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COVER STORY: MEDICINE

Fear and Allergies in the Lunchroom

By Claudia Kalb | NEWSWEEK
Nov 5, 2007 Issue

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  • Posted By: Suetonius @ 01/14/2008 11:02:55 AM

    Comment: Look up the list of ingredients that FDA allows into our food and you'll find a long list of chemicals there and it is obvious that they (chemicals) entered the list by the pressure of the manufacturers' lobbyists. FDA is - after all - government and as such is prone to influences. Gosh, why McDonald's is still here if FDA cares?
    I got my child's eczema cleared after we gave up all prescription medicines (steroidal!!) and went with the herbal remedy from www.champori.com What a relief to know that alternative cures still exist !!
    SK

  • Posted By: aluminumfree @ 11/26/2007 4:23:35 AM

    Comment: This article fails to mention the connection between vaccines and food allergy, as well as higher rate of food allergy in autistic children (25 - 30% vs 1 - 5% in normal kids). Aluminum in many vaccines and thimerosol in some flu vaccines are known to cause food allergy, asthma and eczema. The aluminum adjuvant in vaccines causes the immune system to react to the vaccine, inducing immunity. However, it is not specific to the vaccine and can react to anything in the body: an odd food protein, dust or even to the body itself (auto-immune disease).

    The aluminum in vaccines wasn't tested for safety for injection into babies, as it was grandfathered by FDA. Safety trials of vaccines often compare vaccines to side effects of other aluminum vaccines or, worse, to a placebo containing aluminum (Gardasil). The CDC uses data on ingested aluminum to justify its safety in vaccines, though it is known aluminum enters the body very poorly through the intestine (as little as 0.1 %) as compared to 100% through injection. The amount of aluminum injected according to CDC shot schedule at a well baby visit is several times (even corrected for body weight) an amount known to cause harm to preterm babies; in a New England Journal of Medicine study, babies who received very small doses of aluminum in contaminated IV solution, tested lower on cognitive tests and developed irritable bowel disorder (IBS).

    Several studies show that aluminum vaccines increase asthma in kids. The HiB vaccine is most associated with rise in peanut allergy. OSHA and EPA both regulate aluminum but FDA does not, despite mountains of evidence it is a potent neurotoxin and immune toxin.

    The American Academy of Pediatrics states that aluminum exposure in infants should be minimized. AAP studies show how higher levels of aluminum found in soy infant formula cause developmental delays and food allergies. Cumulative amounts of aluminum in shots given to babies from 0 to 12 months according to CDC schedule contain comparable amounts of aluminum to that absorbed from soy formula.

    Aluminum causes developmental delays, ADD/ADHD, learning disorders, seizures/tics, dementia, low muscle tone, brittle bones, loss of speech, poor coordination, swelling of the brain/increased head circumference, auto immune disorders (rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, lupus, irritable bowel disorder, crohn's disease, celiac disease, gulf war syndrome, MMF), blood clots, and is associated with Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Lou Gehrig's diseases. Children with autism have higher rate of these conditions and family history than normal children.

    Aluminum can be found in many foods kids eat, despite AAP warning it is dangerous to kids. Chicken nuggets, pancakes/waffles, food dyes, table salt, pickles, american cheese, sweets, flour tortillas, drink mixes, baking powder, and frozen pizza can contain added aluminum. It is also added to drinking water, though may occur here and in certain foods naturally.

  • Posted By: momof3wonderfulkids @ 11/17/2007 3:35:10 PM

    Comment: I am also a mother of a son with not only peanut allergies, but also milk, soy, eggs and wheat. He is 15 months and we found out about two weeks ago. I breast fed him until he was 14 months old, he never had milk before this. So don't tell me that breast feeding is going to prevent children from getting allergies, that is not true! My other two children were formula fed babies and they neither one have allergies of any type. I think it is very mean of people without children with food allergies to be so insensitive, My son could die, DIE, if he were given any type of peanut. What would you feel like if it were your child? I have to worry about anything we do, from going to the store and putting him in a cart to going out to eat, not many places we can go and eat. You are just the type of people I worry about, when I have to send my child to school. Shame on you. That one percent of children you are talking about, is someone's child. He is my world, I would never be so careless to say I wouldn't do something because it supposedly doesn't affect me, I would never want to be the cause of someone else child possibly dying because I was careless and just didn't care. I hope you never have to experience something like this, because it is nervewracking, I worry constantly about his safety.

  • Posted By: bananie @ 11/17/2007 8:11:58 AM

    Comment: As the mother of a child with a life threatening peanut allergy, I took exception to the picture on the cover of the little girl wearing a gas mask. People with peanut allergies do not need to wear gas masks---however, nor would they hold a peanut butter sandwich with the pb almost touching their fingers as is the case on the cover. Children wtih these life threatening allergies already feel odd enough ----whether sitting at a special table in the cafeteria or having your parent accompany you to birthday parties or having to carry a fanny pack filled with medication everywhere you go ...the list goes on and on. Images like the girl with the gas mask may provide the shock value neccessary to sell magazines but they do nothing to help the allergic population. Such an image just furthers the notion that allergic people are peculiar and need to resort to extreme measures such as gas masks. My 8 year old saw the magazine and asked if he was going to have to wear "one of those things." Your pictures should convey reality--ditch the gas mask and also ditch the supposedly allergic child cavalierly holding the very foods that could kill her.

  • Posted By: IslandNation @ 11/16/2007 4:09:36 AM

    Comment: I have seafood allergies as well as a rather severe penicillin allergy. That said, I do NOT have 1/10 the number nor the severity of allergies that my father had. Ignoring my father???s litany, I firmly believe that genetics, hygiene/environmental factors, and changes to diet/chemicals all play a significant role. I grew up in a rural/suburban environment under a ???benign neglect??? policy. A mother who firmly believed little children should get outside, get dirty and have pets probably helped both my sister and I to reduce the genetic impact from my father. What is clear, though, is that dangerous allergies are rising at a very rapid rate in the US population and what must be a variety of causes has yet to be property explored. The fact that this is NOT happening in all other countries is very telling. Where I live overseas having any food allergy at all is quite uncommon, just like it was the US when I was young.

    Food allergies, your own or loved ones???, are a terrible trial. Perhaps taking a look at what has changed so much in our country as opposed to others might shed some light and why these life-threatening problems are rising so quickly.

  • Posted By: rwinkel @ 11/15/2007 9:51:45 PM

    Comment: "Nov. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Breast-feeding in the first three months
    of life appears to help shield children from developing food allergies.
    That's just one of a number of findings on food allergies scheduled to be presen
    ted this week at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma a
    nd Immunology in Dallas."
    This is just one more in a long stream of findings demonstrating
    the immunological, nutritional, psychological and intellectual
    deficits suffered by formula-fed babies. Yet there is no outcry,
    no call for banning over-the-counter formula, no legislative push
    for facilities to breast-feed and co-habitate in the workplace, no
    program of press releases attempting to undo the effects of over a
    century of medical trivialization and denigration of breast feeding.
    And above all, no institutional introspection or apology on the
    part of medicine. A dandy business model.

  • Posted By: rwinkel @ 11/15/2007 9:48:09 PM

    Comment: "Breast-Feeding Cuts Food Allergy Risk
    WEDNESDAY, Nov. 14 (HealthDay News) -- Breast-feeding in the first three months
    of life appears to help shield children from developing food allergies.
    That's just one of a number of findings on food allergies scheduled to be presented this week at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology in Dallas."

    This is just one more in a long
    stream of findings demonstrating the immunological, nutritional,
    psychological and now intellectual deficits suffered by formula-fed
    babies. Yet there is no outcry, no call for banning over-the-counter
    formula, no legislative push for facilities to breast-feed and
    co-habitate in the workplace, no program of press releases attempting
    to undo the effects of over a century of medical trivialization and
    denigration of breast feeding. And above all, no institutional
    introspection or apology.

    • Posted By: bebecat @ 11/19/2007 14:27:37

      Comment: A friend breast fed her two kids (never any formula) for 18 months. Both kids have various severe food allergies.

      Another breast fed her two kids (again, never any formula), for more than a year. One kids with severe food allergies and asthma. One without.

      And another never breast fed either of her two kids. One with food allergies, one without.

  • Posted By: welkington @ 11/12/2007 4:01:18 PM

    Comment: A very interesting article about food allergies. However, I think you missed a couple of ideas that are currently being explored: 1. whether antibiotics given during the first year of life disturb the immune system and increase the risk of allergies later on; and 2. whether probiotics given to the mother - and/or the newborn infant - may reduce the incidence of allergies and asthma in high risk kids by helping to develop a healthy immune system in the gut in early life. Both ideas are related to the hygiene hypothesis.

  • Posted By: stacey2grow @ 11/09/2007 6:49:39 PM

    Comment: After reading this article I could see how I relate as I have food allergies too. I can also add that I am 25 years old and right now I can't eat avacados,kiwis and raisins of course up until I moved at age 22 I ate all of these foods regularly. Born in norther California now living in southern California I quickly learned that I can't eat these foods. I have to ask has anyone checked the anti-fungus/pesticides that they use on our food? I had others and a doctor confirm that this was the cause so to avoid getting sick I eat organic and no more problem. Why don't they look outside for the cause instead of inside they wont be so confused by the cause of allergies. I was also raised on a farm with animals and dirt and we grew a lot of food, now I eat from a store and have only recently developed allergies. thank you

  • Posted By: VANative @ 11/09/2007 3:32:54 PM

    Comment: My allergies/sensitivities to wheat, cashews, vinegar, black tea, coffee, chocolate, sugar, milk and mushrooms are all candida-related. As are my inhaled chemical sensitivities, e.g. to scented candles, natural gas, etc. My reactions rise and ebb with my candida or "yeast' burden. I wish mainstream Medical Doctors would believe me!! After 14 years of trial and error and fighting candida, I think I know what's going on with my own body. I also think candida is behind autism and some forms of mental impairment -- ever heard of "yeast head"? I get it from wheat, vinegar, etc. It's like being drunk. Terrible condition to have and I get no help from medical community towards curing it. Thanks for the irrelevant Epipen you gave me, allergy Dr.!!

  • Posted By: tpatti11 @ 11/09/2007 11:19:02 AM

    Comment: AT MY COLLEGE WE ARE WORKING ON A PRODUCT THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO BRING TO THE MARKETPLACE FOR TESTING FOOD FOR INADVERTENTLY COMING IN CONTACT WITH FOOD ALLERGENS. WE WANT TO DO MARKET RESEARCH FOR THIS, COULD ANYONE WHO HAS A FOOD ALLERGY/CHILD/LOVED ONE WITH A FOOD ALLERGY PLEASE TAKE THIS TEST?!?

    THANK YOU

    http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=psyd3wVgIhO12hFmo4_2bzbA_3d_3d

    • Posted By: lalexander26 @ 11/10/2007 16:47:41

      Comment: You would benefit tremendously by contacting the University of Nebraska. They test products for undeclared allergens every day. I proved twice that two different products indeed contained undeclared dairy.

  • Posted By: Goofer @ 11/08/2007 9:52:16 PM

    Comment: My Great great great grandfather died in his 40's possibly or diabetes. His son also died in his 40's possibly of diabetes. His grand daughter had Rhumatoid Arthritis. Two of her daughters had between them Rhumatoid Arthritis and Asthma and Bronchitis and Maigraines.. The daugher with RA has a daughter with Vitiligo. The daughter with Asthma and Bronchitis has a daughter with SLE, DLE, RP, and CD. She has another daughet with maigraines and her son has ADHD.The grand daughter also has a son with a grand daughter with severe asthma and insulin dependant diabetes. I can't say for the rest of the extended family, but when my mother married my dad they created three children with numerous auto-immune diseases and allergies to food, pollen, smoke, pesticides, gasoline, perfume, synthetic fabrics, metals. mold, mildew, bleach, ammonia, monosodium glutamate,food additives and other things I can't think of. We were all breast fed, as were our children. We grew up around animals on a farm. Who knows why so many of my ancestors had problems and why I seem to be blessed with so many of my own.

  • Posted By: Goofer @ 11/08/2007 9:33:09 PM

    Comment: I was born 47 years ago to a father with food allergies manifested as sinus problems and a mother with food allergies manifested as bronchitis and maigraines. My genetic food allergies are every thing I eat added to the allergies I developed because of Celiac Disease. I was breast fed. My mother's family goes back to Ireland on one line. I have Systemic and Discoid Lupus, Celiac Disease and Raynaud's. My mother has asthma and bronchitis. Her mother had Ruematoid Arthritis. Her grandfather died in his 40's possibly of Diabetes. His father also died in his 40's possibly of diabetes. I am also allergic to gasoline products, ammonia, bleach, insecticides, detergents, fabric softeners, perfumes, smoke and a host of other things I can't identify that lead to all of my mucous membranes releasing mucous which makes it hard to breath or see. One thing of interest: when I eat foods I am allergic to my ears turn red and I have body odor. The result of two people with food allergies having three children is all of them have food allergies.

  • Posted By: cindy and ben @ 11/08/2007 11:38:35 AM

    Comment: Why do none of these articles mention the decline in exclusive breast-feeding which seems to be co-temporaneous with this increase in the incidence of food allergies? Vast numbers of children are being given adult foodstuffs at very young ages, well before they would be introduced in a traditional society. Also, it seems that foods are introduced with an eye to convenience rather than appropriateness. Highly processed foods which are easy for the baby to eat UNASSISTED by the parent, are extremely popular. I hope parents consider that we were evolved to breast-feed exclusively for a long period of time and that the introduction of any adult foods probably included a lot of pre-chewing, which is a powerful disincentive for overly early weaning from the breast. Food allergies are dangerous and inconvenient, so any avenue of investigation which could PREVENT them before they develop should be considered.

    • Posted By: lalexander26 @ 11/10/2007 16:55:36

      Comment: While I agree with you that vast numbers of children are being introduced to table foods at an inappropriate early age (a lot of them are instructed to do so by their pediatricians that are so uneducated about food allergies), I disagree with you that there is a decline in breast feeding. There was a decline in the 70's and 80's but breast feeding has made a huge comeback in the last couple of decades. I don't believe one should be so judgemental in placing blame on a non-breastfeeding woman. Just so you know, I breast fed both of my children. One of which is anaphylactic to dairy and dairy derivitives, multiple other food allergeis, EE, environmental allergies, and osteoporosis. My daughter lucked out and has only med allergies. Now, what a lot of breast feeding mothers do not know and are not told is that what THEY put in there bodies actually trigger these allergies in their little babies....just like it did mine.

  • Posted By: cindy and ben @ 11/08/2007 11:03:44 AM

    Comment: Why do none of these articles mention the decline in exclusive breast-feeding which seems to be co-temporaneous with this increase in the incidence of food allergies? Vast numbers of children are being given adult foodstuffs at very young ages, well before they would be introduced in a traditional society. Also, it seems that foods are introduced with an eye to convenience rather than appropriateness. Highly processed foods which are easy for the baby to eat UNASSISTED by the parent, are extremely popular. I hope parents consider that we were evolved to breast-feed exclusively for a long period of time and that the introduction of any adult foods probably included a lot of pre-chewing, which is a powerful disincentive for overly early weaning from the breast. Food allergies are dangerous and inconvenient, so any avenue of investigation which could PREVENT them before they develop should be considered.

  • Posted By: cindy and ben @ 11/08/2007 11:01:36 AM

    Comment: Why do none of these articles mention the decline in exclusive breast-feeding which seems to be co-temporaneous with this increase in the incidence of food allergies? Vast numbers of children are being given adult foodstuffs at very young ages, well before they would be introduced in a traditional society. Also, it seems that foods are introduced with an eye to convenience rather than appropriateness. Highly processed foods which are easy for the baby to eat UNASSISTED by the parent, are extremely popular. I hope parents consider that we were evolved to breast-feed exclusively for a long period of time and that the introduction of any adult foods probably included a lot of pre-chewing, which is a powerful disincentive for overly early weaning from the breast. Food allergies are dangerous and inconvenient, so any avenue of investigation which could PREVENT them before they develop should be considered.

  • Posted By: NAETenthusiast @ 11/07/2007 3:19:33 PM

    Comment: The article is incorrect in stating that "there are no known cures for food allergies." Nambrudipad's Allergy Elimination Techniques, or NAET, (www.naet.com) successfully eliminates allergies and is completely natural and non-invasive. Serious investigative journalism should pay attention to this groundbreaking treatment which is spreading like wildfire through word of mouth from families who have experienced life-altering results. My four year old child no longer is allergic to peanuts, dairy, strawberries, chlorine, dust or seasonal pollens thanks to NAET treatments from a chiropractor trained in NAET. I urge your reporters and readers to research this further and explode the myth that allergies are incurable. The last thing we need is to pour resources into developing a peanut vaccine -- more of the same culprit that your article correctly attributes as a cause of allergies.

  • Posted By: GinaTem @ 11/06/2007 4:45:56 PM

    Comment: I think this article is extremely hypocritical in its idea of an allergy vaccination on the grounds that it started out by underscoring the fact that we have allergies initially because of vaccines. Now scientists want to try and make another vaccine that will most likely cause more problems than we have already. Now, the idea of immunotherapy is much better than that of a vaccination in that it isn't a preventitive type of solution but rather a tolerance, or, as Newsweek says, a desensitizer.

  • Posted By: kimberley35@hotmail.com @ 11/06/2007 1:26:25 PM

    Comment: My almost 4 year old daughter was fine until her 15 month vaccinations. Since then she has become allergic to peanuts and eggs. I breastfed her for 13 months and weaned her slowly. Her doctor said it was a result of the vaccinations, but I didn't believe it until I did my own research. My 1 year old son is breastfed and has not had ANY vaccinations and so far, has no food allergies. As a matter of fact, he's so healthy that I've only had to take him to the doctor's just for a Well Baby check up.
    I am not sure if we are allowed to post links, but Google : "Anaphylactic children: Canaries in the mine shaft of public health"

    It's a very interesting article, and something I have known since my daughter has had food allergies. All this money we are spending on Nowhere research when all we have to do is take a look at what we are doing. Do we really think we can inject small children with G-d knows what and expect them to come out ok all of the time?

  • Posted By: kimberley35@hotmail.com @ 11/06/2007 1:18:27 PM

    Comment: I breastfed my daughter for 13 months. After her 15 month vaccinations, she became allergic to peanuts and eggs...there are a few others, but eggs and peanuts are the most serious for her. I am not sure if I could post links, but Google: Anaphylactic children: Canaries in the mine shaft of public health

    It talks about how vaccines can be the cause of allergies...the HiB vaccine causing peanut allergies. I totally believe it. My son is 1 year, breast fed, and has not been vaccinated with anything and has shown no signs of any allergies so far.

  • Posted By: kimberley35@hotmail.com @ 11/06/2007 1:17:52 PM

    Comment: I breastfed my daughter for 13 months. After her 15 month vaccinations, she became allergic to peanuts and eggs...there are a few others, but eggs and peanuts are the most serious for her. I am not sure if I could post links, but Google: Anaphylactic children: Canaries in the mine shaft of public health

    It talks about how vaccines can be the cause of allergies...the HiB vaccine causing peanut allergies. I totally believe it. My son is 1 year, breast fed, and has not been vaccinated with anything and has shown no signs of any allergies so far.

  • Posted By: evan_goff @ 11/06/2007 11:27:42 AM

    Comment: ******************************************************************************************************************
    "Manufacturers, thanks to a federal law implemented last year, now list the eight most common allergens (from milk to fish) on their food labels."
    Yes, BUT, this legislation also effectively 'grandfathered' any items that were labeled before January 1, 2006, and many items are still showing up, illegally labeled, on supermarket shelves -- nearly 2 years later!! How long must we wait until this legislation is appropriately enforced by the FDA?
    ******************************************************************************************************************

  • Posted By: jasper @ 11/06/2007 1:00:17 AM

    Comment: This was a good article, but the subject deserves more attention.

    The increase in food allergies is mirrored by an equivalent increase in the industrialized world of other immune disorders. MS, asthma, Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, type I diabetes, etc., etc., set new records each year for the rate of infection. This increase of immune disease in the industrialized world is unknown in the third world. Places that do not have access to sewers, soaps and (my favorite) antibacterial toys, are areas where disorders of the immune system are almost unknown.

    If all bacteria were eliminated from my or your intestinal tracts we would die. This neatly demonstrates that we are ecosystems. The idea that we could so radically, and rapidly in genetic terms, alter our environments by eliminating bacteria, viruses and helminths from our bodies without unintended consequences is absurd.

    An area referred to in passing, but not named or described to the extent it deserves is Helminthic Therapy.

    In Helminthic Therapy patients are deliberately infected with helminths, parasitic roundworms like hookworm, whip worm, etc., that colonize the intestinal tract, to treat immune disorders.

    The results are truly spectacular.

    It has been demonstrated in numerous studies to be more effective, safer, and with fewer (and short-lived) side effects than any "modern" medicine. Remission rates for Crohn's disease, for instance, range from 72.4%, to 100% in a recent proof-of-concept study using hookworm. To put this in perspective there is currently no available therapy that can promise remission for Crohn's disease. Helminthic therapy is broadly just as effective for Multiple sclerosis, asthma, hay fever, sinusitis, eczema (atopic dermatitis) and ulcerative colitis.

    The introduction of sewers, and the elimination of water borne diseases like Cholera and Typhoid as well as the elimination of helminths, is popularly and correctly viewed as one of the greatest public health successes of modern society. It has saved millions of lives. But if you have MS, Crohn's, Lupus, etc., or any of the disorders now linked to excessive hygiene it is an unmitigated disaster.

    Less than one hundred years ago Crohn's disease was unknown. Today it afflicts 1 in 544 Americans. The rate of increase is roughly 25% every decade. Crohn???s was first reported, in New York, in the 1930's.

    While Helminthic Therapy may be distasteful the science is very well developed. There are too many studies to list here, but a good starting place are the search engines, you can start with "helminthic therapy". Wikipedia also has a basic, and accurate, entry for Helminthic Therapy here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wik/Helminthic_therapy.

    And for pure entertainment there is the guy who went to Cameroon and deliberately infected himself with hookworm, gripping: http://www.asthmahookworm.com.

    Anecdotal accounts, involving hookworm and hay fever, were published as long ago as 1974 in the Lancet.

  • Posted By: My Son Has a Shadow at School/Bus @ 11/05/2007 11:00:11 PM

    Comment: To the guy that says he's minding his business - you should only hope your child never takes ill. Teach your child compassion and consideration for others. You are raising your child to be selfish. That's the problem with most people in this country. We did it to ourselves.

    On another note regarding breastfeeding, I nursed 3 kids and only my 1st has food allergies. There isn't enough research being done to answer all of these great questions. My allergist said if i didn't nurse, his allergies would have been worse. Who knows. I was told today that I offended someone nursing in public. I was covered up. I've nursed 3 and 1/2 years (3 children) and this is the 1st time someone complained to me. Do I say your bottle filled with corn syrup offends me? Please. People need to think before they speak.

  • Posted By: Evil Petting Zoo @ 11/05/2007 3:46:56 PM

    Comment: I see lots of mentions about the benefits of breastfeeding, and yet every kid I know with food allergies was breast-fed. Could it be something in the mother's milk, perhaps the genetically modified foods you all are talking about? Perhaps breastfeeding combined with our American diet is HARMING our children. The upsurge in food allergies corresponds very well with the current push for breastfeeding; in the 60's where I lived, noone had food allergies and everyone was bottle-fed (just the current trend at that time).

    • Posted By: mom of 2 with allergies @ 11/06/2007 12:35:57

      Comment: Regarding breastfeeding and food allergies: I breastfed my daughter for only 3 weeks without formula, then in combination with formula for 9 more weeks (3 mos total) - she is now 6 yrs old and allergic to peanuts. I breastfed my son exclusively for 10 months (no formula at all) - he is now 2 1/2 yrs old and is allergic to milk, soy, egg, lentils, peas, legumes. I highly doubt that my daughter's food allergies could have come from only 3 weeks of being exclusively breast-fed.

    • Posted By: bodey @ 11/05/2007 19:07:46

      Comment: Pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are cautioned, or at least SHOULD be, to avoid peanuts if there's a family history of ANY allergy; not just food allergy. My 2 year old is allergic to peanuts and was breastfed exclusively for 9 months. I continued to nurse her until she was 2. I wish I had been told to avoid peanuts by my ob/gyn or child's pediatrician. I would still have chosen to breastfeed because of the myriad health benefits it provides. I just would have known to avoid foods that could trigger an allergic reaction in my infant.

  • Posted By: tartafries @ 11/04/2007 9:07:53 PM

    Comment: I really am glad that you printed this article. As an adult I too have allergies which developed later in life. I am also struggling to take control of what I eat to keep myself safe. This is an issue for everyone! We need to be able to send our kids out the door and feel comfortable that they will be safe. I don't think that the community as a whole should be "punished" and prohibited from eating what you want. However, since this is an issue that is affecting many more people each year; educating the public is key.

  • Posted By: LivingWithPA @ 11/04/2007 9:00:01 PM

    Comment: ALL should be encouraged -- who are dealing with or learning about food allergies -- to *PLEASE* be very wise about websites and links posted here AND those stumbled upon elsewhere on the Internet. Websites that claim "help" or "advice" but will only provide such if you pay or subscribe may not always be in your best interests. Ask yourself, "why is this site operating for profit?" There is a wealth of excellent, truly living-this-journey, experienced, FREE support and advocacy via non-profit organizations and/or FREE support groups. ALWAYS check things out thoroughly. If a website owner and/or it's "support board" is not willing to freely link to other TRUE support boards in the name of food allergy advocacy, then stop and ask yourself "WHY?"!!

  • Posted By: Sara23 @ 11/03/2007 8:22:06 PM

    Comment: Thank you so much for opening everyone's eyes at how important it is to keep our children safe. Even though it may look like a small problem to people that don't have kids with food allergies, it affects everyone, allergy-free doesn't mean you get to live in your own little bubble and criticize others for wanting to protect their children and their children's friends and classmates. Knowledge is very important for everyone to help all of our kids live as fully and happily as they can. I would also like to remind everyone that anyone can develope an allergy to anything at any time, it's not always in childhood. And yes i have a nephew with food allergies to milk, soy, and peanut proteins. I also found the Dummies guide to food allergies is a great source for calm info for anyone wanting more.

  • Posted By: LAMOM @ 11/03/2007 3:34:17 PM

    Comment: Thank you for your article. My 7 1/2 year old daughter had 4 reactions in June and was in and out of hospitals all summer due to ONE BITE of an entree at a restauranat that had undisclosed peanuts in it. Thanks to the waiter and staff not listening to me- my daugher not only almost died and has been through hell this summer but now her allergy to peanuts is worse! After each anaphylactic reaction she has less and less time to get to her epi-pen and to a hospital! I can't work because I have to be so involved in her classroom, school and any activity she does. When does the restarant industry step up to bat? When can we people understand that peanut allergy's have now trippled with kids under 5. We have a whole team of allergistts and experts here in LA that on my daughters case. I know it is horrible to have a child with special needs or cancer or diabetes but to walk around with a totally normal, energetic, high functioning, fun loving little girl who can die in 5 minutes if she touches or is touched with a peanut or peanut butter is constant terror. No one in the family can be "normal" No one at school or her freinds can be normal around her. Every one around her has to be in constant high alert mode. It's our reality and it's insane. Anaphylactic allergies do not just affect the imediate family but about 30-500 people that come in contact with the child every day. Every class, team, troop, school is being prevented or asked to help keep that child safe. We can't put all these kids in bubbles and shelter them from living so all we can do is keep the chilkdren away from the allergens, carry the medications at all times, spread awareness, and get involved with organizations that aim for laws to protect these kids and help us get closer to a vaccine or cure. Thank you again for this great article! Anaphylacticallergy.com

    • Posted By: riva4 @ 11/12/2007 21:52:41

      Comment: Thank you for your response to, not only the article but the whole situation. My son and nephew have severe food allergies and we are trying to get their schools to ban peanut and tree nuts entirely. The school system set up "allergy free" zones in the cafeterias. And one school actually got it banned from being served by the school cafeteria, but not from the other children who bring it from home. I am working with a local support group to try and get all nuts banned from school. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Newsweek--thanks for a great article!

  • Posted By: revcobb @ 11/03/2007 1:21:48 PM

    Comment: I'm glad to see the article. My son (peanut) and wife (adult onset shellfish) are both at severe risk of anaphylaxis. My wife particpates in an online support community that's been a lifesaver for our family. It's the hyperboard mentioned in an earlier post. The only solution we have right now is to control the environment, ask lots of questions when we eat out, negotiate with school, church, and extracurricular activities, and educate, educate, educate everyone who's going to have care of our son. There are lots of theories about causes right now--and that's great news! It means that there are lots of people trying to figure it out. There are researchers working on lots of solutions. The article mentions a few of the more controversial. For those of us who've run from a restaurant carrying a child whose throat is closing down and turning blue, causes and solutions are great to talk about in the abstract. But we need to know that until a cause is identified and a cure found, everyone who's going to come in contact with our child knows how to keep him safe. Keep in mind that a food challenge sounds great on paper until it's your child being given something that could kill him, even in a controlled environment in a doctor's office with epinepherine at the ready. The danger I see in what some posters have suggested (just feed them the peanuts at an early age) is that some foolish or desperate parent may lose a child trying to do just that at home. Too many have died. Too many live in fear of dying. Thanks to Newsweek for giving the issue some much-needed publicity.

  • Posted By: Anneli @ 11/03/2007 9:55:19 AM

    Comment: Why not feed all children at the age of 3 months with a mixture of peanuts, milk, eggs and shellfish, so the immune system can adjust to the allergens on an early stage? No, I hope that any person would be provoked by reading this statement. But this is exactly what we do to the immune system by vaccinating 3 month old kids with up to 5 serious diseases at the same time. How can we even think that the immune system will not be confused by this unnatural procedure and also start fighting non harmful substances (eg. food). I understand why the article about allergies did not go in to questioning the reasons for all the allergies that kids face in the modern world. It just spent pages on how to deal with the allergies when they are already there. But until immunology specialists take seriously the risks that disease vaccines "en masse "create to a delicate immune system, I fear that we will have to go on dealing with the allergies. I do believe we need the vaccines, but let's do it in moderation. Let the kid grow a strong natural immune system at least for a year until we ask of it to make antibodies against a serious disease and let the immunesystem deal with one disease at a time (give one vaccine at a time). Of course the kids with allergies need all the help they can get to deal with their serious problem. But let's not just give in and forget that there is a way to stop kids from having the allergies in the first place.
    Anneli

  • Posted By: travelinglife @ 11/02/2007 11:39:07 PM

    Comment: I find this article and posted comments very interesting! I can understand why some one who doesn't have food allergies has no time for all of this..I had thought the same thing til recently. I had been merrily going about my life, then roughly sometime in high school I started having intestinal issues..I kept ignoring the issue since I"m not into going to the doctor. Six years later I finally decide that I'm sick of dealing with this and it is consuming my life. So I go into the doctor and they start doing blood test. food allergies come out positive! Eight different foods from the selection of foods that they tested! As soon as I started avoiding those foods there was a extreme difference with my intestinal problems! The only thing is that it's so hard trying to avoid things like corn which is in everything! Food allergies are the biggest pain!! I completely agree. Its annoying for everyone else and myself! I would love to know how to get rid of them..without starving to death or be on the toilet for the rest of my life!

  • Posted By: amatdave @ 11/02/2007 10:01:03 PM

    Comment: Our daughter was recently diagnosed with Celiac's disease, a gluten intolerance..this also seems to be on the rise with some estimates of 1 in 200 people having Celiac's...anyone looking at this as also some environmental reaction despite a known genetic marker???

  • Posted By: toomuchjava @ 11/02/2007 8:33:51 PM

    Comment: I have a food allergic child. I think that elementary schools are particularly hazardous because of all the foods that parents bring in for birthday parties, and various other celebrations. It is my opinion that foods for these parties should be provided by the schools, with full disclosure of the ingredients. Parents can donate a few dollars towards parites so the schools don't have to shoulder the financial burdens. When the allergic child eats their own treats, and watches the others enjoying themselves and devouring cake, it sets up a type of isolation, never mind the risks of cross contamination.

    • Posted By: tempnewsweeker @ 11/06/2007 14:18:59

      Comment: Doing away with school birthday parties is a successful approach to controlling the environment for children with food allergies-both anaphylactic and non-severe. Birthdays can be celebrated without food. Public schools are supposed to setting an example with regard to healthy food, and eliminating cake, cupcakes, etc from the school day is a step in the right direction.

  • Posted By: AJK1 @ 11/02/2007 12:32:38 PM

    Comment: This article doesn't discuss the difference between IgE testing (for an immediate food reaction) and IgG testing (for a delayed response). Our naturopath recommended testing for both for our 4 year old daughter. The results showed no IgE reactions but IgG reactions to glutens, eggs, and dairy. We removed all of these foods from our daughter's diet (at great pain) only to have a number of new issues arise as a result. On consulting with our pediatrician and one other western medicine physician, we were told that IgG testing is not valid. I wish this story had covered this question as we are left scratching our heads.

  • Posted By: AJK1 @ 11/02/2007 12:31:52 PM

    Comment: This article doesn't discuss the difference between IgE testing (for an immediate food reaction) and IgG testing (for a delayed response). Our naturopath recommended testing for both for our 4 year old daughter. The results showed no IgE reactions but IgG reactions to glutens, eggs, and dairy. We removed all of these foods from our daughter's diet (at great pain) only to have a number of new issues arise as a result. On consulting with our pediatrician and one other western medicine physician, we were told that IgG testing is not valid. I wish this story had covered this question as we are left scratching our heads.

  • Posted By: SayWhat? @ 11/02/2007 11:07:24 AM

    Comment: Cannot believe the ignorant comments written below... "why don't you keep your sob stories to yourself?" No one asked you to read this story, or the comments posted. If it truly is none of your business, perhaps you should have just went right to the entertainment section of the site and read about Paris or Britney or whatever... because obviously you are not interested in learning anything newsworthy or valuable. The point of the article was to educate people on the growing incidence of food allergies in children and the challenges faced by children, parents, families, and researchers who are working hard to combat the trend. I am sorry if your little world is hampered by a the plight of a few in this country, and that in order to make these kids' world a little safer, we are asking you to not send your child to school with peanut products. I hope that you never have to worry about whether or not your child will end up hospitalized or dead because an ignorant parent has decided that they can ignore those few people who are food allergic or sensitive. That said, I hope that if your child ever runs out in the street, someone driving towards them will swerve in an effort to prevent your child's injury or death, rather than continue driving because it was inconvenient for them to swerve or try to stop. Finally, I hope that your child becomes a better, more caring, responsible, mature adult than you are.

  • Posted By: chare214 @ 11/01/2007 11:02:40 PM

    Comment: My son is severly allergic to milk, eggs, and peanuts. He has cake. There are alternatives out there. You just need to look for them. Duncan Hines yellow cake mix and a can of Sprite make a great cake. Just mix the cake mix with the Sprite and bake. Wild Oats also has wheat free, dairy free, egg free, and peanut free cake and cookie mixes.

  • Posted By: booandbrimom @ 11/01/2007 7:16:07 PM

    Comment: If anyone is interested, we have an allergy support board at allergy.hyperboards.com. It's particularly good for people who have just had a child diagnosed with a food allergy.

  • Posted By: booandbrimom @ 11/01/2007 7:15:06 PM

    Comment: If anyone is interested, we have a food allergy support board at allergy.hyperboards.com. It's especially good for people who have just learned their children have a food allergy.

  • Posted By: Yayacats3 @ 11/01/2007 6:39:39 PM

    Comment: Dearest Garn:
    I understand you, I can see your anger, Wow you took some nasty hits.. So try to do as I teach my kids, learn something new each day.. Read your food lables, then 'Google' Red dye #40' When you do that you may undrestand where your anger comes from, then after you have done that go out behind the barn and do an 'Ol Yeller'
    Try to deal with a Dye Allergic Child.......
    Oh! wait a minute your are acting like child with a mild dye allergy..
    Yayacats3

  • Posted By: Yayacats3 @ 11/01/2007 6:24:34 PM

    Comment: Dearest Garn:
    I understand you.. You sound very angry and righty so. Please Check your food lables and see what they contain, if you find any food color or dyes, do us all a favor, go out behind the barn and do an 'Ol Yeller'
    WE all can do without your kind.. My kids are allergic to any and all food dyes..
    I don't expect you to understand, but try to learn something new each day and 'Google' Red Dye #40'
    then the next day learn something about another food allergy.. Teach your children to be kind and caring people, as we all can see here that it is too late for you.
    Yayacats3.

  • Posted By: allergyeditor @ 11/01/2007 5:45:26 PM

    Comment: There's a great interview with Robyn O'Brien, founder of allergykids.com, in the September issue of Allergy Consumer Report: http://www.achooallergy.com/robyn-obrien-food-allergy-interview.asp

    O'Brien points out that Genetically Modified Soy (most soy on the shelf today) contains new allergens that are similar to peanut allergen. That could be one of the reasons behind the big increase in peanut allergies.

  • Posted By: bebecat @ 11/01/2007 4:14:11 PM

    Comment: Actually, this discussion area relates to the article about kids and the growing number of food allergies in that population. It makes sense that it would draw comments from those dealing with this situation about the challenges, fears and successes they experience, along with their opinons about the piece.

    Perhaps, if Newsweek does an article about people annoyed by families dealing with food allergies, your comments will not be met with the reactions of people and their "sob stories." Your opinions become the business of others when they're posted on an open forum such as this.

    I must say, however, that your comments have been a valuable illustration of one of the many challenges families dealing with life-threatening food allergies face. Thank you.

    Posted By: garn @ 11/01/2007 2:54:59 PM
    Comment: Why don't you keep your sob stories to yourself? I mind my own business and expect others to do the same.

  • Posted By: canddcook @ 11/01/2007 3:32:47 PM

    Comment: It seems that the people who have allergies and the people who are affected by people who have allergies are the ones who seem passionate about this subject. Makes sense. I don't have food allergies, but my sister just discovered an allergy to avocados. I think what the negative people about this awareness need to realize is that this is something that might be passionate to others, but not to you. That's okay, but I think they should watch their comments because something negative will happen to you and you will be passionate about that. Just a warning to all the negative people out there. We need to watch out for each other because we are affected by each other. We all share the same planet and it's getting smaller and smaller all the time.

  • Posted By: chesapeakeberyl @ 11/01/2007 2:57:18 PM

    Comment: Has anyone had expereince with allergies causing headaches and vomitting?

  • Posted By: chesapeakeberyl @ 11/01/2007 2:55:10 PM

    Comment: Can headaches be caused by allergies in an eight year old? Anyone with these expereinces?

  • Posted By: garn @ 11/01/2007 2:54:59 PM

    Comment: Why don't you keep your sob stories to yourself? I mind my own business and expect others to do the same.

    • Posted By: trinimomma @ 11/05/2007 11:17:16

      Comment: If you're minding your business, why are you posting your comments here?

  • Posted By: trinimomma @ 11/01/2007 2:21:08 PM

    Comment: So if it's not your problem, why don't you keep your ignorant comments to yourself! What kind of human being are you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just found out yesterday that my 5 year old son has tree nut/sesame seed allergies. I realized something was wrong when I first gave my son a teaspoon of PB when he was 2 years old and as soon as he was done licking the spoon, his lips, eyes and hands swelled up!! Do you have any idea how frightening that was? I guess not, because it doesn't affect you and those around you.


    Posted By: garn @ 11/01/2007 8:37:34 AM
    Comment: No, I don't need to educate myself regarding food allergies. I don't have food allergies, my wife doesn't and neither does my son. Translation, it's none of my business, nor is it my problem.

  • Posted By: garn @ 11/01/2007 2:18:10 PM

    Comment: So what do you people want me to be? Oh that's right, "it takes a village" to raise a child. According to the article, there's 11 million with food allergies. 11 million out of what, 300 plus million Americans? Last I knew, that's a pretty low percentage.

    No, i'm not selfish. If your kids are that damn allergic, send them to school with surgical masks so they don't have to worry about enhaling peanut butter.

    Like i've said before, and i'll say it again, to the best of my knowlege NO ONE in my family (brothers, sisters, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.) has any sort of food allergy. Food allergies aren't my problem or concern. If, not when, BUT IF, my wife or son develop a food allergy, then i'll worry about it.

  • Posted By: aji_889 @ 11/01/2007 1:41:30 PM

    Comment: I'm still on the way to finishing my program before I enter the College of Medicine. I haven't even taken up biochemistry or immunology prior to making this comment so I guess it's safe to say that while I am in a college which centers its attention to science (I am a bio major myself), I won't be irrationally biased towards science in making this post.

    I say this because I have done a bit of reading in the comments pane of this page and have found that some parents are feeling that the article presents nothing more than a desperate answer to parents who are already bothered. They feel that science is transferring the blame to parents in saying that the rise in allergies can be attributed to "too much cleaning up" in households. Once being an allergic kid who experiences difficulty of breathing due to reactions against the pollen of a local plant, I can feel for these parents. I know the strain that such allergies can impose on ones budget, time, and what have you... We're not exactly swimming in money. And no, back then, we couldn't afford to get sick.

    However, to say that the results of such studies are "desperate" would be going too far, I think.

    I am not even a doctor yet. I am just taking up my undergrad right now and I would hate to give a "desperate" answer to my would-be panel for my upcoming thesis defense which will take place in three semesters' time. I don't know exactly who, but that's just three Ph.D. holders in that panel.

    For a study to reach a popularity of this magnitude, we're talking of an audience that consists of hundreds or thousands of doctors and scientists worldwide. To say that a study received some grant, zipped through panels of specialists, and ultimately gained publicity through a regular publication such as this online magazine while yielding sub-standard answers is simply absurd. Doctors and scientists aren't spending hard-earned money to study fabrication, you know. If this study was indeed trash, it would have been smothered by criticisms and ridicule before it even gained a hint of publicity.

  • Posted By: homz @ 11/01/2007 12:54:37 PM

    Comment: Dear Garn, The reason you need to be careful is because that small percentage maybe friends with your child and if you invite them over for a b'day party or such, then it is your responsibility that the kids feel welcome and the parents can depend on you to take care of the kids the same way you would expect others to be considerate of your child.

  • Posted By: Peej @ 11/01/2007 12:50:23 PM

    Comment: Garn:
    Obviously, you've never held your child wondering if they are going to live bc someone fed them or a child near them with nuts. how selfish., we can be. Every classroom in my school has a child with a nut allergy so I dont know where you getting that percentage.

  • Posted By: Peej @ 11/01/2007 12:44:36 PM

    Comment: Garn:
    Spoken like someone who's never had to wonder if your child is going to live bc someone was careless with nuts. How selfish! It's not a small percentage every class in my child's school has one child allergic to nuts of some kind.

  • Posted By: garn @ 11/01/2007 12:34:53 PM

    Comment: I never said anything about not finding out what's causing food allergies. My point is, why should my kid, or anyone else for that matter have to walk on eggshells because a very small percentage of kids may be allergic to peanut butter, milk, eggs, etc?

  • Posted By: josephlogan @ 11/01/2007 11:40:31 AM

    Comment: What could be the cause of the food allergy epidemic? How about genetically-engineered (GE) foods? Since their introduction into the US food market in 1996, an estimated 75 to 80% of all processed foods in the US now contain one or more genetically modified ingredients. In Europe and Russia, as well as almost all of the developed world, GE foods are banned or are strictly regulated. There is virtually no regulation or oversight in the US food market. In fact, US agribusiness continues to rush gene altered foods into our food supply without any testing or labeling of what foods contain GE products. There have been numerous studies that have identified possible health risks including food allergies, antibiotic resistance, and organ and immune system damage. In fact, the FDA said in 2001 (Fed|Register 22987) that, "Genetic engineering may transfer new and unidentified proteins from one food into another, triggering allergic reactions. Millions of Americans who are sensitive to allergens will have no way of idnetifying or protecting themselves from offending foods". It has been said that the US is allowing "one of the largest uncontrolled experiments in modern history and the lab rats are their children."

    The untold truth is the US food supply is significantly genetically manipulated, then the crops are inundated with enormous amounts of pesticides, the farm animals are given unnecessary and inordinate amounts of antibiotics (a practice that has been linked as the primary cause of the current antibiotic resistant bacteria plague) and the animals are also pumped up with growth hormones. Combine it with the GE producers' recent attempts to introduce legislation that would prevent packaging from listing which ingredients are genetically engineered to keep consumers from avoiding genetically modified foods. What consequences will our children suffer in the decades to come when the truth comes out that GE producers are working to hide by keeping us from choosing to NOT eat their products? Certainly smacks of big tobacco's decades of denying there was any harm from cigarette smoking, doesn't it?

    So when one wonders why there is a food allergy epidemic, the answer may be that our food supply is TOXIC

  • Posted By: josephlogan @ 11/01/2007 11:40:10 AM

    Comment: What could be the cause of the food allergy epidemic? How about genetically-engineered (GE) foods? Since their introduction into the US food market in 1996, an estimated 75 to 80% of all processed foods in the US now contain one or more genetically modified ingredients. In Europe and Russia, as well as almost all of the developed world, GE foods are banned or are strictly regulated. There is virtually no regulation or oversight in the US food market. In fact, US agribusiness continues to rush gene altered foods into our food supply without any testing or labeling of what foods contain GE products. There have been numerous studies that have identified possible health risks including food allergies, antibiotic resistance, and organ and immune system damage. In fact, the FDA said in 2001 (Fed|Register 22987) that, "Genetic engineering may transfer new and unidentified proteins from one food into another, triggering allergic reactions. Millions of Americans who are sensitive to allergens will have no way of idnetifying or protecting themselves from offending foods". It has been said that the US is allowing "one of the largest uncontrolled experiments in modern history and the lab rats are their children."

    The untold truth is the US food supply is significantly genetically manipulated, then the crops are inundated with enormous amounts of pesticides, the farm animals are given unnecessary and inordinate amounts of antibiotics (a practice that has been linked as the primary cause of the current antibiotic resistant bacteria plague) and the animals are also pumped up with growth hormones. Combine it with the GE producers' recent attempts to introduce legislation that would prevent packaging from listing which ingredients are genetically engineered to keep consumers from avoiding genetically modified foods. What consequences will our children suffer in the decades to come when the truth comes out that GE producers are working to hide by keeping us from choosing to NOT eat their products? Certainly smacks of big tobacco's decades of denying there was any harm from cigarette smoking, doesn't it?

    So when one wonders why there is a food allergy epidemic, the answer may be that our food supply is TOXIC

    • Posted By: NutritionMS @ 03/03/2008 10:57:05

      Comment: Hi Joseph,
      I agree with you completely!!!! I am doing a research report on this very topic and would like to know if you know what source of data that documents the actual rise in allergies. I am doing a comparison of UK and US. thanks!!!!!

  • Posted By: allergyeducator @ 11/01/2007 10:05:34 AM

    Comment: Garn. No, you may not have any allergies in your family today but tomorrow you could be on your death bed after eating a meal. Allergies are becoming more prevalent in those that never have had them before. Not your problem? You are wrong! It a problem for all of us. Anyone at anytime can develop a life threatening allergy. Shouldn't we find out why this is happening?

  • Posted By: garn @ 11/01/2007 8:37:34 AM

    Comment: No, I don't need to educate myself regarding food allergies. I don't have food allergies, my wife doesn't and neither does my son. Translation, it's none of my business, nor is it my problem.

  • Posted By: sarahsnana @ 11/01/2007 1:05:38 AM

    Comment: I must respond to those who feel that others with food allergies are being "catered to" and that it's "not my problem." No doubt neither of you has watched as your child was intubated to prevent death from anaphylaxis. Ten years ago my son, then 14, suffered anaphylactic shock after eating poultry, which until then had been a mainstay of his diet. After 5 years, that allergy abated and a shellfish allergy began. It appears this will be lifelong problem for him. Those of us close to someone who suffers from true, life-threatening allergies ask that the public be aware of and educated regarding this.

  • Posted By: Multitasker @ 10/31/2007 9:15:17 PM

    Comment: Does this have anything to do with all of the genetically altered food? I was at Whole Foods and there are some vegetables like corn that they don't even sell anymore because there is no corn grown now that isn't genetically altered. As a nurse, it just seems very odd that all these children have all these allergies. Not one kid I ever went to school with had a nut allergy, now my son has 2 in his classroom alone.

  • Posted By: drdave @ 10/31/2007 3:51:14 PM

    Comment: While tthis is a fear to most parents, chldren and adults. I am very thankful to help these individuals. My name is Dr. David S Popkin. I am a hoslistic physician in Plantation , Florida. I have been in practice for 20 years and been using a natural allergy elimination technique that was taught to me by a M.D. from india, We are able to clear a child , teenager , adult of peanut allergies, food allergies , dogs , cats etc without shots or medication. The results are fantastic over 90 % across the board and are permanent. That menas they don't come back and you don;t have to take medication the rest of your life or feel threatened. If you are interested in finding out more about this please feel free to contact me at 954-370-1900 or go my website at www. drpopkin,com

    • Posted By: homz @ 11/01/2007 11:56:52

      Comment: Saw your website and discovered that N.A.E.T. is your answer to food allergies. I guess then my story is one where N.A.E.T. did not work at all. We tried the method for over six months and were reassured by the practitioner that it would eliminate dairy allergies in our daughter. After spending all the time, effort and money(each treatment is not cheap or a covered expense) it did not make any improvements. Finally the practitioner told us that after consulting with Dr. Devi our daughter's allergies were stronger than the treatment. So much for a guaranteed result. Maybe it has helped others but as desperate parents will try anything, they need to be aware that the results promised may not be delivered.

  • Posted By: perm3800a @ 10/31/2007 3:01:30 PM

    Comment: While I empathize with the families of children with allergies, I am tired of the world catering to the lowest common denominator. One per cent of all children are allergic to peanuts so ninety-nine per cent must do without. And does that decrease the incidence of peanut allergy? No, it INCREASES the incidence of peanut allergy by making the peanut proteins 'exotic'.

    Get a grip. You love your child, I appreciate that. I appreciate that you find it uncomfortable to have to explain to your child's school the s/he needs and EpiPen and that the adults in the school need to know how to use it. My father walked through the windows of my classrooms in 1960 to ensure I was given my antiseizure meds. It's what a parent does. He didn't expect the school to turn into a hospital for me. You shouldn't expect the school to turn into a clean room for your child.

    We teach to the slowest and least gifted children, leaving the gifted to drop out from boredom. We teach so generic a history and culture course as to render culture colorless and bland when it is anything but so that we won't 'offend'. Now we feed to the one-to-eight (eight per cent being the total of ALL food allergies) so we all eat like patients. We do this so no parent can feel like they have produced a less than perfect child. Well, we aren't all created equal, just equal under the law. Get a grip.

    • Posted By: bebecat @ 10/31/2007 16:55:56

      Comment: No discomfort explaining the need for EpiPens to my child's school....or to anyone else. Just disappointment at the apathy once the information is shared. Not trying to decrease the incidence of peanut or any other food allergy...just trying to prevent anaphylaxis or worse.

      I don't expect someone who doesn't live it to understand. I've certainly stopped expecting that if it's not about them , that they would even care.

      I would never promote the idea that people are not equal because of a medical issue --- be it food allergy, physical challenge or even a seizure disorder. And I would absolutely never give my children the false impression or sense of security that we are all equal under the law...because despite what is written, that is absolutely not the case either.

      Your comment was quite thought provoking, even if it wasn't intended. And thanks for the suggestion, but I checked, and I feel quite gripped.

      And, while it is completely unrelated, I agree regarding the results of a generic curriculum. I have my children in an independent school because , among other things, there they get to learn alongside kids from all socio-economic backgrounds about everyone's tradition and religion and experience -- no sanitization. Their classes are small enough to receive material appropriate to their ability. I would never suggest that we teach just to the gifted to leave those with learning differences or challenges in the dust. That would be just a unforgivable. Everyone is equal. That issue is SO VERY DIFFERENT from the school's responsibility to keep these kids safe. This is not about preference, it is about living.

  • Posted By: ProfBeth @ 10/31/2007 2:34:51 PM

    Comment: When you really think about it - food allergies matter all day, every day. Taking care of my son, who had trouble breathing, had head to toe rashes, and did not talk before diagnosis, has been a challenge - not just for our family, but for our extended families, too. So, thanks for the article because what I (we) really need is support and for someone to take our children's health to heart. I know other parents out there will identify with the fact that it took six doctors before we found a doctor who didn't pass the buck or only treat our son's symptoms (one even had the audacity to say that he wheezed as an infant because he liked to). Patients come from all over the world to be seen our son's doctor, Jeremy Baptist, and who knew he was down the street in Overland Park, Kansas all this time. My advice to parents - don't give up, find a doctor who listens and, above all, "believes" in food allergies. Thanks to his diet and weekly shots, my 3 year old can now tell you a great deal about how real they are.

  • Posted By: garn @ 10/31/2007 12:02:03 PM

    Comment: "Teach your children who don't have food allergies to eat something other than pbj. Our kids are limited (not by choice). "

    Why should my healthy kid be forced to walk on egg shells because someother kid is allergic to peanut butter? That's not my problem.

    And from the article: over cautious doctors and allergy specialists saying that kids are being forced to avoid foods they really arent' allergic too. Gee, who would've thunk doctors afriad of lawsuits.

    • Posted By: aluminumfree @ 11/26/2007 04:47:41

      Comment: Garn, if you are still reading, why do we all have to park farther away so that people who are diabled can have the good spots? Why do we all have to shoulder the extra construction costs for handicap entrances and facilities in buildings when we aren't affected? Why do we have to make allergic children safe at school? Heck, why do we have to pay for special education for the few that need it? Because it is the right thing to do, because their families pay for and use these facilities, too.

    • Posted By: mom of 2 with allergies @ 11/06/2007 12:24:59

      Comment: That's really nice of you ~ aren't we all in this world together? Shouldn't we care about each other just a little bit more than that? Really...

  • Posted By: bebecat @ 10/31/2007 10:42:11 AM

    Comment: I guess as long as people have someone else to blame...frightening...must be hard being perfect, surrounded by all of these allergy-causing parents.

    My problem is my child's school. For many reasons unrelated to food allergies, I pay a fortune that I don't have to send my kids to an independent school. With all of the personalized everything, there is little understanding or empathy for food allergies. Accommodations vary on a classroom by classroom basis. The school nurse is useless. The allergy is treated like a burden or inconvenience.

    And you know what. The allergy is a burden and an inconvenience. It turns your life upside down and inside out. It s**ks -- especially for the child. But it IS. These schools need to get with the program. Accommodation and teacher training need to be standardized and mandatory. And these insensitive and ignorant parents of non-allergic children need to be taught by the schools that pbj and trail mix for lunch isn't an entitlement. I'm sorry if your little one can't live without his favorite food for lunch -- mine can't live with it!

    My child's school seems to take apathetic comfort in the fact that since none of the food-allergic children there have never had a life-threatening reaction while at school that all is well. Truth is they're not really prepared for one. Luckily, my child has a fabulous, informed, interested, aware homeroom teacher this year. But this leaves us searching for alternatives for next year.

    Sad.

  • Posted By: concerned @ 10/31/2007 9:57:20 AM

    Comment: I agree with the comment about GMOs. 85% of the soybeans grown in the US are GMO and they contain up to 5 times the amount of the soy protein that soy allergic people react to compared to non-GMO soybeans. That huge increase makes even the slightest accidental ingestion so much more likely to cause a serious reaction. Unfortunately, it's all about money! GMOs make money for the corporations that developed the technology. It's pretty scary to use the word "technology" when discussing food! Money is also the reason why certain airlines (not all, some have appropriately reacted to the allergy crisis) still serve peanuts. It's hugely irresponsible but it is still done because it's cheap.

  • Posted By: My Son Has a Shadow at School/Bus @ 10/31/2007 12:55:00 AM

    Comment: I lead a support group in Long Island called Protect Allergic Kids (google our site). I think we need to take a stance on the fact that pediatricians should not be allowed to do allergy testing or treat for asthma. Children need to see specialists to be properly treated. My 7 year old almost died at 18 months old from an anaphylactic reaction to milk. We didn't have an epi pen and he couldn't hold down the Benadryl. To this day our pediatrician says no child should be tested under the age of 3 (knowing there is a family history). My son has an aid at school and on the bus to prevent accidental exposure (under the 504 plan). Call me a neat freak but my son can have a reaction from touch, smell or even a kiss. I worry more about the other kids around him. He knows not to share food and to keep his hands clean. I myself had 2 anaphylactic reactions to fish as an adult (which I outgrew 16 years later). A child should not have to administer the epi at such a young age. I am happy NY Food Allergy guidelines will come into action next year. But what about all the allergic kids in daycares and preschools? And why are the airlines still serving peanuts on flights? Cuz it's cheap! We don't ask for sympathy, just empathy. Imagine if it was your child who had a life threatening allergy to food. I am tired of hearing about the picky eater. Teach your children who don't have food allergies to eat something other than pbj. Our kids are limited (not by choice).

  • Posted By: My Son Has a Shadow at School/Bus @ 10/31/2007 12:36:55 AM

    Comment: Protect Allergic Kids is a non profit food allergy organization based in Long Island, NY. We have over 130 Members in our group. Our mission is to raise awareness through education in order to keep kids safe until there is a cure. My name is Cristina Stainkamp and my 7 year old is anaphylactic to milk. He has gone into shock 3 times from the slightest exposure. He has an aid under the 504 plan at school and on the bus. He never goes on a playdate without me so why shouldn't he be protected in school? The aid is there to prevent accidental exposure. There is no standardized individual health plan out there so I posted his on the site under Resources/Sample Letters. Daycares and pre schools should be forced to follow food allergy guidelines. And the airline industry needs to stop serving peanuts on flights. It's unfortunate this article didn't address GMOs. I definitely believe there is a link to our food proteins being genetically modified to the rise of food allergies. Food allergy parents need to band together to put a stop to our foods being altered. I also want to address the fact that Pediatricians in the country should not be allowed to do allergy testing or treat for asthma. My son almost died at 18 months old because my Pediatrician told me he was too young to be allergy tested. We didn't have an epipen when he went into shock. He could have died. I don't want my child or any other for that matter to be a statistic. Hope you join our group. It's free!

  • Posted By: Shaun Dyler @ 10/30/2007 8:29:30 PM

    Comment: As a naturopathic physician I work with many adults and kids with allergies and food sensitivities. I believe that the causes are not that we are too "clean" but rather too toxic. The amount of new chemicals and fertilizers over the past several years along with vaccinations beginning earlier and adding more of them has contributed more to allergies then any other factor that I am aware of. Dr. Shaun Dyler

    removed from

  • Posted By: ChildrenWAllergies @ 10/30/2007 6:10:00 PM

    Comment: The article points out that the actual number of allergies are less than what families claim. Contrarily, there are more allergies than people claim to have. I've recently discovered my son to be allergic to eggs; However, his symptoms are not the typical so called "allergic reactions" through eczema or anaphylactic, he showed signs of autism.