Happy Food Allergy Awareness Week!

Happy Food Allergy Awareness Week! Here are a few facts about food allergies in general that you might not have known from the Food Allergy Awareness website:

1. A #FoodAllergy is NOT the same as a food intolerance. #FoodAllergies involve immune system (IgE) & can be life-threatening.
2. Eight foods account for 90% of all #FoodAllergy reactions: Peanut, Tree Nut, Egg, Soy, Dairy, Wheat, Fish and Shellfish. However, almost any food can cause a reaction. 
3. Read #labels each and every time before eating any food product! #Ingredients and/or #manufacturing can change over time, or may vary depending upon the size of the product (e.g. jumbo vs snack size). 
4. Hand sanitizing gel is NOT sufficient to remove #allergens. Use warm/hot soapy water or a commercial "tidy" wipe. 
5. #Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that comes on quickly and has the potential to become life-threatening. Anaphylaxis includes a wide range of #signs and #symptoms that can occur alone, or in combination, after exposure to an #allergen.
6. Past reactions to a #foodallergy do not predict future #reactions. You can still have a life-threatening reaction to a food you are allergic to, even if you have never had a serious reaction before. 
7. Prompt administration of #epinephrine is crucial to surviving a potentially life-threating #reaction. Always carry two (2) auto-injectable epinephrine devices with you, and know how to recognize the #signs and #symptoms of an #allergic reaction.

Silly Bean has a lot of allergies, including: eggs (cooked or baked, both whites and yolks), cow's milk (also anything with casein or whey in the ingredients), walnuts, bananas, corn, beef, salmon, mushrooms, avocado, and perhaps more than that.  A lot of friends and also parents of kids with allergies have asked us a few questions that I'd love to answer here on the blog, in case it was something you were always wondering or if you have a kid with allergies as well.

Q: How did you find out about Silly Bean's allergies?

A: Silly Bean had bad eczema when he was a baby. Our pediatrician was astute enough to wonder if it might be due to food allergies (he was breastfeeding at the time, but could have been foods that I was eating) and referred us to see an allergist who specialized in pediatric eczema issues. Silly Bean had a skin test and we found out about the egg allergy. The cow's milk allergy we found out about when we were trying to transition him from breastmilk to cow's milk around age 1--he was having a reaction around his mouth, face, and hands--so we had him tested for that as well, and it was confirmed by the skin test. The other foods we kind of just found out through having him try foods and him having a reaction (rash around his mouth/on his face, on his wrists, or if it's more severe, it's hives on his face, arms, belly, or where the food came in contact with his skin).

1st time eating solid food!

Q: How severe are his allergies? How do you treat them?

A: Silly Bean hasn't had an anaphylatic reaction to anything so far, thank goodness, but he does have an epipen for just in case instances that we always carry around when we go out (whether it's just going out to the park for play, or eating somewhere). If it's not too severe, he just kind of has a red rash around the mouth/face and wrists. If it's more severe, it's hives on his face, arms, belly, or where the food came in contact with his skin. We have noticed that he does have contact allergies with some of the foods, meaning if you ate walnuts and didn't wash your hands and grabbed Silly Bean's arm, his arm would most likely develop a rash or hives where you touched him.

We usually give him children's Benadryl, which helps, and if he does develop hives, the allergist prescribed him 2.5% hydrocortizone cream (a little bit stronger than the ones you would buy over the counter), or if it's really bad, triamcimolone cream. We try to use the ointments sparingly though.

Q: How do you handle when you or Kevin are eating something that Silly Bean is allergic to?

A: I mostly try to make meals that we can all eat so that Silly Bean doesn't feel left out. But, we still like to eat what we've eaten in pre-Silly Bean days (for me that includes dairy, eggs, ...). Sometimes Silly Bean will ask what we are eating and ask to try some, but he usually remembers and says something like, "Oh, I'm allergic to eggs! Mama and Baba can eat eggs, but Silly Bean is can't." In order to help him not feel left out or feel bad about that, I would say something like, "Mama can eat eggs, but I'm allergic to honeydew so I can't eat honeydew. Silly Bean and Baba aren't allergic to honeydew so Silly Bean and Baba can both eat honeydew."

I usually also try to find comparable equivalent that are Silly Bean-friendly. If I'm eating cheese, Silly Bean can also have his special cheese. If we're having dairy-based dessert, Silly Bean can have a homemade fruit popsicle. If there isn't an equivalent, Silly Bean doesn't get too upset, because he's too happy eating his own meal 😁

Silly Bean loves noodles! + practicing chopsticks

Q: Why do you always have to bring Silly Bean's meals to eat out?

A: We don't have to, it just makes it a lot easier. Some restaurants just don't have options that work for Silly Bean or are unable to guarantee that something is cross-contamination free. Outings where we gather with friends or family are made a lot easier if we can all bring our own food, or do potluck style where we will definitely have something available that is Silly Bean-friendly. If we're not sure what's available or how it's prepared, it's just a lot easier to have his meal packed.

Q: Has Silly Bean's allergies made things more difficult in raising him?

A: I think when Silly Bean was young, and especially being 1st time parents, it felt scary because even at 1 or 1 1/2, there were a lot of foods he hadn't tried so we just weren't sure and felt nervous about it. I don't think it necessarily made it more difficult to raise him (though we also don't have anything to compare it to!), but it's taught me to be more conscious about ingredients, about how to make these things on my own rather than store-bought so I can control the ingredients as well as salt and sugar content, making baked goods from scratch so I could make them allergy-free. It's been a fun and creative process in trying new things, and we probably eat healthier on the whole thanks to all of his allergies.

Q: Will Silly Bean outgrow these allergies?

A: No idea. Hopefully. Right now we're just focusing on helping Silly Bean know what his allergies are so that he can tell others if we aren't there or advocate for himself/self-regulate his own eating.

Q: Is Silly Bean discouraged about eating because of his allergies?

A: Not in the least. Silly Bean looooves eating and he eats way more than I do 😛 He's an adventurous eater and especially loves trying ingredients while he helps me cook in the kitchen.

Here are 2 great resources for helping kids (and adults) understand allergies:

1. Daniel Has an Allergy (Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood) book. Silly Bean sure did feel better that his favorite character has food allergies, too!
2. Little Rabbit Can't Eat Clover story from the Little Stories for Tiny People podcast. I love this little story that explains in fiction form about Little Rabbit's allergy, how her family adapted and how her friends were able to help accommodate and help Little Rabbit not feel left out! Silly Bean is still a little too young to grasp the whole story, but when he gets older we will definitely be listening to this story again and again. We also love this podcast so much! It's so delightful and encourages imagination.

Does your kid have allergies? What parenting hacks do you have that have been helpful for them and your family?