Food Allergies: Back to School Reminders, Chicago-area FARE Walk

From the desk of Shelly Flais, MD:Shelly Flais, MDFood allergies are on the rise; if your family is not affected by a food allergy, it is likely that your kids have a friend or classmate who is. Food allergy is a serious medical condition affecting up to 15 million people in the United States, including 1 in 13 children- roughly two in every classroom. The most common food allergies for kids are milk, egg, peanut, tree nut, wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish. A friendly reminder as our kids return to school this month: if your child has a food allergy, make sure your home and school both have a current autoinjectable epinephrine device (examples include EpiPen and AuviQ) on hand in case of emergency, and that all caregivers are properly trained in its use. Your school should have a current Food Allergy Action Plan form on file for your child. Double check that your autoinjectable epinephrine device has not yet expired; yearly updated prescriptions are required. If your family needs new school forms or an updated prescription, please call our office. The mission of Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) is to ensure the safety and inclusion of individuals with food allergies while seeking a cure. FARE works on both local and national levels to educate families, increase awareness of food allergies as a serious public health issue, advocate at all levels of government, and invest in research investigating causes and new potential treatments. The FARE Walk for Fo...
Source: Pediatric Health Associates - Category: Pediatrics Tags: Food Allergies Source Type: news