that the student doesn't feel separated from the rest of the class always needs to be considered when creating policies on food allergies in schools.


 * Reaction:** I think that every teacher and other staff members in schools should read this article. I think it provides a lot of useful information and can help people to feel less overwhelmed about the task of managing food allergies. I think that informing teachers and other staff that they need to pay attention to other food allergies and not just peanuts is very important. Although many teachers feel burdened when they acquire a student with a food allergy, they need to understand that it is necessary to do everything in their power to protect the child from an allergic reaction. I think it's good that the article poses the question of if it were their child what kind of care would they expect.