Allergy Awareness Month: How We Keep Children Safe

Did you know? 1 in 13 children in the U.S. has a life-threatening food allergy.¹

The most common food allergies are peanuts, tree nuts (i.e., walnuts, pecans, and almonds, including almond milk), milk, eggs, wheat, sesame, soy, fish, and shellfish. There is no cure.

A food allergy happens when the immune system mistakes something in the food as harmful and attacks it. It can affect the whole body, not just the stomach. A severe food allergy may be considered a disability if a medical professional diagnoses and documents the allergy to cause a reaction that substantially limits one or more major life activities.

Raising Awareness

To bring awareness to the impact allergies have, May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month. It was designated as such in 1884 by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) to promote respiratory and immune health. During May, the organization aims to educate the public about risk factors, symptoms, and treatment.

For children, the most common allergens are milk, followed by eggs and peanuts. The most important tip for parents who have children with diagnosed allergies is to always read the label of items purchased from the store. Product ingredients can change without notice, so never assume something is safe for you until you check. If in doubt, seek substitutions or alternatives.

Support at School

Wondering about the food we serve across our community of Learning Care schools? Everything is carefully planned by me, Nicole Spain. I am a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) with a Master of Science (MS) in Nutrition and Dietetics and 20+ years of experience in childhood nutrition.

While selecting products for our menus, I try to keep allergens to a minimum. For example, if we have a choice of bread that contains milk and one that doesn’t, we will choose the bread product with the least number of top allergens in it. All products we purchase and serve are shellfish, peanut, and tree-nut free. 

Our top priority is to keep children safe.

If a child has a food allergy or disability, a medical authority must state the specific ingredients or foods, along with alternate feeding instructions needed for the child. These restrictions are documented on ALLERGY AND DIETARY RESTRICTION LISTS at each school, which are displayed for staff schoolwide in a designated area that also protects confidential information.

As part of our child allergy procedure, the staff at each school should be reviewing each seasonal menu with the parents of students who have food allergies to determine what substitutions are needed. If you ever have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to school leaders.

Want to learn more? Here are some additional resources to explore:

• Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA)
• Kids with Food Allergies (KFA)
• Allergy-Friendly Recipes
• Food Allergies in Schools

¹ U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)