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- Food Allergy Action Plan
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- Avoiding an Allergic Reaction
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- How a Child Might Describe a Reaction
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Approximately 6 million children in the U.S. under the age of 18 has a food allergy. Studies have indicated that 16-18% of school-age children who have food allergies have had a reaction in school. In an estimated 25% of the cases, the reaction occurs before the student has been diagnosed with food allergy1. Schools should develop policies to handle medical emergencies, and should take preventative measures to avoid a student’s exposure to a known food allergen. Physicians, families, and school staff should work together to formulate reasonable and practical plans that will keep students with food allergies safe. This section of FAAN's website contains resources to help manage food allergies in the school setting. You may also find the following resources of interest:
- How to C.A.R.E.™ for Students with Food Allergies: What Educators Should Know: This FREE online interactive course teaches educators how to prepare for food allergy and anaphylaxis. It is specifically great for school personnel – administrators, nurses, teachers, and other staff – in the United States
- Binky Goes Nuts: Understanding Peanut Allergies: The popular animated PBS children’s series Arthur explores food alleriges in an episode titled "Binky Goes Nuts." The DVD and educational activity unit can be used by teachers and parents to teach kids about food allergy, and teach them how to help make their schools a safer place.
- Online Food Allergy Toolkit for School Nurses: The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) has been working on a joint grant from the Centers for Disease Control with FAAN and the National School Boards Association to develop resources for food allergy and anaphylaxis management in the school setting. The NASN Online Food Allergy Tool Kit is now available online at www.nasn.org/ToolsResources/FoodAllergyandAnaphylaxis. This tool kit includes algorithms to enhance the school nurse’s approach to planning and care, checklists, forms, and resources. Guidance documents will soon be added.
A report in the New England Journal of Medicine titled “Fatal and Near-Fatal Anaphylactic Reactions to Food in Children and Adolescents” indicated that four of the six deaths from food allergy occurred in school, and were associated with significant delays in treating the reactions with epinephrine.
Several other studies that have looked at food allergy and anaphylaxis management in schools and childcare settings have found inadequate food allergy management plans and inadequate recognition of allergic symptoms and treatment with epinephrine.
1. Adminstration of Epinephrine for Life-Threatening Allergic Reactions in School Settings. CL Mcintyre, AH Sheetz, CR Carroll, MC Young. Pediatrics. Vol. 116, No. 5. Nov. 2005
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