Anyone with a PA child in school who does NOT sit at a peanut-free table?

[greenmom17]

DD will be entering 2nd grade in a few weeks. She has peanut/tree nut allergies which require an epipen to be on hand in the nurse's office. She has not had a reaction since she was 3yrs, but that one was anaphylactic and required an epipen immediately.

Last year she sat at a peanut-free table with one other girl - who happens to be our next door neighbor (also PA). They are good friends, but neighbor girl is ALWAYS coming over - every day, all day.

Anyway, I want my dd to make other friends in school, and I know that lunchtime is an important for socialization. Does anyone here have a PA child who sits at a regular lunch table, not a peanut-free table?

Of course her safety is my main concern, but I'm just trying to think things through a bit.

[sbgrace]

I can't imagine having her sit at a table with peanuts.

I think there is a push for epi pens to be carried on person--even laws in some states. Time matters and the trip to the nurses station to get the pen can be too much time.

Statistically the vast majority of kids who die of tree nut reactions (not sure about peanut) die after school exposure.

Can't she socialize with other children on the playground? Outside of school activities like girl scouts? Play dates on week-ends?

[mama1803]

Originally Posted by sbgrace

I can't imagine having her sit at a table with peanuts.

I think there is a push for epi pens to be carried on person--even laws in some states. Time matters and the trip to the nurses station to get the pen can be too much time.

Statistically the vast majority of kids who die of tree nut reactions (not sure about peanut) die after school exposure.

Can't she socialize with other children on the playground? Outside of school activities like girl scouts? Play dates on week-ends?

My ds, also entering second grade, sits at the peanut free table. I just can't imagine possibly exposing him to peanuts (many, many kids bring PB&J everyday) if I didn't have to. IMO his health and safety trump socialization anyday. Also, he carries his epi on his person in a small pouch worn around his waist. Our school district (in Va.) requires a doctor's note for him to carry his own epi, but we also have a standby stored in the nurse's office. For anaphalytic reactions, I would never feel comfortable having the epi stored away somewhere and not immediately accessible.

I'm with the pp, there are other opportunities for socialization that wouldn't pose the risk that moving lunch tables would.

[greenmom17]

Thank you both for your opinions. Can I ask you a few questions?

Are your pa kids contact sensitive? At what age would you be comfortable with them sitting at a regular table?

mama1803, our school district only allows inhalers for asthma to be carried on the person, as it is "life saving." Duh, what is an epipen?

Are your kiddos wearing Medic Alert bracelets as well? DD just outgrew hers and we need to replace it. Just curious.

Thanks again

[mama1803]

Originally Posted by greenmom17

Thank you both for your opinions. Can I ask you a few questions?

Are your pa kids contact sensitive? At what age would you be comfortable with them sitting at a regular table?

mama1803, our school district only allows inhalers for asthma to be carried on the person, as it is "life saving." Duh, what is an epipen?

Are your kiddos wearing Medic Alert bracelets as well? DD just outgrew hers and we need to replace it. Just curious.

Thanks again

I'm not sure if ds is contact sensitive. He was diagnosed with pa through a blood test for a suspected dairy allergy at 14 months of age--he had never eaten peanuts at that point, but was exposed through my breastmilk. He's never come in contact with peanuts that we know of, although our allergist said that pa being contact sensitive is extremely rare. He did have an oral challenge at the doctor's office before he started school but the doctor started immediately with the pb in his mouth and didn't test specifically for contact sensitivity. Now I'm wishing he would have.

As far as when I'll feel comfortable letting him sit at the regular table I don't know. I've always been of the opinion that as ds got older I'd feel better about his pa allergy--instead I find more and more things to worry about. We are now entering the age of slumber parties, sleepaway camp, birthday parties where the parents just drop the kids off-things that I'm definitely not comfortable with. Right now I am telling myself that I'll feel better about possible exposure once ds can administer the epi pen himself and we don't have to rely on others to do it for him. I read somewhere that studies show a kid isn't capable of administering an epi on his own until the age of 10-12 years.

I think the law in your school district stinks and is downright absurd. Right after ds was diagnosed my dh received a job offer in N. Carolina. At the time the law there was that epi pens couldn't be worn on person, in fact I think the story that brought this to light was a parent got arrested because they sent their kid to school with his epi despite previous objections of the school district. It definitely gave me something to think about as far as moving there (we ended up not going for totally other reasons). As far as I know N. Carolina has since changed their law to allow epi pens to be worn or carried. Perhaps if you contacted an organization like FAAN they could provide assistance in getting your school district to revise it's policy.

Right now ds doesn't have a medic alert bracelet. Frankly, the only place he goes without us is school and they are well aware of his allergy. But as he gets older we obviously won't be able to be everywhere he goes and I think the medic alert bracelet is a good idea.