I was eagerly reading a story in the Allergy Moms newsletter (www.allergymoms.com) about a study at Children’s Hospital Boston where kids are given shots of the drug Xolair to help eliminate a milk allergy.  The theory is that if you can turn off the allergic reaction to the food, then expose the child to the food, the body will gradually get used to having this food in it’s system, and at some point, you will no longer need the medication to turn off the response.

As an Allergy Mom, I am thrilled to see that research is being done to try and eliminate food allergies, which have become so common and can alienate kids in so many ways. You can read the hospital’s blog and watch video interviews here http://childrenshospitalblog.org/a-cure-for-milk-allergies/. 

Reading about Xolair, though, it seems that this medication has some associated risks, including possible cancer. http://www.xolair.com/important_safety_information.html So I started to wonder: If there was a cure for food allergies, but the cure brought with it a risk of something worse down the road, what would I do? I believe I would skip the drug and just try to keep avoiding the allergens, but there may be other reasons to reconsider that I don’t know at this time.

What about you? What would you do in this situation?

I recently discovered a great website/eNewsletter for moms of allergic kids. It’s called, naturally, www.allergymoms.com.

There is one article in particular that touched me. It’s called “What your allergic child wishes you knew,” and it focuses on how the child feels about being doted on and constantly hearing words like “life-threatening” when referring to him. The main point is that allergic kids just want to fit in and not be singled out from their friends every time there is food around.

This was particularly clear to me at a recent birthday party when my son wanted (and told everyone at the top of his voice) one of the birthday party cupcakes instead of the one that I had brought for him. Before this, he had always taken the “special” cupcakes just fine. Now, he wants to joint he group, and that’s a scary thing for Mom and Dad. Looks like we’ve got some adapting to do.

I hope you find the site helpful, as I did. And if you have any tips for me regarding birthday and holiday parties, I would love to hear from you!

If you are one of the growing number of parents of kids with food allergies, welcome to the club (that no one wants to join).

My son is highly allergc to eggs, peanuts and tree nugs. We found out the hard way when he was only one year old: we gave him a small bite of egg white and called 9-1-1 shortly after.  Seriously.  Then we had to find a way to live and work around these seeming limitations.  He is now a healthy three-year-old, and we have not had to deal with a severe reaction since the first one. Just a few skin contact reactions, but no Epi-Pens have been used!

A few resources for my fellow worried parents are below. These are products/sites that I use personally and like very much. I will also post allergy-free recipes and food ideas at other times. I love to pass on helpful information when I have it!

Ener-G Egg Replacer – Mimics what eggs do in recipes, but it’s made of potato starch. We can’t tell the difference in any baked goods made with this in place of eggs, including cookies, pancakes and cakes. www.ener-g.com

Mabels Labels – Personalized labels that list your child’s allergies in a cute, kid-friendly design. They will stick on through wash and wear. www.mabelslabels.com

www.kidswithfoodalergies.com – A thorough website that gives recipes, news, and lifestyle tips on living with food allergies.