Conference moira::parenting

[The title of the base note should be changed, it doesn't really reflect what
the note is about.]

As many of you know, my son has a severe peanut allergy.  I read the article as
well.  I had some problems with the article, and with the attitudes of some of
the people quoted in the article.  However, it does at least bring some useful
points up for discussion.  (This reply is likely to become long; you have been
warned :-)

I think it is important to understand the severity of this allergy.  Many
people don't seem to grasp that it really can cause a life-threatening reaction
with a small exposure, and that it needs to be dealt with readily.  I think the
school official who was quoted as saying, "Well, what do we do about a child
who is allergic to wool?" is missing this point; allergies to wool are
uncomfortable but not fatal.

On the other hand, it is easy for parents to get extremely paranoid.  It's hard
to deal with.  We've had a hard time accepting the situation, we made changes
in day care plans for Josh because of our difficulties (not Josh's or the day
care's).  So it is at the least understandable that the parents might want the
strongest measures possible.

In this particular case, I think the parents are probably asking for more than
is reasonable.  I think that the school staff should be capable of keeping the
allergic children separated as necessary during meal times, and I think that,
at most, the class should be kept peanut-free, not the whole school.  The
cafeteria staff should also be involved.  Not least, the children in the school
-- primarily the allergic children, but also the other children -- need to
understand the situation.

In contrast with the attitude expressed by some people quoted in the article,
though, I think the classroom teachers MUST be trained to handle an allergic
emergency, including use of an Epi-Pen.  I do not think this is unreasonable in
the least.  I understand the difficulty with the buses; I'm not sure what is
reasonable in that case, but I think the risk of exposure on a bus ride is
remote.

I don't fully understand why, in the article, it seemed a burden to have the
teaching staff trained in handling an allergic reaction, but it was acceptable
to ban everything containing peanut products from the school.  I'd trust a
small group of caring, concerned teachers to follow an established procedure
more than I'd trust an anonymous large group of parents to read ingredient
labels extremely carefully.  I know that from experience; Josh's day care staff
all know the emergency procedure, but they call us all the time to double-check
a list of ingredients or the acceptability of a food.

Of course, I'd prefer to avoid an allergic reaction.  But it's impossible to
avoid all proximity to all peanuts and peanut products.  The parents, the
children, and all care givers, including teachers, need to learn to understand
the situation and to become aware of exposure hazards.

(I've rambled on long enough, so I'll stop here :-)

						Brian

    I live in North Andover and have a Kindergartener.  Fortunately,
    she will be going to private Kindergarten at day care.
    
    I'm already thinking ahead to next year, when my child will be
    in first grade with a child who could die from smelling peanuts.
    How would my daughter feel if she unwittingly had caused this?
    (We rarely go a single day without peanut butter in our house.)
    This child's mother is going to ride the bus to wipe the seats
    to ensure there is no trace of peanuts.  Wow.
    
    If this allergic child were my child, I would send her to school 
    only with a full-time aide to monitor her, at least for some period of
    time to ensure her safety.   
    
    My $.02.
    Tara

    I wonder how it is that *six* kids are entering the same class
    in the same town with the same extremely rare condition!
    
    If my child had this allergy, I'm quite sure I would arrange (somehow)
    for home schooling.  Sounds like a very, very severe situation, 
    where a mistake would be fatal--on a par, in some ways, with the
    skin condition where the skin cannot be exposed to sunlight.  I
    would want the child where I can control the environment, at least
    until the child is old enough to know "cold" all the facts about the
    condition, how to secure her environment and how to use the epipen.
    
    .1's response seems to be right on (since the public school system
    apparently *will* be used).  Wouldn't you think pediatricians/
    insurers would have some guidelines for public schools or (this might 
    make too much sense) referrals to special schools run by hospitals?
    
    Leslie 

    RE: a few
    
    Lets not go to the other extreme either.  With proper training and
    supervision, the risk can be minimal.  If the Epi-pen is used correctly
    and quickly, the chance of permanent damage is also minimal.  My wife
    cares for a child with severe allergies to bees.  Not quite in the same
    category as far as possibility of occurrance, but clearly in the same
    category when it comes to severity.  He has already had a major episode
    on the bus once.  The solution was to alert people of the possibility,
    allow him to carry the Epi-pen (another story...) and provide
    instruction to those who would most likely be around when an incident
    occurred.
    
    After some red tape, the problem went away.  With proper training and
    awareness, this problem should also go away.  It is the ignorant fears
    and reactions that are the major problem.
    
    Expecting a school to be "peanut fume free" is unreasonable at best. 
    Trying to avoid the problem where possible and being prepared for a
    problem if one occurs is at least manageable.
    
    Dan

Regarding the rarity of the allergy, smelling peanuts, etc.:  I know of a girl
who had a reaction after smelling peanut butter used in an arts project.  She
went to the emergency room and was OK.  I don't know of any fatal reactions
caused by smelling or touching, but I don't even let Josh go near candy
displays with wrapped peanut candy in them, let alone pick up a peanut from a
barrel (just to look at it) or anything like that.  He is not to be near
peanuts or peanut products, period.

(So what's my point?  Here it is...)  I didn't get the impression that these
children had anything different from a "standard" peanut allergy, since the
danger of reaction from smelling or touching peanuts is usually present for any
peanut-allergic individual.  It's bad enough to warrant such precautions
without having to be some super-rare, super-severe form.  Only about 5 percent
of children have any kind of food allergy in the first place.

						Brian

    As far as home-schooling, isolating children with severe allergies,
    etc.  Feh!  Kids need other kids and IMO kids with special needs really
    do need exposure to other children as well.  For that matter, kids
    without special needs need the exposure to thos who have them as well.  
    
    EPIPENs are not rocket science, and a heck of a lot better than the old
    disposable adrenalin syringes.  The training to use one is not that
    complicated.  I do think making the entire school peanut free is
    overkill and highly unlikely to be enforceable, but if it works, I
    wonder if I could make the building I work in fragarance free so I don't
    have to live with the inevitable headaches when I run into the the wake
    of a perfume abuser.
    
    I have a friend with a peanut and soy allergy and I understand how
    careful she has to be.  when we do get together for meals, I am glad I
    have developed label reading habits from my own kids, so I don't poison
    her accidently.
    
    meg

Here is a timely set of suggestions from the Food Allergy Network on helping
schools deal with allergies.

Copied from http://www.foodallergy.org/updates.html


             Off to School With Food Allergies: Tips for Parents

For parents of children with food allergies, sending a child to school for the
first time can bring to light many concerns and fears about their child's
safety.

The Food Allergy Network has some suggestions to help make the transition from
home to school easier:

    Teach your child which foods cause a reaction and the importance of
    avoiding them. Role play situations that may come up, help your child feel
    comfortable avoiding temptation or peer pressure.
    
    Before the school year begins, schedule a meeting with your child's
    teachers, school administrator, counselor, nurse, cafeteria personnel, and
    office staff. Explain to this "team" what foods cause a reaction,
    precautions, emergency procedures, how to read a food product label and
    lunch time considerations.
    
    Keep team members informed of allergy or medication changes. Provide them
    with the name and phone number of three emergency contacts.
    
    Ask your child's doctor to complete a medical information form. If
    medication is needed to control allergic reactions, be sure the school team
    knows how and when to administer it.

    Highlight allergy information in bright ink on all forms.

    Tell your child where medications are stored at school. Review emergency
    precautions periodically. Review plans for activities that may involve food
    (e.g., parties) with the teacher on a monthly basis so that your child can
    safely participate in all activities. Keep a supply of snacks at school,
    check the supply and freshness periodically.

>>    As far as home-schooling, isolating children with severe allergies,
>>    etc.  Feh!  Kids need other kids and IMO kids with special needs really
>>    do need exposure to other children as well.  For that matter, kids
>>    without special needs need the exposure to thos who have them as well.  

Well said; but please don't put down the well-meaning parents too much. 
Imagine if someone told you, "There may be arsenic in the food, but don't
worry, if you do eat some arsenic, we'll just give you a hold-over injection
(oh yeah, better remember where the syringe is), call 911, and send you to
the hospital in an ambulance for observation so you almost certainly won't
die."  As thorough as the emergency procedures may be, I think you'd prefer to
avoid using them.  That's more or less what it feels like.

And please, a potentially fatal allergic reaction is completely different from
a perfume headache.

						Brian

    RE: And please, a potentially fatal allergic reaction is completely different from
a perfume headache.
    
    
    Not necessarily.  I am asthmatic and have to be careful.  What starts
    as a headache can lead to hives which can then go internal.  I've also
    had severe overdoses of cleaners, nail polish and remover and perfume
    send me into asthmatic attacks.  Ever tried 4 doses of epinephrine in
    12 hours?  It's not fun!
    
    Bottom line is, an allergy is an allergy and the reaction can be quite
    deadly, regardless of the allergen.
    
    Irene
    

    I was the one who suggested homeschooling, and I'm sorry it was
    inferred that homeschooling = isolation from other children.  That's
    *not* what I meant.  From what I've read, in here and elsewhere,
    homeschooling is usually done with an emphasis on extracurricular
    socialization.  I just meant that in the context of an allergy (which
    now seems not to be quite as severe as originally reported in the
    Globe?) which was life-threatening even by the *scent* of the allergen,
    I would rather control the environment to a greater rather than a
    lesser extent.
    
    Leslie

>>     RE: And please, a potentially fatal allergic reaction is completely different from
>> a perfume headache.
>> 
>>     Not necessarily.  I am asthmatic and have to be careful.  What starts
>>     as a headache can lead to hives which can then go internal.  I've also

My point wasn't that people don't have potentially deadly allergies to
perfumes, etc., but rather that some people associate allergies with relatively
mild consequences such as headaches.  Lack of understanding of the potential
severity of allergic reactions is a big problem.


						Brian

    Another area of concern should be field trips.  As parents of a child
    who was allergic to bee stings, my ex and I always made sure one of us
    chaperoned any outdoor field trips.  On several occasions, other
    chaperones were handed an Epi-Pen and told it was for "Johnny" in case
    he had a "problem" with no instructions on when/how to use it. Imagine a
    field trip to a local fast food restaurant with a chaperone who doesn't
    realize the implications of letting him try "just a bite".
    
    cindy
    

A few things that may not be clear to everybody reading this regarding
Epi-Pens:

 -  They are not cures for allergic reactions.  They simply buy time before the
    reaction becomes severe (if it is going to), making it easier to get to
    medical care.

 -  Using one *requires* that the person be given medical attention ASAP, even
    if there turns out not to be any allergic reaction or exposure. 
    Epinephrine itself can cause problems, and the reaction to it must be
    monitored.

Therefore, while it's not difficult to use an Epi-Pen, care givers and teachers
etc. need to understand that an allergic reaction implies an Epi-Pen AND an
ambulance AND an emergency room visit, not just some private time with the
school nurse.

						Brian

    As .1 suggested, I changed the title of the base note.
    

    This story hits close to home for me.  My daughter (two years old) is
    allergic to milk protein and all products containing milk protein.
    If she got a milk product on her skin, she could have a very serious
    and life threatening reaction.  If she ingests milk, she could have a
    life threatening reaction.
    Having lived through one ambulance ride and most of one night in the
    emergency room receiving treatment, even when medical help is
    available, it is still hell to go through.
    Epi-pens need to be administered within a certain time window or the
    allergic individual could die.  Sad but true.  Last year approximately 
    20 children died from allergic reactions and the majority of those
    occurances happened in the school/daycare environment.
    20 doesn't sound like much but to the parents it is 20 children too
    many.
    However food allergies are considered a disability so public schools
    MUST admit children with food allergies and provide a safe environment.
    It sounds like the schools are offering to do all they can.
    My daughter goes to daycare part time. She is there for the
    socialization aspects of it.  The teachers deal with it.  She is with a
    group of seven other children and sits near toddlers that drink and
    spill their share of milk, but the teachers manage the situation 
    considering my daughter's safety whenever there is food around.  One
    teacher is assigned to my daughter for snack time and lunchtime.
    Some people have told me in no uncertain terms that I am crazy to have
    my daughter in daycare.  But she is a kid and deserves to be around
    other kids.  I am a nervous wreck when she is at daycare.  Every time
    my phone rings with an outside call I expect the worse.  I can relate
    to what those parents are going through.  I once asked my daughter's
    allergist how other parents deal with it and his answer was basically,
    that the parent of an allergic child MUST deal with it and cope. 
    It sounds like the school is doing the best they can for the six kids
    allergic to peanuts.
    I am glad to see these kids get the publicity, because it will educate
    the public about the severity of food allergies.
    I hope none of those kids die because of someone's peanut butter
    sandwich.
    Sorry if I rambled.
    Nancy
                                                                    
     

	When my son was in second grade two years ago, there were 
	several children in his class with fairly severe food allergies, 
	including one with a severe peanut problem.  The mother of this 
	child made sure that she was available for any function or field 
	trip that had food involved and frequently offered to prepare 
	foods so that there would be things that she was sure her child 
	could have.

	The teacher made a policy that on birthdays, instead of bringing 
	in a cake, cupcakes or cookies for the class, other ways to cele- 
	brate would be found.  Lots of kids brought in little gifts for
	the whole class, like pencils or cute erasers.  After the first few 
	birthdays, the kids didn't feel like they were missing anything at all.

	On Valentine's day, my son wanted to attach a candy to each card 
	he made.  We selected candies that we thought would not be a 
	problem for any child, then made copies of the ingredients label 
	and attached it to the card as well.  A couple of moms called me 
	to say thanks, this is the kind of thing they had trained their 
	kids not to eat without checking and when they came home, they 
	would have had to throw them out if they didn't know what was in 
	them.  This way they could let the kids have them without concern.

	Norma

There were two follow-up items in the Globe this week.  One, a letter from a
mother of a peanut-allergic child, basically agreed with my earlier contention
that you can't really trust a large group of anonymous parents.  She also said
that a peanut ban can create a false sense of security.  The other item, a
column, called for compassion, and didn't think it was unreasonable to ask for
the ban.

On another note, my son started the new year of day care today, and my wife
went in to talk to his new teachers last week about his allergy.  To her
surprise, they arranged a meeting with about ten teachers (his class has three)
to hear what she had to say.  It means so much that they take the situation
really seriously.

						Brian

    
    I live in North Andover and I read a letter from the school principal
    to the local paper. Basically, they are trying to make this one
    classroom peanut-free, not the whole kindergarten. The teachers
    believe that they have a responsibility to ensure that the environment
    is safe for all children. They also believe that this is a good 
    opportunity to teach tolerance and the value of life to other children.
    I don't think it is too much to ask of other children/parents.
    
    
    
    Eva

    Perhaps I have the facts wrong (I live in North Andover, but my
    daughter is going to private Kindergarten and all I hear about this is
    through the Boston Globe).  Notes here make it seem much less critical
    than was portrayed last week.
    
    I thought the parents of these allergic children were demanding a
    peanut ban (requiring parental signature in at least all the
    Kindergarten classes) on the entire school system (3800 students).
    
    And, it was not just not bringing the obvious peanut butter sandwiches
    that is the problem, but any hidden residue or cleaning products (like
    Dove soap) that remains (hence one parent riding the bus and wiping
    down the seats) that could cause a life threatening reaction.  This
    seems much more serious, doesn't it?  Apparently this is not really
    true?  Good for everyone!
    
    I'm very familiar with allergies (none of which are of the
    "smelling/touching causes coma" types, I admit) but in our family we
    handle it by educating the allergic child and feeding the child (even
    at school and restaurants) with foods we've prepared ourselves and
    work with our children's teachers.
    
    If this were my child, I just wouldn't rely on the cafeteria or
    disinterested strangers to read labels, which was the point of the
    other Globe letter.  Educating teachers and teaching kids tolerance is
    one thing, but ensuring safety is another, in my opinion.
    
    Tara
                                 

>>    I thought the parents of these allergic children were demanding a
>>    peanut ban (requiring parental signature in at least all the
>>    Kindergarten classes) on the entire school system (3800 students).

I'll re-read the article, but I believe it was the *school*, not the school
*system*, that was requested to ban peanut products.

>>    And, it was not just not bringing the obvious peanut butter sandwiches
>>    that is the problem, but any hidden residue or cleaning products (like
>>    Dove soap) that remains (hence one parent riding the bus and wiping
>>    down the seats) that could cause a life threatening reaction.  This
>>    seems much more serious, doesn't it?

It *is* this serious.  It's just that the probability is very small of (a)
there being any contamination this way, and (b) being able to avoid any
significant amount of contamination exposures by these measures.  Other methods
might be easier and more reliable.  You can't wipe down everything your child
is likely to come in contact with.

(I haven't heard anything about Dove soap being a problem; my son's allergy is
very severe, and we haven't seen any reactions at all to Dove soap.  Perhaps
there is another allergy involved in this case.  I'll look into the Dove soap
question.)

The issue isn't whether the allergy is as severe as the parents say it is, but
rather whether the requested measures are appropriate and effective ways of
dealing with it.

>>    If this were my child, I just wouldn't rely on the cafeteria or
>>    disinterested strangers to read labels, which was the point of the
>>    other Globe letter.  Educating teachers and teaching kids tolerance is
>>    one thing, but ensuring safety is another, in my opinion.

I agree.

The response of a peanut-free classroom seems reasonable to me.

						Brian

    
    My daughter is in the North Andover Middle School, we haven't heard
    anything mentioned about a system wide ban. If I remember I'll bring
    in the letter.
    
    
    Eva

Does this type of allergy last a lifetime, or does it disappear or become
less severe?

>> Does this type of allergy last a lifetime, or does it disappear or become
>> less severe?

Peanut and tree nut allergies are typically lifelong.  The FAN web page does
not list shellfish allergy as being lifelong, but I believe I've read (in their
material!) that it usually is.  (I'm allergic to shellfish.)

						Brian

    Of interest (but somewhat unrelated to this topic) is the research
    finding that peanut allergies are on the rise, due to women eating
    peanuts during pregnancy and babies drinking formula containing peanut
    proteins (yikes, yet another thing to worry about).
    
    See: http://family.starwave.com/news/archive/083096.html#peanut
    
    Tara
    

>
>    As far as home-schooling, isolating children with severe allergies,
>    etc.  Feh!  Kids need other kids and IMO kids with special needs really
>    do need exposure to other children as well.  For that matter, kids
>    without special needs need the exposure to thos who have them as well.  
>    

Home-schooling is anything but isolation ... most homeschoolers go out of
their way to ensure that their children do get exposure to other children
and in far more preferable environments than the crazy, authoritarian
envoronment of a typical school.  "What about socialization?" is the standard
cry of many opposed to the idea.  In fact most homeschooled children are
far better socially adjusted than their public school counterparts, and
have not suffered the wrath of bullies, the demeaning of teachers and the
hassles of peer pressures.

Stuart

Stuart, it sounds like home schooling augmented with casual socialization
would be the worst of both worlds for these children.  If it's so hard
to prevent contact with peanut products in the classroom, imagine how
hard it would be to do so in less structured environments.

    Playing devil's advocate here, if I were the parent doing
    homeschooling, I can't envision the socialization efforts involving 25
    kids at once (as in a classroom) and unknown cleaning products' residue
    (apparently some cleaning products [if not specifically Dove] include
    nut oils).  I still think the homeschooling parent would have an
    overwhelmingly greater amount of control over the environment than the
    parent of a public-schooler.
    
    Leslie 

>Stuart, it sounds like home schooling augmented with casual socialization
>would be the worst of both worlds for these children.  If it's so hard
>to prevent contact with peanut products in the classroom, imagine how
>hard it would be to do so in less structured environments.

It's a tough issue ... clearly casual socialization is going to be a problem
in school too ... imagine having a friend in another class sho haad peanut
butter sandwiches for lunch, and then went outside to play ... 
Hey peanut breath!

Clearly the goal has to be to reduce casual socialization in environemnts
where problems might occur.

There is no good answer.

And homeschooling does not have to be considered a second class education.
Homeschooled children have gone to many fine post-secondary education 
establishments including the famous ones like Harvard, MIT etc, and done
very well.

Stuart

    In last Friday's issue (7/30) of Vogan News there was a paragraph that
    stated woman who breast feed shouldn't eat peanuts because it could
    pass on to the child an allergic reaction to peanuts.  Anyone else
    heard of this???  I know that my docotor told me not to feed Jeffrey
    the stage 3 mixed cereals (Jeff was about 6 months) because in could give 
    him food allergies later on.
    
    renee

A summary of the article is in the British Medical Journal web page:

	http://www.bmj.com/bmj/archive/7056a.htm#3

Also of interest:

	http://www.bmj.com/bmj/archive/7056a.htm#2

The first item (#3) is titled "Peanut allergy in relation to heredity, maternal
diet, and other atopic diseases: results of a questionnaire survey, skin prick
testing, and food challenges."  The second item (#2) is "Cohort study of peanut
and tree nut sensitisation by age of 4 years."

						Brian

 Prenatal diet is linked to kids' allergies

 Children may have reaction to peanuts if mom ate them, doctors say.
 --------------------------------------------------------------------

 Reuter News Service

 LONDON -- More and more children are becoming allergic to peanuts
 and this could be because more pregnant women are eating them,
 sensitizing their unborn babies, British doctors said last week.

 Allergy to peanuts is the most common cause of fatal allergic
 reaction to food. In severe cases, just a tiny amount of peanut is
 needed to set off a reaction.

 Dr. Jonathan Hourihane and colleagues at Southampton General
 Hospital tested 622 adults and children with known or suspected
 peanut allergy. They found it is more common than believed.

 Reporting in the British Medical Journal, they said just more than
 1 percent of the British population was allergic to peanuts, while
 7 percent of brothers or sisters of someone allergic to peanuts
 were also allergic.

 Mothers of allergic children were also more likely to be allergic
 than fathers, and the researchers said they found a tendency for
 allergy to run in families.

 ''It has been suggested that before first exposure to peanut foods
 some infants have been sensitised to peanut by infant milk formulas
 that contain peanut protein or peanut oil,'' they wrote.

 ''Our simple survey of peanut consumption during pregnancy and
 breast-feeding by mothers of these children with peanut allergy may
 suggest that they are being exposed to peanut allergens in utero or
 via breast milk.''

 They suggested that pregnant and breast-feeding women avoid peanuts
 -- especially if they have other allergies.

 In a second study, Dr. Syed Tariq and colleagues at St. Mary's
 Hospital in Newport found that one in 100 children can become
 allergic to peanuts by age 4.

 Tests on 1,200 children showed that those born to families with
 allergies were much more prone to peanut and nut allergies and
 should avoid both.

 They also found that children with peanut allergies always had some
 other allergy, such as eczema or asthma.


Published 2 September, � 1996 Deseret News Publishing Co.

    What I want to know is why are these allergies are becoming rampant
    today?  I'm pretty sure that women have been eating peanuts (during
    pregnancy) for many many years and we haven't seen this problem.
    What is the difference today/now?  And not just peanut allergies,
    but all cases of allergies have risen in the last ten years.
    When my infant son was in the hospital with pneumonia the
    respiratory specialist told me that in the last ten years more
    and more children are coming down with asthma, food allergies,
    bronchitis etc...  He was amazed.  There must be a link somewhere.
    
    I always look back at the fact that we are the only country that
    produces milk from cows that were given hormones. Tests always
    say that it is not harmful to us, but I'm wondering.  It wasn't
    like this fifty years ago!
    
    my 2 cents
    Rose

    
    Allergies in general - the *tendency* to have allergies is heritary
    *and* the genes involved are dominant, that much we know for sure. Now, 
    it does not mean that a child whose parent is allergic to pollen will 
    definitely develop allergy to pollen, the child may develop allergy to 
    food. If we look at the past 50 years, people with allergies of various 
    sorts have been helped greatly by progess in medical science, to a degree 
    that most affected individuals can lead normal lives. Individuals who 
    would otherwise be confined to "bubbles" can now live a family life, 
    which means that their genes, read their tendencies to have allergies,  
    are passed on to their children. 50 years ago, a person with constant 
    asthma attacks would probably not become a parent. So, it is not at all 
    surprising that more and more children are allergic to something these
    days. In less medically advanced nations around the world, those 
    individuals who require special medical treatments, like antihistamines, 
    bronchial dilators, Epi-pens, etc, to survive and thrive will mostly like 
    fall out of the gene pool - they either will not live to reproductive
    age or they are not be desirable mates, unless they are independently
    wealthy such that they can afford to buy American medical products.
    IMO, this is the biggest link of all...The reason I think this way is
    that I grew up in a country where diary products are not consumed on
    a regular basis and there are individuals with allergies to pollen,
    to chemcials, to dust, etc.
    
    
    Eva 
    

    I definitely feel that allergies are hereditary.  That was my point.
    But I don't feel that dairy products are the culprit as opposed to
    the hormones that US dairies are giving to cattle to produce more.
    That is why when the UK and other countries were having the scare
    a couple of months ago of dying cattle, they did not turn to
    the US for help.  They would not purchase cattle that were given
    hormones.  
    
    But you make a very good point about people who had asthma
    or allergies fifty years ago not having children nor living long
    enough to be able to.  It sounds like a Catch22.
    
    Rose

    
    OK, I miss the hormone part. Yup, should we say we are too smart for 
    our own good ;-).      
    
    
    Eva

I received mail back from FAN regarding Dove soap.  They say there is nothing
in Dove soap that presents a problem for the peanut allergic individual.

						Brian

    Thanks for checking on that.  I looked at the Globe article again
    and it said "Peanuts and nut products show up in odd places like
    plain M&M's and Dove soap, so you really have to on guard."  So, it
    looks like at least one of the children has multiple allergies.

    The article I read said that people with peanut allergies usually have
    other allergies as well.  My mom who had no breathing or allergy
    problems until her 60's believes that the amount of petro and other
    chemicals manufactured in our environment today is responsible.  Her
    problems escalated when they built a major thruway near her home.  
    
    meg

    
    Well, having allergies really means that our bodies gets really upset
    about the presence of certain substances and conditions that other 
    people's bodies find innocuous.  Nobody fully understand how the immune 
    system works and why allergies happen. For me, if I am physically or
    emotionally stressed ie. my immune system is overloaded, my allergies 
    get much worse, it almost seems like the immune system has a nervous
    breakdown and can't get keep a good balance. Maybe, Meg's mother's
    immune system is working overtime dealing with the pollution and
    is stretched too thin. Just a guess...
    
    
    Eva
    

The one thing that has been recognized as an agent for causing allergenic
sensitization is prolonged exposure to formaldehydes.

Wall to wall carpet is probably the *major* contributor to the formaldehyde
content of a home for prolonged exposures, particularly as modern building
techniques make homes more and more air tight for energy efficiency.

When I was a child, wall to wall carpets were a rarity ... woven carpet squares
on hardwood floors was the norm.  Even then, wall to wall carpets were often
woven and not tufted onto a latex backing.

It is the disintegration of latex over the long term that produces the gassing
off of formaldehydes.  Old foam pillows and mattresses are also sources.  Some
things in the home, like latex paints, did gas off formaldehydes, but they
gas off comparatively quickly.

Since allergies do seem to be transmitted on dominant genes, it is going to
take some genetic engineering to reverse the trend ... and genetic engineering
is not going to be well accepted!

TO help reduce the risk of allergies, the best thing to do is to eliminate
as many long term formaldehyde gassing materials from your home as possible.

Formaldehyde is also linked to the extreme allergy condition of people who
are sensitive to just about everything (It has a name which I currently forget)

Stuart

>>    Thanks for checking on that.  I looked at the Globe article again
>>    and it said "Peanuts and nut products show up in odd places like
>>    plain M&M's and Dove soap, so you really have to on guard."  So, it
>>    looks like at least one of the children has multiple allergies.

As the other note said, people with peanut allergies do frequently have other
allergies as well, often to tree nuts.  My son is also allergic to almonds, and
almond fragrance is frequently found in consumer products such as soaps,
shampoos, skin cream, and sunscreen lotions.  But it doesn't appear to be in
Dove; nothing suspicious is listed, Josh has had no reactions, and many people
I've heard of with eczema reactions to soaps swear by Dove as the best soap for
allergic individuals.  Plain M&M's are labelled as containing peanuts primarily
because of the cross-contamination risk, as far as I understand.  (A bunch of
products are labelled for that reason.)

So, ultimately, I'm really curious why Dove soap was singled out as being a
problem.

						Brian