Virginia Schools Administer EpiPen Twice in Two Weeks

EpiPens at School

School nurses at two Prince William County high schools in Virginia may have saved lives recently when they administered epinephrine in separate incidents. On September 18, a high school junior went to the school nurse with itching and hives after eating. When it was determined that the student was beginning to have trouble breathing, the nurse administered the EpiPen and called an ambulance. On September 26, at another high school in the district, a student went to the nurse saying he felt like his "throat was closing up". The nurse used the EpiPen and called 911.

A new Virginia law requires EpiPens to be stocked in each public school in the state. The state budget included $200,000 for epinephrine pens in public schools in time for the 2012-2013 school year. Prince William County schools spent time over the summer setting policies for use of the EpiPens and they trained designated staff members to administer the life-saving medication in each school building.

Training of school staff and quick access to epinephrine is critical in keeping food allergic students safe. New York is the only state in the U.S. that still hasn't passed a law allowing students to carry their own medications at school. Only a handful of states require schools to stock epinephrine. Individual schools may stock the medication, even if it is not required by law. 

Check with your school district to find out their policy and go to FAAN's "School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act" to see how you can help your state. Above all, make sure your school knows about your child's allergies and that your child knows to ask for help if they "feel funny" or believe they may be having an allergic reaction.

How Colleges Manage Food Allergies

I recently had the opportunity to eat in a college dining hall (it's been awhile!). While there, I talked to the food services staff about how they handle food allergies. Here's what I learned:

• Most U.S. colleges use one of two food services companies- Aramark and Sodexo. Both are accustomed to, and comfortable dealing with, special dietary needs of college students.
• Colleges have departments and staff to deal with special needs, including food allergy. You need to ask the college to direct you to the right area/person.
• As students turn 18, privacy laws change and colleges may not be allowed to release information to parents. This can be a huge stressor for parents so accustomed to being involved in Healthcare Plans, 504 Plans and meetings with the school nurse, teachers and school staff.

During my recent dining hall visit, I noticed a Silk soy milk dispenser near the dairy milk dispenser. I also saw allergen signs near foods containing common allergens such as nuts and peanuts. One employee told me they serve about 300 custom meals a day- and this was a small campus! He said that some of his students with food allergies go right into the kitchen and the cook will make them whatever they need/want.

During my visit, I felt that food allergies were taken very seriously and that the dining staff was very supportive of students with special dietary concerns. It is important that we empower our food allergic kids to speak up about what they need and make sure they know who they can go to on campus if they encounter any problems.

Take a look at one mom's essay, Food Allergies and College: Making it Work.

The reason for my recent college visit was a requirement in a certification program I'm completing to be an Independent Educational Consultant. I hope you'll visit my website, My College Helper, for information and services for those families with college on the horizon. I will keep my food allergy readers posted on what I find out about colleges and how they handle food allergies.

Food Allergy Testing

We stopped doing skin and blood tests for food allergies about three years ago. Frankly, we got mixed results each time and the more information I read, the less convinced I was that we were getting any helpful information from either type of test. We have continued food challenges, but even those results are often unclear. It becomes hard to separate what is physical and what is brought on by stress.

I am encouraged with new testing options available. Many are not covered by insurance plans, but it may be helpful to learn more and discuss with your allergist. Here's what I've seen recently:

• uKnow Peanut Molecular Allergy Test- this one costs $300 and is not covered by insurance
• Food Detective- can test a person’s reaction against 59 common food types. Recently approved for use in India, it is not currently approved by the FDA for use in the United States. This test requires a finger prick for testing. You can see the video for more information.
• Measurement of Specific Enzyme-  "If it proves to be as useful as the early trials suggest, it is likely to become the gold standard for diagnosis of severe allergic reactions around the world.' said Dr Mich Lajeunesse, a member of the clinical research team about the new blood test that measures levels of an enzyme called CPA3.

 As food allergy rates continue to rise, I suspect we'll see more and more diagnostic tests available. If you haven't been in touch with your allergist lately about newer testing options, check in to find out what's new. Please share if you have any personal experience with tests beyond the traditional skin and RAST (blood) tests.

Food Allergy Friendlier Busch Gardens and Sea World

Sea World Orlando

Disney has taken the lead in trying to make traveling to their parks easier for food allergies. I've written about dining at Disney in the past and you can find some helpful information in planning your Disney vacation at My Magic Journeys . I'm thrilled to see that SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Sesame Place, and several other amusement parks owned by their parent company, have taken steps to make their parks food allergy friendly. By partnering with FAAN, the parks now have over 6000 trained culinary team members available to ensure that guests with food allergies can dine safely while visiting. Divvies has even created a chocolate shaped Shamu so people allergic to dairy, eggs, soy, peanuts and tree nuts can enjoy a safe treat at the park.

Love that!

Read all about theses new allergen-friendly initiatives.

Low Allergy Milk

Milk Safe for Milk Allergic?

I'll admit that I'm a little wigged out about genetically modified foods. For right now, my opinion is that I want it clearly marked so consumers can make their own choices. That said, I'm intrigued by the news of a genetically modified cow that can produce milk without beta-lactoglobulin - a whey protein to which some people are allergic.

Researchers were able to interfere with the RNA of a cow, that went on to birth a calf that doesn't produce milk with any detectable beta-lactoglobulin. (Said calf was also born without a tail, but researchers believe that is unrelated to the genetic modifications...still wigged out). Researchers will now watch to see if the genetic modification will be passed on through future cow generations.

Of course more research is needed and low allergy milk will probably not be found in grocery dairy cases in the near future. Read the abstract in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (full text copies may be purchased) and check out the article in the BBC that originally caught my attention. The ability to remove the protein that is causing allergic reactions is appealing to me as long as it is done safely and ethically. We shall see where this leads...

In Case You Missed It: September Food Allergy Blog Carnival

When I started this blog nearly five years ago, there weren't many of us writing about our food allergy experiences. I am now honored to be among the company of so many talented and knowledgeable bloggers. 

In case you missed the most recent Food Allergy Blog Carnival, head on over to the site of our September host, Grateful Foodie, and read up on what's happening in the food allergy world. Everything from recipes to the latest information on Auvi-Q to dating with food allergies can be found among the many and varied articles. 

Great work y'all!