Peanut Allergies - Have We Gone Too Far?

by Bethany Sanders (Subscribe to Bethany Sanders's posts) Jan 6th 2009 3:00PM

Categories: Health & Safety, Eating & Nutrition

A Massachusetts school bus driver recently evacuated a bus full of children to protect them from danger ... a stray peanut that had fallen on the floor. If that seems like overkill to you, you aren't alone.

Though peanut allergies have increased by 17% in the last 10-12 years, experts aren't sure whether the incidence of allergies are on the rise or if more people are getting tested and diagnosed. But either way, Americans seem to be developing a case of peanut fever.

It's fairly common these days to find nut-free classrooms, lunch rooms, or even entire schools, but over at Time, they're asking the question: Have Americans gone nuts over nuts? Consider the statistics -- of the 3.3 million suffering from peanut allergies in the United States, 150 die each year. And while that's 150 too many (especially if it's your child), one has to wonder if our fears are a little overblown.

When I was still teaching, I had a family who asked us to remove all nut products from the classroom due to their daughter's "severe" nut allergy. We complied, shopped for nut-free snacks, and sent home notes to all of the other parents. But when school started, that little girl had a nut-containing product in her lunch box at least three days a week.

If a child has a severe allergy, then they absolutely need to be protected at all costs. But have we made a villain of the common peanut unnecessarily? What do you think?

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Comments (17)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Katie 1-06-2009 @ 4:56PM

Okay, there are two sides to every story. Are some parents/families taking things a little too far. Absolutely. Is the risk real -- for some kids, definitely!

I have a child with life-threatening food allergies, but to eggs and dairy. I bristle at anyone who tells me I am overreacting -- when your pediatrician calls 911 from her office after your child accidentally drank milk from his sister's opaque plastic cup, and his eyes swelled shut and his he couldn't quite squeeze his tongue in his mouth becuase it was swollen too, and hives appearing like magic all over his back and chest, all in less than 90 seconds... I dare you to tell me I'm overreacting to this whole food allergy thing.

However, I know a fellow food allergy mom whose child never had a severe reaction to peanuts, and after the initial positive test, tested negatively for three YEARS, yet she still insists that her daughter's summer camp be completely peanut-free (she is already in a peanut free school). All indications are that "Susie" has outgrown her allergy, yet her mom still treats a granola bar as if it is radioactive. And the mom mentioned in the story who insisted on the whole peanut-free environment, and then packed a no-no herself?? I deal with this as a teacher, and I tell you, it is frustrating, especially when dealing with the parents who restrict their child's food choices in order to follow the rules.

Unfortunately, it is difficult to tell which kids and parents have legitimate concerns and which ones are caught up in the hype. I always end up reverting to my tried-and-true teacher credo: You can't be too careful with someone else's kids.

Bethany Sanders 1-06-2009 @ 5:06PM

Katie -- I think you said it perfectly with that last sentiment. I think that's probably why the bus driver evacuated the entire bus. When you're responsible for someone else's child, you just can't take risks.

Thanks for commenting!

anntopete 1-07-2009 @ 10:36PM

...great credo, and so true. One can't be too careful with another's child. Thanks to all the teachers!

CLM 1-06-2009 @ 5:07PM

It's not surprising that allergic reactions to peanuts have shot up over the last 10-12 years. Prior to that time, it was uncommon to introduce children under 24 months to nuts. Now, Parent Magazine is recommending peanut butter-based snacks for children as young as 16 months. While correlation may not equal causation, it is well-established that tree nuts are allergenic. So why on earth would you introduce them to a child with a developing immune system? This is not to blame the parents of children with allergies. Some children would be allergic regardless of the age of introduction. If there were a public service campaign in this country advising parents on the appropriate age to introduce nuts to children, I would not be at all surprised if the incidence of peanut allergy decreased. Until then, I guess we will all simply need to be careful not to expose those who are allergic.

Jennifer 1-07-2009 @ 4:12PM

Peanuts are not tree nuts, they are legumes. However, the allergens in peanuts ARE similar to those in tree nuts which is why they are usually lumped together. While I understand being careful with other people's children I do think that there needs to be some research on why there is a rise in the number of people who are allergic.

CLM 1-07-2009 @ 4:28PM

Jennifer - thank you for the correction. That was carelessness on my part.

hall monitor 1-06-2009 @ 7:59PM

I just never thought the day would come that our biggest threat to school safety is the peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Hall Monitor
http://detentionslip.org

genna 1-06-2009 @ 9:18PM

Coming from the sister of a teenage boy with a severe peanut allergy, I find it hard to believe that people think America has gone too far! When the risk is SO high for SO many people why take a chance? Peanut-free schools might be pushing it but what does it matter to you if you aren't affected by it? It should be up to the parents and the children to decide what is best for them, and the options should be there for them. I ask all those people who believe we have blown this out of proportion to wonder how they would feel if it was their child, their brother, their mother or any other family member who died from any kind of food allergy. I agree with Katie, you can never be too careful with someone else's child.

-genna (18)

Tana 1-06-2009 @ 9:48PM

I'd like to see perfume-free zones for those who are scent-sensitive or have asthma... in schools, workplaces, public transportation, and places of worship. But heaven forbid people just take a shower instead of dousing themselves with cheap cologne.

Amy 1-07-2009 @ 9:40AM

Take a deep breath and relax? Not when your 3 year old is unable to breathe, is throwing up violently and ends up in a hospital for 4 hours before they can stabilize her. This is a very serious allergy and it needs to be taken seriously.

queenoqueens 1-07-2009 @ 1:30AM

If peanuts are deadly to someone on that bus, then evacuation seems appropriate. If your child reacts fatally to, let say...anthrax.....shouldn't the bus be evacuated?

You can't trust kids, especially a busload, to follow precautions and to act "reasonably". Better safe than sorry.

ninainindia 1-07-2009 @ 2:13AM

But was that peanut deadly to anyone on the bus? Probably not, maybe only if touched or eaten. The bus driver should have picked up the peanut and thrown it out.

This whole peanut thing is getting way out of control. What about all the other allergies? If we would treat them all equally that meant there can't be anything in schools anymore.

Sabrina 1-07-2009 @ 7:48AM

My DD is allergic to peanuts. Not severely allergic like my son is to dairy, but allergic nonetheless. I appreciate the security of a peanut free classroom or lunch table at school. I do not see a need for the entire school to be peanut free, but if my daughter's reactions were as severe as my son's, I might. If someone smears peanut butter hands that have not been washed (because seriously, what elementary school kid takes the time to carefully wash their hands and under each fingernail after eating? With soap no less??) on a child with severe peanut allergy, that child might DIE right then and there. It can be that serious. If someone is that allergic to something, why put them and their parents through that kind of stress? As an adult we can choose not to eat with others, and we certainly don't have to worry about random people touching us the way kids touch each other

Emily 1-07-2009 @ 10:43AM

If you can't be too careful with other people's children, then what on earth are we doing allowing bus drivers to drive our children to school!?? The risk of a child dying in a traffic accident is much greater than a child dying from a peanut!! And we'd better not let children go outside at recess, because the likelihood of death from a bee sting is also much greater!

Of course true allergies should be taken seriously, and children with allergies should be educated and trained to use their Epipen, but they don't need to be trained to have a panic attack at the sight of a box of Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch in the grocery store. And as far as not introducing peanuts to children until they are over two? Maybe people should investigate further the research that shows that avoiding foods for too long can cause the body to reject them (just like avoiding milk causes lactose intolerance).

CLM 1-07-2009 @ 3:43PM

Avoiding milk does not cause lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance is cause by the body not producing an enzyme that breaks down lactose. Most of the world is lactose intolerant by adulthood because the enzyme is generally produced only in children.

Jennifer B 1-09-2009 @ 6:44PM

I don't think we've made the peanut a villain. I do think it is very unfortunate that the incident of the bus evacuation (due to the presence of one peanut) is being used as an example of food allergy management in schools.

It is very important to keep in mind that the bus evacuation/stray peanut story is an extreme example. It is not typical of food allergy management in a school setting in the U.S. It also is not typical for an entire school to ban peanuts/nuts or go "nut-free". It is, however, increasingly more common to find preschools that are nut-free/peanut-free because of the young ages of the children involved, their inability to read labels, danger of food sharing, and the "messiness factor" with that age group.

It is also increasingly common to find schools which offer an "allergen-free" or "peanut-free/nut-free" table. This arrangement helps those peanut and nut allergic children avoid contact with nuts or peanuts and hopefully avoid serious or life threatening reactions.

These typical methods of managing food allergies are not over-reactions, especially considering that peanut allergy makes up 90% of all fatal food allergy reactions. Who would want to risk that happening to their child or someone else's?

Scott 2-16-2009 @ 2:54PM

When flying back from Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific we called in advance and told them my 4 year old boy was highly allergic to peanuts. They said they weren't willing to make any modifications and were planning on handing out peanuts.

On board we asked the flight attendants not to hand out peanuts near us and they refused. After all the people around us began eating them my son developed hives all over his body, threw up, and started wheezing and gasping for breath.

After the FA's got the other pax to stop, and giving him benadryl we did get him to breathe okay. We did not end up having to use our epi-pen.

Only after asking the FA's to inform that pilot that we might have a medical emergency did they start to care about his peanut allergy.

I understand the feeling of 99.99% of Americans is "Why does everyone on the plane have to suffer because of my son?" and "Why does he have to fly at all?"

But my question is: Why should we have to tell our son he can't visit his relatives and cannot go to Disney World because we can't ask other people to refrain from eating peanuts for a few hours?

The flight from Hong Kong to JFK is 14 hours. For 14 hours people can't smoke. Is it asking too much to ask people to go without peanuts for 14 hours so my son can fly?

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