peanut allergies in schools

[PineappleMama]

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Interesting article. A risky test to be sure... some allergies (or rather the reaction) get worse the more often you're exposed... at least I think I've heard that... but for kids who are this sensitive it might be the only way that they'll have a shot of surviving into adulthood (where they might outgrow it). If they can build up even a small tolerance, like 10 peanuts, then the risk of a smudge harming them is cut massively. Not a risk for my kids, but still I'd send a great big thank you to the kids and parents that were willing to give this a try and to the docs/etc who worked so hard to keep them safe while doing it. This really would be HUGE if it proved effective for all, or even most, peanut allergic folks.

 

[melissa41927]

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Hello neighbor!

Hey was that NSM?

no it was flat rock. being an elementary school, which ever high school this kid chooses to go to will follow the same ban.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

I didn't know there was another elementary school in Flat rock than NSM. Shows how much I know lol

 

[babyrnlc]

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Excatly. There is no shot for a peanut allergy or we would sure be doing it!

 

[PineappleMama]

I still don't understand how they think banning it will work... my convoluted tangent thinking mind just can't accept that that will create a clean environment. I picture kids at McD's, eating a burger and playing and stepping on a piece of peanut from someone else's sundae (they didn't order one just in case) and then that piece being tracked into the school and that's all it would take. Washing hands, even mouths, wouldn't do doodly to stop that from happening. The only way for someone with an airborne allergy to be 100% protected would be in a total clean room/lab environment where people are sterilized upon entry... and even if every child and parent, every staff member, was totally okay with being stripped and hosed there's no way a public school's budget could afford those kinds of safeguards.

I'm not even sure how you could totally protect your own home with an allergy like this... that alone, small family of three, no visitors, etc I guess it's possible but hard. But trying to get hundreds of students, parents and employees to manage it... and any one they might come in contact with, any business they visit... etc. I just do not see it as possible.

Especially if this school is anything like mine growing up where I (in elementary) rode a bus with kids from the intermediate, jr high and high schools. Any of those kids had PB at home, it could rub off on an elementary student and boom, bad reaction. So you'd have to alter the lives of any student (and their families) who rides a bus with any student (and their families) who attends that school.

Then there are the day cares. Parents drop their kids there at 7am, kids eat there, then ride a van to their respective schools. Any one of those kids has a peanut smudge and boom, reaction. So you'd have to alter the lives of any child in that day care (and their families) who might come in contact with any child (and their families) who goes to school with the student that has the allergy.

If it was ingestion or even physical contact then a ban and washing would work. Sharing food isn't allowed, so pack your kid's lunch and the teacher's keep a good eye, that peanut free table idea maybe too and you're okay. Kissing and wrestling aren't allowed so just keep an extra eye (ban tag and red robin) for no touching and you're okay. But this kind... well it's like trying to ban Hydrogen or Pollen from the air... dern near impossible unless you're doing a strip and sterilize like workers in a radiation or biological weapon lab.

It's going to be AWFUL when after all this work, all this drama, this child STILL manages to get hurt... obviously for the child, and for the parents who'll blame themselves and possibly everyone else and probably sue either way, but also for the kids, parents and staff who'll be trying like mad to figure out who the 'bad guy' was and praying that it wasn't them that hurt this child, albeit accidentally, and now has to live with it.

That's the reason that if it was me I'd do what I had to. Whether that's online public school from home, offered for free here in Texas... and me not be able to work so have to majorly trim the budget (which we already did simply because the school was failing) or if that meant writing the mayor, congressmen, senators, governor, heck the freakin' president to see to it that this issue was addressed. I just do not believe that ANY public building can every be a safe environment for someone with this severe a reaction over so little contamination. It just is NOT worth the risk of my child's life... I don't have to drive a new car or have a 3000sf house or be the ball-breaking business woman... my kiddo comes first.

And all that is on top of my beliefs about rights and personal responsibility...

 

[WriterofWords]

I just had to comment lol,,, I was just watching Northern Exposure, the episode the introduced the bubble guy in. He was allergic to everything, had to wear the astronauts space suit to go out in,, it reminded me of this post.

ETA: I know it will offend someone,, but I love that show!!!

 

[FireTigeris]

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Again its about risk mitigation, nobody believes that it will keep 100% nuts out- just look at the parents- (poor "taste"?) the fewer nuts around the less school is disrupted by ambulances.

 

[elevan]

I personally believe that all schools should be peanut free, period.

Here is why...

The over consumption of peanuts can lead to future peanut allergies. I am a living example of this. As a child I used to love peanuts...peanut butter...anything to do with peanuts. And now? I have severe allergic reactions to peanuts that I am told will only get worse. It all started with an itchy throat and sneezing...now I can hardly breathe!!

For children who have a peanut allergy they often start at the highest level of allergy which can be fatal.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

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[redhen]

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Makes SENSE to me..