Nonstick pans. Microwave popcorn. Carpets. All contain perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), a group of chemicals that have been linked to early menopause, high cholesterol, and now possibly damage to the immune system. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has found PFC exposure to be widespread in the American population.
A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that children with high levels of PFCs in their blood had lower-than-expected immune responses to two common childhood immunizations. This is the first study to ever have found a link between abnormal immune response and PFCs.
Researchers are not sure if PFCs can affect the entire immune system, including allergies. What they have found is of enough concern that they recommend parents limit their young children's exposure to things like microwave popcorn and nonstick pans.
Most parents worry when they send their children off to school. We wonder: Will she make friends? Will he succeed? Will her teacher be understanding? Will he remember to eat his sandwich at lunch?
But parents of children with food allergies have a deeper worry. Often pushed to the back of our minds, but always there is the worry about our child's fundamental safety in the hands of other adults. We worry that our child might accidentally come in contact with an allergen and have a reaction while we are not there. We worry that our child might die at school.
That's right, I said die. Food allergy deaths may be rare, but they do happen. And they happen in schools. Recently, Ammaria Johnson, a 7-year-old from Virginia, died after eating a peanut that a classmate gave her on the playground at school. Katelyn Carlson, a 13-year-old from Chicago, died last December after eating Chinese take-out in a classroom party.
A 2005 study published in Pediatrics states: "Anaphylactic reactions in schools, although not frequent, are not uncommon events." The study found an average of one case of anaphylaxis per year per school district. (Note this is a case of anaphylaxis, not a death from anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is treatable if epinephrine is at hand.) This worked out to about one case of anaphylaxis per 16,000 students per year. In comparison, the rate of cardiac arrest in schools is about 1 per 60,000 students a year. (Note that this is once again not a death rate, but a rate of cardiac arrest which is also treatable.)
Both of the girls who died had known food allergies and both had prescriptions for epinephrine auto-injectors. (Ammaria did not have one at school.) But many children with food allergies do not carry auto-injectors, perhaps because of cost, or because parents do not perceive the risk to be great enough. One-quarter of all cases of anaphylaxis in schools occurs to children who do not have a food allergy diagnosis at all.
The School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act would allow schools to stock an auto-injector for use in allergic emergencies for children who do not have a prescription for an auto-injector or who have not brought theirs to school. Opponents of the bill argue that the chance of dying of anaphylaxis small, and not worth the cost associated with the purchase and maintenance of auto-injectors. However, most schools have automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) to assist children or staff that experience cardiac arrest, which is much less common than anaphylaxis.
The bill is supported by the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, the Food Allergy Initiative, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Manufacturers of auto-injectors clearly have a self-interest in the bill as well.
While the bill is not a complete solution - teachers and staff need to be trained to recognize the signs of an allergic reaction and treat it promptly - it would add a backup layer of protection for children in schools. It is a cost-effective lifesaver - at $120, an auto-injector is much cheaper than an AED device.
What it comes down to, simply is this. We have the means to prevent food allergy deaths in schools. It is easy to administer, low-cost, low-risk, and readily available. No more children should die because of lack of access to this lifesaving drug, or lack of knowledge of how to administer it. The School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act is a partial solution, but it is a step in the right direction.
Do you have a favorite food allergy product or service that you would love to share with others? Is there a company that you think deserves recognition for its service to people with food allergies? Maybe there is a nut-free chocolate bar you can't live without. Or maybe you have found emotional support from an online support group that you wish everyone knew about.
Nominate your favorite Food Allergy products and services for the About.com Food Allergy Reader's Choice Awards. There is no prize, but the winners will have the bragging rights that come with being recognized as "the best of the best" by the thousands of readers who vote on the award.
Nominate your favorite:
- Medical Alert Jewelry: From classic metal dog tags to crystal bead bracelets, what is your favorite way to keep your emergency medical ID on your person?
- Online Support: What is your favorite, most-used website, that offers support for living with food allergies?
Nominations begin Jan. 18 and close Feb. 15. Voting on the top nominees will take place from Feb. 22 - March 21. Winners will be announced March 30. For more information on the Reader's Choice Awards and details on how to nominate your favorite food allergy products and services, see awards.about.com.
Will avoiding food dyes cure ADHD? What about gluten? Ads for diets that claim to cure ADHD or reduce symptoms are all over the web. Do any of them work?
A recent article published the journal Pediatrics reviewed the results of research studies on ADHD diets from the 1970s to the present. Their findings were mixed. There is some evidence that Omega-3 and -6 supplements improve attention in some children, though not to the level of being considered a "cure."
Gluten-free diets and diets such as the Feingold diet that eliminate food additives did not help most children either. However, for children with allergies or food sensitivities, these diets did improve ADHD symptoms. One literature review found that 65% - 89% of children with allergies and ADHD reacted to a challenge of artificial food coloring.
While ADHD diets may not be the drug-free miracle cure that they claim to be, there may be real behavioral and cognitive benefits for children with food allergies when they avoid their allergens and food additives. Consult with your child's doctor or nutritionist when considering a new diet for him or her - children need a variety of foods and enough of the right foods to help them grow.
