A story I dread hearing about peanut allergies

If you have a child who is anaphylactic to peanuts or tree nuts, then this article is your worst nightmare.  Children and adults alike die from accidents like this which is the scariest thing to a person who lives with life-threatening peanut allergies.

Recall on Quaker Chewy Granola Bars - This is the stuff that scares me!

he Canadian Press

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Quaker Canada is urging consumers who are allergic to peanuts to check their granola bar packages.

It's because the company received a report that someone had an anaphylactic reaction from eating one of the snacks.

Quaker said in a release Friday that the person who became ill ate a granola bar that potentially came from a mislabelled Quaker Chewy Granola Bars Value Pack.

Quaker said the individual was treated in hospital and is recovering at home.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Quaker Canada said earlier this week that some Quaker Chewy Granola Bars Value Packs may have been mispacked with Quaker Dipps granola bars that contain peanuts.

A voluntary recall was announced Wednesday.

There are concerns that people with peanut allergies could have a life-threatening reaction if they eat one of the bars.

The affected product is the 364 gram Quaker brand Chewy Granola Bars Value Pack containing 14 bars and carries the UPC Bar Code 55577 10742. Consumers with the product should inspect the contents of the carton to ensure it contains the correct product -- Chewy Chocolate Chip and Chewy S'mores bars.

Quaker Canada said it is investigating how the cartons were mislabelled. It is also notifying school boards across the country and working with Anaphylaxis Canada and other health groups to reach Canadians with peanut and tree nut allergies.

For more information, consumers can contact Quaker Canada toll-free at 1-800-267-6287 or visit www.quakeroats.ca.

It's so scary that Amanda can't even eat something as innocent as dried fruit

If the label says "Manufactured in a facility that processes tree nuts and peanuts, then she can't eat it.  When she goes to the grocery store she reads every label to make sure it is safe for her to eat.  Grocery shopping takes longer than it does for most people because it takes time to read every single label.

HOW TO ... AVOID CHILDHOOD ALLERGIES

Many cases of food allergies and eczema - a skin condition marked by itchy rashes - are unavoidable. But dermatologists say these steps may help reduce your child's risks:

Consider your pregnancy diet. Babies whose mothers eat peanuts are more likely to test positive for peanut allergies, and the same may be true for eggs and egg allergies, according to a recently published article in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. However, previous studies have had conflicting results. Talk to your doctor.

• http://dailypress.com

Breastfeed your baby. Here's another plus for nursing: "There is evidence that for at-risk babies, exclusive breast feeding for the first four months reduces the risk of eczema and cow's milk allergy during the first two years of life," says Dr. Stephen Shield of Allergy Partners of Eastern Virginia. "At-risk" refers to a child who has a parent or sibling with allergies.

Ask about a specialized formula. If you don't breastfeed, extensively or partly hydrolyzed formula - mixtures in which protein is broken into smaller parts for easier digestion - may prevent or delay the onset of eczema in at-risk children.

Don't introduce solid foods before age 4 to 6 months. Rice and oat cereals are good first choices because they rarely trigger allergies. Many pediatricians recommend not feeding highly allergenic foods to a child until age 1 (cow's milk and citrus fruits), 2 (eggs and wheat) and 3 (peanuts and fish).

Introduce single foods at a time. Give your child a new food every three to five days. That way, you'll know exactly which one is to blame for any allergic reactions.

Ditch antibacterial soap. Regular soap and water is fine for cleaning - and may be better at preventing allergies as a child's immune system matures.

Read more: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2010/11/12/1717889/how-to-avoid-childhood-allergies.html#ixzz15YQWsUSr

Article about bullying

http://www.stnonline.com/blogs/special-needs-rides/2743-bullying-with-allergies

It's so sad that it starts so young - and most often innocently.   My daughter had a friend who would say to
Amanda, "oh that cereal has peanuts", after Amanda had taken her first bite.   This is funny to children who are uninformed.  The child meant no harm of course; but I do know the jokes or bullying can be worse in middle school.

Amanda's first case of a child trying to intentionally harm her was in 2nd grade.  The teacher did not enforce that the children wash their hands after snack.  And believe it or not the school is not peanut free which means that other children were allowed to bring unsafe snacks into the class room.

Having a peanut allergy is a terrible thing to live with

My daughter, Amanda is so severely allergic to peanuts that she can't even have a trace amount or she will go into anaphylactic shock.  I could have she would have to go to the emergency room but I didn't because what if you are too far to make to an emergency room?  What is you are on a plane or at camp?  That's why she has an Epi-Pen.  But even that doesn't guarantee she will live.  When a child who is allergic to peanuts or tree nuts eats a food that the body considers toxic, the child's throat will start to close and an Epi-Pen will have to be administered within 8 minutes to save the child's life.

Food Allergy News: FAAN on Lifetime's "The Balancing Act"

Food Allergy News: FAAN on Lifetime's "The Balancing Act"

Emotional toll on children that have a food allergy

My daughter, Amanda is now 10 and has been allergic to peanuts and tree nuts since she was 23 months old.  As she got older and I told her about her peanut allergy and everything she can and can't eat, I've often wondered how this has affected her emotional state.  I think it really started bothering her in 2nd grade when there was a lot of talk about it in school and the other children were told not to get near her if they had eaten something that contained peanuts.  I remember Amanda coming home and telling me that another child was eating something that had peanut butter and touched her that would make her itch.  In 3rd grade it got worse with the "table" where kids sat that had food allergies.  She sat with 3 other boys so lunch was no fun at all in a cafeteria full of chatter and laughter.

Wow, I feel so honored!

How wonderful to wake up this morning to an email informing me that my blog on peanut allergies won an award!

Dear Carla,

Congratulations! Your blog about peanut allergies has just won
our 2010 Top Food Allergy Blogs award!

We had the opportunity to work with this sponsor, as they contacted
us, so we took advantage of it!  The other award was voting based
driven, while the winners chosen for this award were more from your reader's
numerous nominations.


Winners for your 2010 Top Food Allergy Blogs award were announced on 
June 24th,  2010.


Again, Congratulations, and I hope to see your badge soon!

Cheers,
Emma Lee

Check out this blog for a giveaway of my book.

http://enjoylifeenjoynow.com/2010/06/carla-burke-reviewgiveaway.html

I received the galley print for my next book!

This is the last step - to make sure everything is just right before going off to print.  I worked late yesterday with my wonderful illustrator/friend making changes to the front cover and back cover.  I also found several minor typos with the word tree-nuts which appears many times throughout the book.  I want to be consistent and make sure that the hyphen was between the word tree-nut.

My 10 year old daughter Amanda is severely allergic to peanuts and tree-nuts.  I wrote this based on things that we were finding out about her allergy and what she can and cannot eat.  The list is long of foods she has to avoid.

I also hope children - and parents - learn that when someone has a food allergy that it is never ok to joke with that person that something they are about to eat has peanuts in it.  Anyone who is anaphylactic to peanuts or tree-nuts has the potential to die in a short amount of time after ingesting the food that is contaminated.

So stay tuned so you can find out when my book "Peanuts" is coming out.  It's the story of a little girl named Penny who is allergic to peanuts and tree-nuts.  Her pet pony is aptly named "Peanuts" and he shares everything he knows about peanut allergies and keeping his friend safe.

Yes some people (or restaurants) use peanut butter or crushed peanuts in their chili.

This is so scary to me as a mom of a child who is anaphylactic to peanuts.  Who knew?  I've never put peanut butter in my chili, but some do.  You will NEVER find this recipe in my home.

Ingredients

• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
•  
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
• 2 cups tortilla chips (optional)

Directions

1. Place the diced tomatoes, water, garlic, and bay leaves into a saucepan, and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and season with the cayenne pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
2. After 15 minutes, pour in the black beans and kidney beans; return to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the peanut butter until dissolved, then remove and discard the bay leaves, and season the chili with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy with a sprinkle of Cheddar cheese, tortilla chips and smile!

Interesting statistics on peanut allergies.

Researchers surveyed 5,300 households in 2008 and found that 1.4 percent of children were thought to have peanut allergies. That's more than three times the rate -- 0.4 percent -- found in a similar survey that was done in 1997.

The percentage of kids with allergies to either peanuts or tree nuts grew to 2.1 percent in 2008 from 0.6 percent in 1997.

Among adults, the level of peanut allergies didn't change: It remained at 1.3 percent.

"Our research shows that more than 3 million Americans report peanut and/or tree nut allergies, representing a significant health burden," Sicherer said. "The data also emphasize the importance of developing better prevention and treatment strategies."

It's not clear why the number of reported allergies is on the rise. One theory suggests that people are developing less immunity to allergens because they're exposed to fewer germs. Another suggests that people are wrongly diagnosed with food allergies that they don't actually have.

The researchers caution that they only called homes with telephones, possibly skewing the results toward the experiences of wealthier households.

The findings appear in the May 12 issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

This innocent looking package of candy that Amanda was about to eat said that it is processed in a plant that also manufactures peanuts.  I'm so thankful Amanda is diligent enough to read every label before she eats something.  It just goes to show the amount candy and foods that are unsafe for a peanut-allergic child.

Book is finally finished!

I had a tough decision to make the last couple of weeks.  I mulled over whether or not to make a minor change to the tile of my book "Peanuts".  I finally gave the go ahead over the weekend and now finally after almost a year of editing and re-editing this book, it is now going to be a reality.  I'm so excited I can hardly stand it.  I am now awaiting the hard copy in the mail so I can do one last edit.  I'm kind of a perfectionist and don't like to put out anything less than perfect, which is why it has taken me so long on this book.  It will be well worth the wait.

I can't wait to get that hard copy in my hands!! I remember when I received my first copy of my first children's book called "I Spy a Dragonfly".  What a thrill it was!  I could barely make it back home with shaking hands to show my kids.  I didn't stop smiling for a very long time.

I have my next book idea and am working on it trying to get it just right!

Beautiful strawberries from my garden.

Look at the little one hiding in the background.

My cats found a play toy.

Dum Dum lollipops - a peanut free candy

Amanda stays away from all the candy that may even contain peanuts. Her safe alternative? Dum Dum lollipops of course! She collected 20 wrappers and sent the wrappers in to recieve this Dum Dum stuffed, uh, lollipop?

Well whatever it is, she loves it.

60 degrees and swimming!

And it doesn't even bother the kids!  And no the pool is not heated - but since I am a nice mom, I did on the heater to 100 in the hot tub.

DIVVIES Cookies are Peanut and Tree Nut Free

I just ordered a chocolate bunny for Amanda.  Everything at Divvies is peanut, tree nut, milk and egg free!!!!  Such a relief.  No worries.  This is one chocolate Amanda can enjoy without the worry of cross contamination.  And what's really neat is all their treats are really yummy!
You can visit their website: http://www.divvies.com/