February 11, 2009
Check out this kid friendly website
The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network has always been a tremendous resource for parents trying to manage their child's food allergies. But did you know that FAAN also has a website for kids? Being told you have food allergies can be scary for kids (not to mention the parents!). FAAN offers a kid friendly website with medically sound advice. I highly recommend checking it out, whether your child is just beginning their journey in the food allergy world or he/she is a veteran who has been navigating these waters for years. You can find it at www.faankids.org.
Posted by Ann Marie at 9:28 AM | Comments (0)
February 19, 2008
MedicAlert vs. Medical Alert Wallets
While I was browsing the web for information on child food allergies, I came across a site that sells medical alert wallets. My daughter used to have a MedicAlert bracelet, so I was curious. Here is what I found:
Medical Alert Wallets is a good idea. The company “strives to provide the best products and service to our customers… Medical Alert Wallets provides top-notch quality wallets with a Medical symbol … each Medical Wallet comes with a Medical Information Card, for you to fill out.” It is a wallet with an information card that each individual fills out. While this would be useful in an emergency if somebody actually finds the wallet, do not get it confused with the services from MedicAlert.
MedicAlert builds “on nearly 50 years of experience in protecting and saving lives. MedicAlert's Emergency Response Center handles emergency calls providing instant access to identification and vital information. MedicAlert provides a 24-Hour Emergency Response Center, supported by on-site medical professionals. MedicAlert will relay your vital medical information to emergency personnel.” MedicAlert offers a variety of bracelets and necklaces engraved with a MedicAlert symbol along with their phone number and a patient identification number.
EMS responders recognize the MedicAlert symbol and can call the Response Center to obtain a patient history, i.e. anaphylaxis to nuts, prior allergic reactions, treatment that has worked or not in the past. MedicAlert offers jewelry which is easily spotted by EMS responders; whereas a wallet might not be seen until it is too late.
While both are pretty decent safety precautions, I urge you to do your homework and see what best fits your situation.
If you’re interested, MedicAlert also has a KidSmart program, which “provides comprehensive Kid Smart services that can safeguard and identify your child in an emergency. With a single phone call, emergency response personnel can access medical history and records, protecting your child against potentially adverse treatments or medication conflicts.
The Kid Smart program also ensures that designated family members will be notified should your child, in your absence, require emergency medical treatment. In addition, you have the reassurance that any time a lost child wearing a MedicAlert ID has been located or rescued, MedicAlert will contact you.”
I hope you never need these services, but it’s nice to know what’s available.
Posted by Ann Marie at 2:11 PM | Comments (0)
November 3, 2006
Eggless Noodle Receipe
Here's a receipe for eggless noodles. Haven't tried it yet but for those with egg allergy, it's probably worth the effort. Check it out here.
These are noodles without egg, rice, corn, margarine or butter. And, I hear, they taste great.
Posted by David at 7:01 AM
June 20, 2006
FAAN Sponsors San Diego's First Annual Food Allergy Walk
SAN DIEGO, June 12 /PRNewswire/ -- A group of motivated San Diego
County residents are joining forces to organize a fund-raising walk to
build public awareness and raise money to help protect children with
life-threatening food allergies.
The Walk for Food Allergy: Moving Toward A Cure event, benefits The
Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), the nation's leading nonprofit,
patient advocacy organization providing information about food allergy.
The San Diego Walk is one of 18 nationwide events scheduled between
August and November. Registration is now open for walk enthusiasts, school
officials, community groups, government agencies, and families to
participate in San Diego's first Walk for Food Allergy, a 1.5 mile family
event that will take place on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2006, with registration
beginning at 8 am at Balboa Park.
More than 12 million Americans suffer from food allergies. The majority
are school-aged children. Each year, the number of children diagnosed with
food allergies increases. Food-allergic reactions result in more than
30,000 emergency room visits each year. This allergy is the leading cause
of anaphylaxis (a severe, potentially life-threatening reaction) outside
the hospital setting. It is estimated that between 150 and 200 people die
annually from anaphylaxis to food, including children and young adults. To
prevent a reaction, food-allergic individuals must rely on strict avoidance
of the food to which they are allergic.
Amy Caterina of Del Mar, CA, will serve as Chair of the Walk for Food
Allergy. "Thirty years ago food allergies were almost unheard of,
especially life-threatening ones. Now, one in 25 Americans is affected by
food allergies," stated Caterina. "Families nationwide and the healthcare
industry are working to address this serious medical condition. The main
goal of our committee is to create a food allergy and anaphylaxis support
group based here in San Diego to provide education and support for local
families dealing with food allergies and anaphylaxis."
National sponsorship support comes from the generosity of San
Diego-based Verus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the distributor of Twinject(R), an
epinephrine auto injector used to treat anaphylaxis. Sponsorship support
also comes from PR Newswire, the global leader in news and information
distribution services for professional communicators.
"We're pleased to launch the 2006 Walk for Food Allergy: Moving Toward
A Cure with national sponsor Verus Pharmaceuticals," said FAAN CEO and
Founder Anne Munoz-Furlong. "Each Walk will help achieve our goal of
increasing education and awareness in communities across the country and in
preventing food allergy-related deaths. With each dollar raised, we are
closer to finding a cure."
For interview opportunities or volunteer/sponsorship interest, please
Contact Amy Caterina at 619-379-0054 or at sdfaanwalk@yahoo.com
Posted by David at 9:11 PM
June 1, 2006
Food Allergy Alert Clothing to Help Keep Toddlers Safe
Check My Tag, LLC introduces food allergy alert products for Toddlers. The patent-pending clothing line keeps toddlers safe. Each garment can be personalized with a child's specific trigger foods and emergency care instructions.
source: PRWEB
Check My Tag, LLC (www.checkmytag.com) announces a line of Food Allergy Alert apparel for toddlers just in time for Food Allergy Awareness Week (May 14-20). The patent-pending clothes are designed to help prevent anaphylaxis (severe allergic reactions) by alerting caregivers to the presence of food allergies as well as educating them on crucial life-saving steps in the event of a reaction. Experts estimate that up to 8% of children under the age of six in the U.S. alone live with life-threatening food allergies. The number of diagnosed cases has doubled in the last five years. Approximately 100 Americans, usually children, die annually from food-induced anaphylaxis.
The product line was developed by Ria Sharon, whose 13-month old son was diagnosed with severe food allergies in March 2005. “With his first anaphylactic reaction, my life changed,” Ria recalls. “I felt helpless to protect him against the potential dangers that lurked in so many commonly found foods.”
“I began searching immediately for resources that would help me manage his condition, in a way that would allow him to experience and enjoy life like any other child his age. Specifically, I wanted something that would give me back my confidence in being able to keep him safe. To my surprise, everything that was currently available in terms of alert products were not practical solutions for us.” Ria applied her creative skills to develop a solution that eased her own anxiety and empowered her son's teachers and babysitters to care for him safely.
Check My Tag clothes are safe from choking, strangulation and electric shock. Each garment can be personalized to include all of a child’s own specific trigger foods. In addition, ‘What to Do in Case of A Reaction’ is immediately accessible, rather than a phone call away. Her prototypes were met with such positive responses from childcare providers, physicians, and other parents that she recognized a way to help other families who face the same challenges.
Also available is a Safewear Kit that in addition to a shirt or a dress, includes food allergy accessories that assist parents in providing consistent communication to their child’s caregivers. Included in the Safewear Kit is a pouch for carrying medications, a detailed Emergency Action Plan, a Consent to Treat form, a door hanger, a poster, and a fabric pen.
Before deciding to spend more time to her children, Ria was the Creative Director for a marketing communications firm in St. Louis where she was responsible for multi-million dollar branding assignments. “I feel like my training and experience in design prepared me for this task. There are millions of young children in the U.S. suffer from food allergies. Until there is a cure, I am in a position to make a difference with products that educate and raise awareness. This alert product creates safer environments for all young children at risk.”
Check My Tag clothes and kits are available online at www.checkmytag.com or by calling toll free (888) 636-6405. Clothes retail for $25-$27. Safewear Kits retail for $35-$37. Check My Tag donates a portion of the proceeds to food allergy awareness and research organizations.
Posted by David at 12:26 PM
January 6, 2006
Allergy-Free Recipes Cookbook Available
Penny Webster's Allergy-Free Recipes Help Millions at Risk Avoid Serious Food Threats
Edited by Beverly West
ROCKVILLE, MD (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) -- Penny Webster, author of "Allergy Free For All Ages: Milk-free, Egg-free, Nut-free Recipes" offering safe food alternatives for severely allergic kids and adults that are delicious enough to satisfy the whole family, today announced that millions of individuals are now living on restrictive diets due to food allergies or intolerance.
"For many people, simply consuming food is a risk. Not everyone has the luxury of being able to attend a birthday party, or go to a restaurant without the threat of dangerous foods lurking around the corner," said Penny Webster, author, allergy-free chef, and the mother of a severely allergic son. "These social gatherings can be very stressful for those with food allergies because one bite of the wrong food could result in an anaphylactic reaction."
Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that can result in death. Those with peanut and tree nut allergies are particularly at risk. These allergies can be so severe that even the smell of these nuts can result in an allergic reaction. Strict avoidance of these threatening foods is imperative, which can make it difficult to keep menus interesting for the whole family.
"It is possible to live a normal, healthy, productive, life, even with food allergies," said Webster. "It requires extra time reading ingredient labels to ensure product safety, but locating safe and delicious foods that will satisfy the whole family is possible."
Instead of concentrating on a severe food allergy diagnosis and the possible threat that this represents, Penny Webster has chosen to focus on helping others who have allergies similar to her son's. In her cookbook "Allergy Free For All Ages" Webster points out that it can be difficult at first to find safe foods for multiple food allergy sufferers, but her new cookbook is designed to make it easy to find and prepare tasty meals that everyone can enjoy whether they are allergic or not.
"When my son Christian was just a few months old, I had a business selling my homemade pecan pies at a local food market," Webster explained.
"My pecan pies were very popular, but when I found out that my son had nut allergies I had to quit making pecan pies altogether because I couldn't have the ingredients in the house as I would endanger my son's health. So from the very first, my journey with allergy-free cooking has been a search for safe ingredients that were as delicious and exciting as my famous pecan pie. All of the recipes in 'Allergy free for All Ages' are satisfying enough for non-allergic family members yet completely safe even for these who, like my son Christian, have multiple and severe food allergies."
Praise for "Allergy Free for All Ages: Milk-free, Egg-free, Nut-free Recipes"
"Great for those struggling to find safe, yet fun meals and snacks that everyone in the family will enjoy." - Jay Berger of Allergygrocer.com
"These recipes are fantastic! They range from gourmet to kid-friendly. Finally, a resource that will help thousands of children, and their families who suffer from food allergies. " - Allergist Dr. Vincent J. Vaghi
The "Allergy Free for All Ages Cookbook" ($17.95 ISBN 1413798527) includes recipes for such safe taste treats as: Deep Dish Chicken Pot Pie, Flank Steak Fajita Feast, No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies, and even Chocolate Cake. The book also includes helpful hints from The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network and coupons for recommended food allergy grocery stores. The book is available on the publisher's site at www.PublishAmerica.com, or on Amazon.com.
"Writing this cookbook has been such a rewarding experience for me," said Webster. "It brings me joy knowing that this book is making a difference for so many families at the dinner table."
For more information on managing food allergies visit the author's website.
Posted by David at 8:56 AM
December 2, 2005
Child Food Allergy Buddy Card
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- With the recent death of a 15 year-old Canadian teenager who died as a result of her food allergy, Phil Lempert, known by both consumers and the food industry as the "Supermarket Guru"(R) and an expert analyst on consumer, marketing and food safety trends, is calling for action.
Today Lempert calls on parents and children to openly discuss their food allergies and realize there's no shame in their affliction. "People are often embarrassed by their food allergies and therefore don't tell their friends or colleagues," said Lempert. "They don't want to be perceived as different or as 'high maintenance,' but this shame can lead to tragic results."
The Canadian teen, who was allergic to peanuts, died after kissing her boyfriend who 9 hours earlier had eaten a peanut butter sandwich. Initial reports indicate that he was not aware of her allergy.
Lempert adds, "Teens have the extreme pressure to fit-in with their peers, but they need to understand it's not worth dying for. If they tell their friends, they can help in protecting them from harmful foods. Parents need to encourage their children to be open about their allergies."
Recognizing the need to for those afflicted to better manage their allergies, last year, Lempert launched the Food Allergy Buddy (FAB) Dining Card, a free and personalized ingredient card that restaurant patrons present to waiters and chefs detailing and easily communicating their food allergies. Subsequently, chefs alter their recipes accordingly to ensure patron food safety.
There's no cost for the service or the business-sized cards, which are available in adult and children's designs. FAB users don't have any confidentiality concerns as the information entered into the FAB system is not collected. More than 100,000 consumers use the service. Consumers can visit www.foodallergybuddy.com to learn more.
More than 1.5 million Americans are allergic to peanuts and according to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network it's estimated that as many as 200 people die each year from food allergy-related reactions.
SOURCE SupermarketGuru.com
Posted by David at 8:12 AM
November 1, 2005
Traveling with Child Food Allergies
Just saw a good article on staying safe while traveling with child food allergies.
There is a book written by Marlene M. Coleman, MD addressing safe travel specifically. Titled "Safe and Sound - Healthy Travel With Children" Dr. Coleman gives prudent advice on not taking chances while on the road. She is a Board Certified Pediatrician with a subspecialty in travel medicine. She also teaches Family Medicine at the University of Southern California Medical school and lectures on healthy travel with children.
The article lists many available resources, such as:
"Traveling with a Food Allergy: Foreign Sources of Information" that lists contacts and organizations in foreign countries and translations for common allergy words at www.foodallergy.org.
The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology offers online referrals for both U.S. and international physicians at www.aaaai.org.
Select Wisely sells food translation cards “for travelers with food allergies, sensitivities or dietary restrictions.” The laminated, wallet size cards are available at www.selectwisely.com.
Posted by David at 10:02 AM