Let them eat peanut butter at school?

[Bleedin Thumb]

I'm not sure if I am turning into a cranky old so & so, but I find it hard to swallow that my kids aren't allowed to take peanut butter sandwiches to school because there are a couple of other children who are allergic.:confused:

Some people are allergic to seafood...they dont ban that.
Some people are allergic to milk etc etc.
Surely its the responsibility of the parents of the kids with the allergies to teach their kids never to accept food from other kids.:rolleyes:

And if you are going to give me that excuse of peer pressure being too great, well how many kids die as a result of peer pressure jumping into dams, driving cars and all manor of dumb things? Those activities aren't banned.

Why does all of the school society have to suffer for the sake of a few. The few do have my sympathy but it seems that this is a case of PC gone mad, or another example of the litigious world we have created for ourselves.:mad:

[Groggy]

I can understand the school trying to protect kids with allergies, but this sounds a bit draconian. Educating the kids with the allergies sounds like a better way to go. That said, I am not sure what the school's reasoning process was, perhaps they had a valid reason?

[Mirboo]

I'm not sure if I am turning into a cranky old so & so, but I find it hard to swallow that my kids aren't allowed to take peanut butter sandwiches to school because there are a couple of other children who are allergic.:confused:

Some people are allergic to seafood...they dont ban that.
Some people are allergic to milk etc etc.
Surely its the responsibility of the parents of the kids with the allergies to teach their kids never to accept food from other kids.:rolleyes:

And if you are going to give me that excuse of peer pressure being too great, well how many kids die as a result of peer pressure jumping into dams, driving cars and all manor of dumb things? Those activities aren't banned.

Why does all of the school society have to suffer for the sake of a few. The few do have my sympathy but it seems that this is a case of PC gone mad, or another example of the litigious world we have created for ourselves.:mad:

I did a first aid course with the Red Cross a couple of years ago. The topic of peanut allergies came up. The instructor told us that peanut allergies can be so severe that just the smell of peanuts on someone's breath can be enough to send someone with a bad peanut allergy into anaphylactic shock (that's bad).

For the sake of the apparently growing number of kids who suffer peanut allergies (I personally know of two such kids) I don't think banning peanut butter from schools is a bad thing.

My daughter (who does not have a peanut allergy and loves peanut butter) is starting pre-school next year. The pre-school she is to attend is a peanut free and an egg free zone. The pre-school in question even provides us parents with egg free and nut free recipies for birthday cakes should we want to provide one for our children to celebrate their birthdays.

I don't have a problem with peanuts being banned.

[Doughboy]

As I understand it Peanut allergies are not just a bit of a nauseas reaction. My neighbour a 18 year old girl is allergic to peanut I did not know and I had made a new dessert at work, bought some home and she asked to try some. Within 10 mins she was in hospital and on deaths door.

I checked and rechecked the ingredients. One of the ingredients had a very small disclaimer saying in may contain traces of peanut products.

I was amazed at how quick this happened and am only too happy to adhere to schools banning peanut butter and peanuts at school. I would hate for my son to share his lunch and put some 5 year old in hospital or worse.

Pete

[Bleedin Thumb]

up. The instructor told us that peanut allergies can be so severe that just the smell of peanuts on someone's breath can be enough to send someone with a bad peanut allergy into anaphylactic shock (that's bad).

.

That could be problematic on a first date if your partner has been eating nuts. One kiss and....:eek:

Seriously, I wasn't aware of how bad the situation was so I was right about being a grumpy old fool.:o

When I went to school I didn't know anyone with serious allergies and didn't even know an asthmatic. Now every school has at least 2 kids with allergies to nuts not to mention the raft of other things and it seem that about 1 in 10 kids have asthma......What the hells going on??????

I find it hard to beleive that in the midst of such a health epidemic that the authorities don't know what is the cause.

CONSPIRACY THEORY # 506. The petroleum companies have suppressed the health reports that prove breathing vehicle emissions is destroying our immune systems.:D

[Iain]

Had a packet of peanuts at home with a warning that it may contain traces of peanuts:confused:
I was listening to an interview with Margaret Throsby some months ago and it seems that the problems arose from our hippie generation who were so averse to meat and eating anything that walked, flew or swam they created the problem by overloading themselves with peanut products and the (some)offspring were born with this allergic reaction.

[Dean]

I've read and head from several sources that the cause of the growing number of food allergies is a result of the manufacturing process becoming too clean and sterile. Some scientists even suggest that at the current rate of allergy growth, humans will be allergic to most food in the next 4-500 years at the current rate :confused:

[Honorary Bloke]

I've read and head from several sources that the cause of the growing number of food allergies is a result of the manufacturing process becoming too clean and sterile. Some scientists even suggest that at the current rate of allergy growth, humans will be allergic to most food in the next 4-500 years at the current rate :confused:

Same with the airborne allergens. Scientists claim we don't let our kids get dirty enough any more (anti-bacterial soap, etc.) so they cannot build up the anti-bodies to fight. I'm allergic to a few things (like raw rubber--don't go there:rolleyes: ), but I know people who are (or claim to be) allergic to darn near everything and must live in a virtually sterile house. I must say it's become more prevalent in recent years. Growing up I didn't know anyone allergic to peanuts--schoolwork maybe, but not peanuts.

[ozwinner]

Scientists claim we don't let our kids get dirty enough any more (anti-bacterial soap, etc.) so they cannot build up the anti-bodies to fight. .


Got to agree there.
We went to a local agricultural show last weekend and of course it had a few well trained sheep.

A woman with a coupla kids nearly blew a gasket as the kids ran towards the sheep to get a touch of them.

She was shouting at the top of her voice.
Dont touch them, they are full of disease ( I bet the sheep were thinking the same about the kids)
Stop don't touch them, they are dirty.

Poor kids, I felt sorry for them.

Al :)

[Flowboy]

People with severe allegies, whatever they may be can suffer from a state called anaphylactic reaction, or in very severe cases, anaphylactic shock. Essentially, the body sort of shuts down, but the most visible effect is swelling and particularly of the windpipe. They can't breathe. Many of these people are licenced to carry adrenalin injections with them. You may also be aware of people allergic to penicillin who wear "Medic Alert" bracelets.
My wife has allergies to seafood, which is not good when you come from Portland Vic and live for a year in Japan, but we have to be clear when booking a restaurant that there is no seafood of any kind in the cooking. This includes fish sauce and Oyster sauce (which we have found a Veg substitute or.)
Incidentally, I knew someone who bought a cheap bottle of bubbly and it had the warning about containing traces of nuts as well:confused: Go figure.
It does appear that the increasing demand for a sterile environment by many parents is causing increased allergies. I shudder when I see an air conditioning company advertising a Hepa 2 filter in their product. Land sakes, can't their kids even breathe someone else's air without it being treated first?!!

Regards

Rob

[Bleedin Thumb]

I don't know if I trust that argument about a too sterile environment...well it doesn't sit well with my conspiracy theory.;)

If it were as simple as that couldn't they just give us all a dirty immunisation shot or something. A lozenger under the tongue containing the essesence of sheep dung, dog hair, camel spit etc.:D

No the too sterile argument is just a smoke screen put inplace by vested interests. ;)

There may be something in the theory about hippy parents and peanut allergies....... Its good to blame hippies for lots of things:D

[duckman]

I don't know if I trust that argument about a too sterile environment...well it doesn't sit well with my conspiracy theory.;)

If it were as simple as that couldn't they just give us all a dirty immunisation shot or something. A lozenger under the tongue containing the essesence of sheep dung, dog hair, camel spit etc.:D

They did. Don't you remember all those needles we shared when we received the polio vaccine back in the 60's.:D How ever did any of us survive?:rolleyes:



There may be something in the theory about hippy parents and peanut allergies....... Its good to blame hippies for lots of things:D
No argument here........peace man.:D

[Andy Mac]

You gotta feel sorry for people that sensitive to common foods, especially something so yummy!! No satay, no boiled peanuts at the pub, no peanut butter on toast in the morning....:eek:
I don't conciously eat or drink anything containing dairy products, very hard to avoid completely because its added to so many things, but I don't have a life-threatening reaction to it. It simply makes me sick and not very pleasant to live with!!:p
Should peanut butter sandwiches be banned at school, perhaps, but so long as it stops there at primary school where kids don't have the maturity/responsibilty to look after themselves. In saying that though, I've heard (urban myth??) of a prank at high school level with kids holding down another kid, allergic to peanuts, with said sandwich in their face.

I'm interested in why this sudden rise of allergies, and asthma. In the case of peanuts, it could be over consumed, but that hasn't happened to me, despite daily intake...so does it somehow build up and get passed on genetically. Hasn't happened to my kids. Maybe there is something in the nut itself that has changed, chemicals building up maybe. The nut itself would surely be the site of maximum concentration of any given chemical in the plant, like most fruits, grains and nuts (I think).
But I tend to agree with Bob and Dean and others...something is changing in our make-up to react like this.


Regards,

[CREST]

CONSPIRACY THEORY # 506. The petroleum companies have suppressed the health reports that prove breathing vehicle emissions is destroying our immune systems.:D

About eating the name brand peanut butter/paste.......read the ingreadiance and have a check with what all the preservatives in it. You will find that it is made with petroleum bi-products. So why would you let your kids eat it anyway. My kids don't...............

[Bleedin Thumb]

They did. Don't you remember all those needles we shared when we received the polio vaccine back in the 60's.:D How ever did any of us survive?:rolleyes:





Yeh and what was with that "turn your head and cough" thing!
Who kept the records?
Do they actualy mean anything?
Where are those Nurses now? Are they traumatised?:rolleyes:

[duckman]

Yeh and what was with that "turn your head and cough" thing!

Now that, I didn't want to remember.... off to therapy again.:p


Who kept the records?
Have the scrolls survived? I'm feeling decidedly middle aged today.:eek:


Do they actualy mean anything?
Where are those Nurses now? Are they traumatised?:rolleyes:
Bugga the matrons. Where are their daughters?:D

[arose62]

We had to fill out a form giving our 14 y.o. son's High School permission to put a Band-Aid (or presumably any equivalent product) on cuts or scratches which warranted it.

Parents were trying to find out why formal permission was required, and

"Some kids must be allergic to bandaids" was beating

"Bandaids must offend some wacko religous groups delicate sensibilities" and

"Maybe putting on a bandaid can be construed as some kind of sexual assault"

in the rumour and theory stakes.

I understand banning peanuts, due to the potential rapidity and extreme severity of the reaction, but I'm stumped as to why Band-Aids are nearly a banned substance...

Cheers,
Andrew

[Bleedin Thumb]

The evil thought just came into my head...

It would have been good to put peanut butter down your shorts prior to seeing the nurse... probably the only time you would get a reaction from them!:D Sorry Folks.

[Glenn_M]

My son is one of the unfortunate ones who is allergic to many things - nuts being one of them. A cake with nuts, eggs and chocolate could kill him if he ate. He goes to a nut free, egg free child care centre. He also has to carry (or we do more the point) an adrenaline injector pen with him at all times. Anyone looking after him is trained how/when to use it.

When offered food he asks "Does it have egg in it", "Does it have nuts in it?" and refuses. We have taught him to ask this and he knows why. Do I trust him to ask all the time? No, he's only three. Do I trust others to answer correctly? No. Do I entrust his care to others - yes, we have to and take all the precautions we can.

I understand that he is my child and my responsibility. I also know it's not his fault and that sometimes he doesn't understand why he cant have what all the other kids have.

Do I care that one of his friends at child care can't take their peanut butter toast into the centre? No, I am grateful that others take the welfare of my child into account.

Does this or could this inconvenience others? Perhaps. Probably. Do I care? Not one bit if it will keep my boy alive.

I understand that this is a purely selfish, emotional and irrational reaction but this is my boy and until he grows out of his allergies I live in fear that one day, somehow something will happen that I cannot stop and he will be hurt or die.

I do feel bad that this impacts others and perhaps inconveniences them but I love mi kid way more than that.

Peace

Glenn

[JDub]

.

I understand that this is a purely selfish, emotional and irrational reaction but this is my boy and until he grows out of his allergies I live in fear that one day, somehow something will happen that I cannot stop and he will be hurt or die.



Im a registered nurse and have spent a few years working in an Emergency Department in a major hospital and I can assure you that your reaction/feelings are anything but irrational. Nut allergy is one of the most common and can be the most severe allergies esp for young kids, and it aint nice seeing a little one have a reaction I can tell you, whether its your child or not.

Is it such a big deal that kids have to wait till they get home after school to have a peanut butter sandwich? I dont think its too much too ask given the potential consequences.

BTW I love peanut butter ;) :D

[JDub]

Parents were trying to find out why formal permission was required, and

"Some kids must be allergic to bandaids" was beating

"

Being allergic to the sticking plaster on bandaids is not uncommon. An allergic reaction usually just means a 'local reaction' at the site the bandaid was applied though (welts etc), not in the same boat as nut allergy IME

[knucklehead]

My daughter has had peanut butter sandwiches every day for the last couple of years. A letter came home last month to say that next year there will be no peanut products allowed in the school.
Now I disagree with a lot of the left wing crap that the school goes on with, but I've got to agree with this.
Its just way to serious.
How would my daughter deal with the fact that the small bit of peanut butter that got on the the school swing kills one of her friends.

On the matter of allergies, I was interested to learn that the most common source of protein in the world in peanuts. They are grown extensively thought the 3rd world because of their soil rejuvenating qualities.
Several of the aid organizations are buying locally produced peanuts, processing them in to peanut butter and adding various vitamins. It is one of the few foods that can be stored long term without refrigeration.
Apparently they have no issues with peanut allergies in the 3rd world. There are many theories about why these people don't have allergies.
One suggests that we get allergies because we live in a sterile world. Anybody that lives in the 3rd world doesn't have that problem
Another suggests that a malnourished body can't afford to reject the nutrition. i.e. allergies are a diseases of the affluent.

[aljenit]

Im a registered nurse and have spent a few years working in an Emergency Department in a major hospital and I can assure you that your reaction/feelings are anything but irrational. Nut allergy is one of the most common and can be the most severe allergies esp for young kids, and it aint nice seeing a little one have a reaction I can tell you, whether its your child or not.
D

The hospital I work in has just removed peanut based skin lotion from general use because of potential reactions to patients.I guess it's not just peanut dust or eating it that is the problem?:confused:

[Wood Butcher]

Was watching a show today about bullying and one of the abused kids (who is allergic to peanuts) was describing an incident where three bullies had him pinned to the ground while a forth waved a peanut butter & jelly sandwich inches from his face. Apparently they knew that he was allergic and were delibrately taunting him.

I know that his was an seppo show and their school system and behaviour management is slighty different to ours but still...

[havenoideaatall]

Seriously, I wasn't aware of how bad the situation was so I was right about being a grumpy old fool.:o

When I went to school I didn't know anyone with serious allergies and didn't even know an asthmatic. Now every school has at least 2 kids with allergies to nuts not to mention the raft of other things and it seem that about 1 in 10 kids have asthma......What the hells going on??????


I wondered this too. I don't recall any allergic (to peanuts) kids at school. Only knew 1 asthmatic in 11 years of schooling.

[Honorary Bloke]

My son is one of the unfortunate ones who is allergic to many things - nuts being one of them. A cake with nuts, eggs and chocolate could kill him if he ate.

Does this or could this inconvenience others? Perhaps. Probably. Do I care? Not one bit if it will keep my boy alive.

I understand that this is a purely selfish, emotional and irrational reaction but this is my boy and until he grows out of his allergies I live in fear that one day, somehow something will happen that I cannot stop and he will be hurt or die.

Glenn,

I don't think anyone disputes the seriousness of the allergy. And if I were in your place I would feel the same. But it is curious (and true) that these and other allergies seem to crop up more often than before. And you have to wonder why? :confused:

[Groggy]

I don't think anyone disputes the seriousness of the allergy. And if I were in your place I would feel the same. But it is curious (and true) that these and other allergies seem to crop up more often than before. And you have to wonder why? :confused:Bob, I suspect it may be (partly) a case of better identification of the allergies and fewer deaths due to unknown allergic reactions.

I often wonder though if we are becoming sensitised to nature because we no longer roll around in the dirt. I know that in my childhood kids eliminated every possible allergy source within a week of getting free of the house (including snake and spider bites).

[DavidG]

One suggests that we get allergies because we live in a sterile world. Anybody that lives in the 3rd world doesn't have that problem
From what I have seen overseas, is that there are limited numbers of persons with severe allergic reactions because those that did react adversely are dead, because of lack of finances of medical care.:(

[Glenn_M]

Glenn,

I don't think anyone disputes the seriousness of the allergy. And if I were in your place I would feel the same. But it is curious (and true) that these and other allergies seem to crop up more often than before. And you have to wonder why? :confused:

I agree that it certainly appears to be more prevalent than when I was young but I also tend to agree with Groggy that we are now aware of the problems. Personally I think that places now caring for children in this more and more litigous society are being forced to remove any risk. I hope the motivation is the welfare of the kids but I am too cynical to believe.

Again on one hand I think it verges on the ridiculous, yet on the other I have learnt that I don't know all the dangers our world presents to some kids and if keeps mine (and others) alive then I'm for it.

It's not entirely rational as I said, and I don't pretend to be.

Cheers,

[Ivan in Oz]

G'day Ppl,

WOW!! Hot topic.

What about the Children / People who are allergic to:-
Gluten
Dairy / Cheese
Bees / Honey
Seafood
Eggs
MSG
Pork
The list goes on.
Where does "Political Correctness" draw the line:confused:

It's a NO win situation and not everyone will be happy.
Have friends or know people with ALL the above.

PS
Hate to cater a function when the ALL are present:confused:


Then you have some who are allergic to some Timbers / Woods
My ex seemed allergic to one particular Woody:rolleyes:

[ubeaut]

On the plane coming back from US last year they announced they would not be serving nuts and asked everyone if they had them in their possession not to open them because they had a child on board with a severe allergy to nuts. They explained that opening a bag of nuts anywhere on the plane could trigger a life threatening reaction in the lad.

Now that's severe.

Knew 2 kids with asthma when I was growing up both were sickly looking kids with curly hair and parents that smoked heavily. Don't know if the smokes had anything to do with it.

[Bleedin Thumb]

Knew 2 kids with asthma when I was growing up both were sickly looking kids with curly hair and parents that smoked heavily. Don't know if the smokes had anything to do with it.

Doesn't that get you. Youve got two sick kids and you still smoke. Its like seeing people smoke in their cars with kids in the back!:mad:

Sorry just having an ex-smokers moment.:o

[Groggy]

Sorry just having an ex-smokers moment.:oThink I'll join in - I've saved over $10 000 since giving up smoking. That buys a darn good TS, jointer and BS plus a shedload of other tools. What more incentive do you need?

[Iain]

Think I'll join in - I've saved over $10 000 since giving up smoking. That buys a darn good TS, jointer and BS plus a shedload of other tools. What more incentive do you need?

Haven't worked out the dollar value but I gave up 20 unfiltered camels a day about 15 years ago, I now enjoy the taste of food, wine, decent imported beers, and I can afford them, probably less than the smokes.
I am also very intolerant of smokers now, I find thge smell extremely offensive and nauseating.
I see that hotels will have a ban imposed in July 2007, will make life interesting.

[Wood Butcher]

Think I'll join in - I've saved over $10 000 since giving up smoking. That buys a darn good TS, jointer and BS plus a shedload of other tools. What more incentive do you need?

I've given up for 3 weeks now and I hope I am finally over the cravings.:o
One of the main reasons I quit was not so much for my health but that of my kids. They didn't deserve to have to suffer from my stupidity.

[Bleedin Thumb]

I've given up for 3 weeks now and I hope I am finally over the cravings.:o

One of the main reasons I quit was not so much for my health but that of my kids. They didn't deserve to have to suffer from my stupidity.

Good on you, just keep going, its worth the discomfort. It takes about 6 months I recon before you can feel safe. Its been 11 months for me and I still get (fleeting) panges when I see someone light up.

[Ashore]

I've given up for 3 weeks now and I hope I am finally over the cravings.:o
One of the main reasons I quit was not so much for my health but that of my kids. They didn't deserve to have to suffer from my stupidity.

Been off them for over two years because of my Grandkids don't have the cravings but still stand next to smokers and breathe in deeply, smoke 2-3 good cigars a year and realy enjoy them :D

I am allergic to penicillin and can't eat mushrooms , they usually last 10-15 minutes and then leave, some what embarresing when eating at someones house, but thats fine and I can handle it but when they are in a pre made sauce for some reason the effects are far worse and it can take more than a day to get over it and back on my feet. and I believe that the nut allegerys are far worse so I agree with the schools all the way.

[Iain]

but when they are in a pre made sauce for some reason the effects are far worse and it can take more than a day to get over it and back on my feet.

Sure that's not MSG, that upsets me something terrible and that is one of the reasons I avoid the urban Chinese restaurant, even if you ask if they use MSG they say no and I wind up with a screamer of a headache after about 30 minutes.
The bigger restaurants in the city seem to be better and not use the mass produced pre made slop for the ubiquitous dishes found at any restaurant in the country.
I have found that the 'sauce' on a steak at a lot of pubs are the same but to a lesser degree.

[Ashore]

Sure that's not MSG, .
No Iain never had a problem with it , just the mushrooms , blue cheese , or that third bottle of red :D :D

[Iain]

I stop at 2 3/4, then single malt, then blame food poisoning:rolleyes:
I avoid any packaged 'dry' food products for the same reason, don't know why but any 'just add water' really buggers me right up.
Blue cheese though, can't get enough of it, if I can get the girls away from it, youngest daughter used to scoff it when she was 4, along with the olives.

[JDub]

Knew 2 kids with asthma when I was growing up both were sickly looking kids with curly hair and parents that smoked heavily. Don't know if the smokes had anything to do with it.

Just FYI parents that smoke do increase the risk of their kids becoming asthmatic, also increases the risk of SIDS etc....

[Driver]

Just FYI parents that smoke do increase the risk of their kids becoming asthmatic, also increases the risk of SIDS etc....

I'd be interested in seeing the research behind this. I'm sceptical about many of the claims put forward by the anti-smoking lobby.

This particular one needs to be seen in the context of the fact that most of my generation (I'm a baby boomer) had at least one parent who smoked cigarettes indoors for many years. Yet there seems to be a much higher incidence of asthma amongst today's children than we saw when we were kids. I don't remember any of my schoolmates who had asthma.

Incidentally, I gave up smoking a while ago so I'm not arguing in favour of the habit, merely questioning what seems to be a very broad generalisation.

I'd be happy to be proved wrong but let's see some hard evidence.

[JDub]

I'd be interested in seeing the research behind this. I'm sceptical about many of the claims put forward by the anti-smoking lobby.


Found these in 2 minutes using a very quick google search, Im sure if you search the medical journals etc you will find more in depth info and studies..... ;)



SIDs and Smoking

http://sids-network.org/experts/smok.htm



Maternal smoking has long been linked with increased SIDS risk. The increased risk correlated with how much the mother smokes. Several studies have demonstrated that passive tobacco smoke also significantly increases the risk for SIDS. The risk for SIDS is increased, in normal birth weight infants, about two-fold with passive smoke exposure and about three-fold when the mother smokes both during the pregnancy and the baby continues to be exposed to tobacco smoke after he/she is born.

Kahn and colleagues have shown that infants born to mothers who smoked during pregnancy had lower birth weight, and significantly more episodes of obstructive apnea and excessive sweating (the infants were tested at about three months of life and compared to infants of nonsmoking mothers).

Recent epidemiological studies from New Zealand, Tasmania, and England have reported the prospective results of supine (back) sleep position and significant reduction of SIDS risk. The greatest reduction of risk, however, was found when the infant was placed supine (back) during sleep, was breast fed, and was not exposed to maternal smoking during pregnancy or to passive tobacco smoke following birth.

Recent studies have provided more details on the epidemiology and on possible physiologic mechanisms underlying the association between smoking and SIDS. Kinney et al. have documented significant changes in nicotine-binding sites in the brainstem areas involved with arousal, heart and breathing functions, sleep, and body movement control, during the last half of pregnancy. Thus, mid to late pregnancy may be a particularly vulnerable period for the fetus exposed to the nicotine in maternal tobacco smoke. We do not know exactly how smoking affects the infant during the pregnancy, however, we have several leads which suggest that the effect may influence development of the nervous system.



Asthma in kids and smoking:

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Asthma_children_and_smoking?open

http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&q=asthma+in+kids+and+smoking+studies&meta=



Cigarette smoke can trigger worsening asthma symptoms or an asthma attack in some people. Children are particularly sensitive to tobacco smoke as their lungs are smaller and more delicate and are still developing. Passive smoking is breathing in other people’s cigarette smoke. Children who live with smokers have higher rates of asthma than children living with non-smokers.

[silentC]

My father smoked until I was about 6 years old. All of my uncles smoked and yet neither my sisters, myself, nor any of my cousins suffer from asthma. The first instance of asthma in my family that anyone is aware of is my daughter who was diagnosed with it at the age of 3, although there are no signs of it at present and she's not taking any medication for it. My wife and I had both given up smoking before she fell pregnant and very few of our friends smoked and never in the house.

I'm not denying that smoking could be related, but people are much more aware of passive smoking around kids and 'maternal smoking' now than in my parents generation, yet asthma seems to be on the rise, so something else is going on.

I agree that it's wise to not smoke around kids and to not smoke period is an even better idea. I know of someone who smoked right through her pregnancy and her daughter was born with heart problems that required surgery. There may be no connection but is it worth the risk?

[Driver]

JDub

Thanks for those links. The SIDS/smoking issue seems to be backed up by some hard research. Furthermore, most of that quote from your post is related to smoking in pregnancy which, by any standard, is clearly a very bad idea.

The childhood asthma / smoking link seems more tenuous and not so obviously supported by hard research.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that the increasing incidence of asthma in children is a major concern. However, attributing it to passive smoking is not proven by any hard data and seems to be contradicted by the evidence that the present increase in childhood asthma has been accompanied by a decrease in the rate of smoking in the general population. Furthermore, if there is no real link between passive smoking and increasing childhood asthma than there exists a danger that in emphasising a non-existent link, we might delay finding out what is really causing the problem.

[astrid]

I risk sounding like a completly insensitive bitch but here i go anyway
all over the world mothers watch their kids die from bad water, lack of food , bullets in the head, raping bastards etc
we worry about allergies
if a child is allergic to anything they know, at least by the age of primary school , not to share food, they should know how to use an epipen.
these kids can be exposed to nuts on a theatre seat or a swing on the playground.
I have a friend who is a haemopheliac, as a child ,???? happened
I have a son with a bone condition, possiable amputation of leg if exposed to trauma of life.
do I blame scouts when leg fractures again , no
do I try to balence his problem with reality, yes
do I expect the rest of the community to have a complete understanding of risk, no
all I can do is take reasonable precautions and cross my fingers

we all love our kids
to expect the rest of the community to be 100% alert is asking them to be vigilant about problems that they have no understanding of.
these are our problems to bear and we live with it
it is our responsibility to educate our own kids.

astrid
PS schools keeping a supply of common use Epipens might help.
PPS my son has foregone peanut butter sandwitches in school and kinda

[Wood Butcher]

PS schools keeping a supply of common use Epipens might help.


Sounds like a good idea but they cost $100 each and only have a shelf life of 12 months. I know as I carry one due to a rather severe allergy to bees. (If I get stung I sort of have trouble breathing:( )

[AlexS]

I'd be surprised if schools don't have them. The pre-school where SWMBO worked had them and staff had to be trained how to use them.

[astrid]

I know
a single patent at our school requested that her two highl alergic sons carry their pens in their bags
school response was that this was a danger to other kids and she had to provide two each, one for school nurse, one for classroom. which by the way is locked at lunch and recess.

so a single parent has to find 400 per year in case another child pricks themselves.( i understand that this usually results in a short period of hyperactivity)
this demonstrates the point I am trying to make, that fear of the few a s o l s that threaten to sue, makes the rest of our lives a misery.

Public institutions need to stand up to this or we will end up like england, where teachers and the general public are to afraid to go to the assistance of a child in distress for fear of being accused of child abuse.
the courts in fact, rarely get it wrong and these threats rarely get heard.

we have to be responsiable for ourselves

astrid

PS this is not to take away public responsibility to help those in economic need.
homeless, refugees, mentaly ill, abused men women and children, indiginous you get the idea

[Wood Butcher]

The epipens are on the PBS, so as a single mum she would get them for $5 each.:D

[Gingermick]

Now every school has at least 2 kids with allergies to nuts not to mention the raft of other things and it seem that about 1 in 10 kids have asthma......What the hells going on??????


I agree with the too clean sentiment. My youngest (3.5yr old girl) hardly ever gets sick. And she doesn't seem to eat any meals, so I assume that she must live on bits of food she picks up off the floor and they give her little doses of germs and she builds antibodies.
My eldest boy has nose problems and the middle one is better, but the youngest is very robust.

[Sebastiaan56]

I worked with a guy who had a severe nut allergy, I was his manager but I didnt know this fact. Another staff member was chopping hazelnuts 1 metre away from him and his face started swelling as we watched. He had his pen in his bag and we got him out of there really quick. Ended up taking three days to recover. He was ready for the reaction, we werent.

Some people are severely allergic,

[bsrlee]

Fairly recent thought in researchers into allergies IS that we are too clean. Seems that all those intestinal worms & bugs produced a wide range of anti-allergy chemicals in self defence, and the result was that humans didn't react to a lot of things.

As one example (from Science in the City, Australian Museum 2006) is the treatment of Chrone's Disease - an immune system malfunction that results in the immune system attacking the body - is the regular application of Pig Whip Worm eggs. The whip worms can't reproduce in the human gut, but can live for a month or so, and produce suitable anti-allergen chemicals that cause the immune system to quieten down.

Strange to say, all those 'Third World' countries who are too poor to have allergies also have a wide variety of intestinal parasites.

[Justin]

Knew 2 kids with asthma when I was growing up both were sickly looking kids with curly hair and parents that smoked heavily. Don't know if the smokes had anything to do with it.

My best mate's an asthmatic, he swears that it's because of his smoker dad - lots of trips in the car with his old man smoking at the wheel.

Justin.

[black1]

We had to fill out a form giving our 14 y.o. son's High School permission to put a Band-Aid (or presumably any equivalent product) on cuts or scratches which warranted it.


Andrew

my son cant use bandaid but can use elastoplas and the war office cant use elastoplas but can use bandaids.:cool:

[Bleedin Thumb]

Getting back to the asthma theme - I developed asthma about 3 years ago, fairly severe.

About 8 weeks ago I went on a diet that deleted any processed carbohydrates from my diet, no pasta, rice, bread, alcohol! etc. Not only did I lose 5 kg in two weeks but for some reason I could go for days without the Ventolin!!!

Unfortunately I have since fallen off the diet...damn my love of beer! (though still off processed carbs), put on some weight and have a chest infection, that I put down to 3 weeks of renovation and painting, still don't feel like I have asthma though.

This begs the question, Is the amount of process food that we consuming making us sick?

The answer for me is an emphatic yes, as I have proven it. Try giving up total carb intake for a two weeks (except those in salads and vegies, except spuds etc)and you realise how much our diet is composed of processed food.