Hello Beth,

I am father to an 8yo girl that has dairy, raw egg and tree nut allergies.
She reacts on touch and can have a very strong reaction.

Beth Kevles wrote:
> Hi, Friends --
> 
> A question came up at my son's summer camp yesterday which I need to
> deal with tomorrow (Wednesday).  Although the allergen in question is
> peanuts, I think the policy would apply regardless of allergen,
> provided the reaction is severe.  I'd appreciate hearing your thoughts.
> 
> One child in my son's group (6-12 year olds, I think) has a severe
> peanut allergy.  We've been duly asked to not bring in peanut products.
> 
> I sent in a Luna bar for my son's afternoon snack.  The bar contains no
> peanuts in the ingredient list, but at the bottom of the list it says
> it may contain traces of peanuts (among other things).  Clearly a
> potential cross-contamination issue.  In consequence of this, my son
> was made to sit in isolation while he ate his snack and then to wash
> his hands and face with soap before rejoining the group.  (He couldn't
> sit with a non-allergic child because none of the kids are allowed to
> know who the allergic child is.)
> 
> My questions:
> 
> If your child has a severe allergy, is it okay to sit near a child
> who's eating something like a Luna bar with its cross-contamination
> risk?

Probably not, depending on the severity of the reaction.

I had to come to my daughter's school recently because she came in contact with a snack that one of her friends brought in which cased a reaction.

> Does that provide an unacceptable risk to your severely allergic
> child?

Please remember that each exposure means less chances for the body to "outgrow" the allergy.
While an allergic reaction may or may not not result in risk of death, it can also mean a lifetime of risk, inconvenience and segregation.

>  Or do other foods also contain an (unlabelled) similar risk?
> (I'm thinking of products that don't yet have the allergen listing on
> the package, foods removed from their packaging, or foods made at home
> that get cross-contaminated, ie from a siblings' pb&j sandwich)?

You cannot control everything.

My daughter goes to birthday parties where they bring in pizza.
We discreetly ask the party organizer to make sure that all the kids wath their hands with soap after the snack.
So far it was never a problem.

> Is it reasonable to isolate a child who's eating the risky food?  Is
> that worth the preservation of the allergic child's privacy?
> 
> If your child has a severe allergy like this, how valuable is it to you
> and your child to keep the allergy secret?

No.  I find it counterproductive.
The more people know about my child's allergy, the less chances of it being triggered accidentally.

> FInally, if I have to abide by the camp policy (and I will if it makes
> medical sense), can any recommend an afternoon snack with the following
> properties:
> 
> Allergnically free of milk protein, red dye #40, shellfish and, of
> course, peanuts!
> Non-perishable (since the ice-pack will have lost its cool by then).
> Contains protein.

Avocado & egg sandwich?

> Is plausibly attractive to an 8-year old boy.

I didn't know there was a food attractiveness standard for 8yo boys.