Approximately 32 million people in this country suffer from food allergies, including six million children that have been diagnosed. Over the last twenty years, the number of Americans affected has risen by around fifty percent.
Peanuts, eggs, milk, wheat, dyes, and over 170 foods have been linked to allergic reactions. Suddenly, lunch and snack time becomes a dangerous activity. Since nuts are one of the most common allergens for children, Watch Me Grow Daycare Center is happy to be a nut-free daycare. Food allergies are caused by the body’s immune system mistakenly perceiving specific proteins as harmful and then initiating defense mechanisms in reaction. Even a very small portion of certain foods can result in serious allergy attacks.
Protect Your Children from Potentially Dangerous Allergens
Since everyone reacts differently to foods, realizing there is a problem is a big part of the battle. Everything from hives to full anaphylactic shock are symptoms of food allergies. If your child exhibits symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, rashes, sudden blood pressure drop, difficulty breathing, or swelling of the tongue, mouth, or any area of the body that came into contact with the food, make sure to take them to a doctor immediately.
Proper diagnosis for food allergies is essential. Too often, parents fail to correlate symptoms as a reaction to food. Becoming aware of food allergies is especially difficult when children are too young to express how they’re feeling. It’s always better to take proactive measures. Take the time to read labels while shopping. You might be surprised to find trace amounts of common allergens in seemingly harmless snacks and foods. Depending on where it’s processed, all sorts of food products can be extremely dangerous.
Keep your daycare informed about any allergies your child may have.
If your child has food allergies, make a list of what items they can and can’t eat. Write down what they like, what foods should be avoided, and what’s perfectly safe. A copy should be provided wherever and whenever there is the potential to come in contact with food, including at daycare. Access to information is the key to safety. You want to make sure your child gets the nutrition they need without risk, and so do we.
