Originally Posted by polarbear
Originally Posted by blackcat
There do seem to be a lot parents that "cry wolf" or make a big deal out of allergies that are not actually severe, and that takes away from the actual life-threatening cases that should be taken seriously. It's probably hard for the school to sort out which allergies they should be worried about, and which they shouldn't be worried about. Maybe the parents are actually worried that the allergy will cause a severe reaction, and are just being over-protective, rather than it being an attention-getting maneuver. But in cases where a child HAS had a severe reaction already, it should be obvious to everyone.

I probably shouldn't post a fly-by like this (I'm in a hurry, haven't read the full list of replies, and don't have time to fully explain myself) but here goes - just one thing I want to put out there at the moment - I'm the mom of a child with severe multiple food allergies who's experienced anaphylaxis and putting her in school, dealing with the allergies in school, dealing with school staff etc - I can't in a million years imagine that there is a statistically significant # of parents out there who are "crying wolf" over allergies. If a parent says there child is allergic, believe them. If the school has identified a child as having a food allergy, trust that schools require *intense* documentation and proof of that allergy from medical drs (at least our school district does). Maybe you'll run across one or two families who are exaggerating but the risk of thinking that a parent is crying wolf just isn't worth it!

Also, one tiny point here too - a child doesn't have to have had a previous anaphylactic reaction to be in danger of having one in the future - really it *could* happen to anyone - with or without a history of food allergy - but for a child who's been confirmed as having food allergies, please don't assume that they aren't at risk of a severe anaphylactic reaction just because they haven't already experience anaphylaxis.

OK - I realize that some people will read this and think I sound like a crazy lunatic parent crying wolf... so I will step back off my soapbox for now smile And blackcat, please know I wasn't picking on you or e-shouting at you if it sounds like that - I wasn't! I respect you totally smile Just wanted to put out a thought from another food-allergy mom smile

I'll return later to read the full thread. Thanks for posting the link OP.

polarbear

I understand your point, but do think that a lot of people blow it out of proportion. And it also depends on what food you are talking about. How many people die each year from cinnamon allergies, for example? Each year in the U.S. about 150 people die from an allergy which isn't to be taken lightly, but it's not a high number at all. I supposedly have an allergy to strawberries according to skin testing but have never had a noticeable reaction to strawberries. So I keep eating them. And whenever a medical professional asks me if I have allergies, I say "no". I'm supposedly "highly allergic" to grass, trees, dust mites, mold and all kinds of other things, but I have no allergy symptoms other than breaking out into hives at random times. Another person might worry and stress about the testing or hives and alert everyone about it, causing other people to be careful with strawberries around them. I think that would be an overreaction, but I guess it's a matter of perspective. I'm also skeptical that allergy testing is even that accurate, and therefore all these very minor allergies that are very low-risk take away from the actual severe, high-risk ones that should be taken very seriously. If someone has had a bad reaction in the past, or if it involves certain foods like nuts, then obviously it's high-risk and everyone needs to be careful. I do understand that if there is a suspected allergy that modifications at school should be made even if it's minor--for instance asking parents to check food labels if they are bringing in food to share with the other kids. But sometimes it goes way beyond what is reasonable for the situation. Like our school's reaction to the kid with the cinnamon allergy. Even his mom thought it was going way too far.