Discovering that your child has severe food allergies can be both frightening and overwhelming.
Ahead of Allergy Awareness Week (April 22-28), we spoke with Lancashire mum Kirsty Henshaw, 39, who knows this anxiety all too well.
She first learned that her son Jacob, now 19, had a severe nut allergy, as well as intolerances to gluten and dairy, when he went into anaphylaxis at just six months old.
This terrifying incident initially sent her into panic mode, but over time, she developed her own strategies to make the situation more manageable and even launched her own healthy allergen-free ready meal brand, Kirsty’s.
From checking the shelf life of EpiPens to being extra cautious with labels abroad, here are eight valuable lessons she has learned along the way…
1. Not all children grow out of allergies
Lots of children outgrow their allergies to milk or eggs, but some allergies can be lifelong, according to the NHS website.
“There is a lot of noise around children growing out of allergies, this is sadly not always the case,” says Henshaw. “They can also worsen with age. My son’s dairy allergy gradually demised, but his nut allergy has got worse and his reactions to traces have intensified throughout his teens.”
2. Check the use-by date of EpiPens
“Always make sure you have at least one EpiPen,” advises Henshaw. “Keep an eye on the discolouration and the use-by dates to ensure you always have an effective pair of pens with you.”
3. Research a restaurant’s menu for allergen information before you book
“Larger chains often have the best allergen-safe menus and capabilities to ensure safety,” says Henshaw. “Pizza Express is a great example of a chain that has an in-depth menu highlighting all its allergens and ‘may contain’ ingredients across every item on the menu.”
4. Alert the airline about your child’s allergy
“Check before you fly and always alert the airline,” advises Henshaw. “There have been too many very sad examples of allergic reactions suffered on aeroplanes.
“However, it’s reassuring to know that some airlines, such as British Airways, do not allow nuts in any of their in-flight meals and they are working hard to cater for all allergens in the near future. Many of the other airlines have, or will be, following suit.”
5. Take extra care with labels abroad
“When travelling abroad, take extra care with labels as the labelling regulations are not always as strict as they are in the UK,” says Henshaw. “By law, food must state allergens in bold or underlined on packaging here, but unfortunately the same rules do not apply worldwide.
“Be extra vigilant, triple check ingredients and use Google Translate in restaurants to ensure the waiter/waitress has fully understood your dietary requirements.”
6. Be aware of secondary allergic reactions
“Secondary allergic reactions exist and can be worse than the initial acute reaction,” highlights Henshaw. “A second anaphylactic reaction, known as a biphasic reaction, can occur as long as 12-24 hours after the initial reaction.
“Unfortunately, reaction severity is unpredictable and therefore it’s so important you or your child are not left alone following an initial reaction.”
7. Don’t disregard ‘may contain’ labels
“‘May contain’ really does mean ‘may contain’,” stresses Henshaw. “Whilst manufacturers will go to great lengths to ensure cross contamination risk is minimal, it still does occur, and it is virtually impossible to avoid sometimes.
“Often a manufacturing line will produce 20 different products, the lines will always be cleaned down, but some allergens are airborne, meaning all the cleaning down of equipment in the world will not eliminate some traces of allergens.”
8. Seek support
“Upon discovering your child has an allergy, it can feel extremely overwhelming and isolating,” recognises Henshaw. “But, there are support groups, social media pages, food shows, delicious free-from foods and an array of cookery books out there, so do seek support from others.”
