Should Peanuts Be Banned from Schools and Child Care?
Tuesday August 12, 2008
There is a growing debate about whether it is right thing to do in banning peanut products from schools and child care settings. If your child is the one with a life-threatening peanut allergy, a normal response most likely is that it is indeed the best action to take. For parents who have kids who thrive on peanut butter sandwiches at lunch, however, the answer is not so clear cut. Some early education and elementary settings have banned all peanut products; others assign certain "peanut-free" eating areas or refrain from using any peanut products in meal preparations. While everyone sympathizes with child safety and health, many parents argue that kids with allergies need to learn to adapt to "real world" situations and learn care and how to avoid any peanut exposures. Thoughts?
Comments
I am a parent of a non-allergic child that attends a child care center went nut-free about 10 days ago. I have done a great deal of research on the subject since then and I believe banning nuts is not the answer. There is a fantastic book called “The Peanut Allergy Answer Book”. It dispels many of the myths of peanut allergies. For example, breathing peanut “vapors” can cause anaphylaxis. This is simply not true. It is true that a reaction can occur but, it would be a reaction similar to hay fever, not life threatening. The peanut protein must be ingested for anaphylaxis to occur. From all the research that I have done it appears that awareness, preparedness, education and training is the best approach. Parents of non-allergic children should be brought into the process of becoming aware and educated. Banning a food for the sake of just a few children only serves to create animosity. Some also argue that nut-free schools/ childcare centers can create a false sense of security and lead to less vigilance. The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FANN) is a good resource for information.