Peanut allergies

[TxAg]

I was a waiter in college at a restaurant where a teenager was eating with his family while on vacation. He alerted the waitress to his peanut allergy and ordered something fried. The fry oil was not peanut oil but it was used to fry almond battered shrimp. He reacted to his meal and even with the use of an epi pen, he did not make it. I think the almonds on the shrimp may have been cross contaminated with peanuts and that protein leached into the oil. Very bad deal.

I worked in another restaurant where a patron had a milk allergy. He told the waiter at the beginning but by desert the waiter had forgotten and allowed the guy to eat a dessert made with milk. That person was saved by his epi pen.

From an ex-waiter standpoint, if my child had a severe allergy, I would be very cautious and carefully consider not only what he ordered but what else is on the menu. I would also remind the waiter throughout the meal and verify the dish was made with the allergy in mind.

That's scary. Refined peanut oil is safe. But the nut remnants floating around in it are bad news.

[RR 314]

Our pediatrician had us start exposing our kids to peanuts/nuts at four months or so as studies reveal this exposure greatly reduces later allergies. As mentioned above, peanut allergies are largely a 1st world problem as our kids are too clean and immune systems are effectively cruising along and seem to seek something--anything--to combat. My kids do have seasonal allergies and tested severely allergic to cockroaches. I guess we should have had them roll around in cedar and cockroaches when they were 4 months as well. :-)

[TxAg]

Our pediatrician had us start exposing our kids to peanuts/nuts at four months or so as studies reveal this exposure greatly reduces later allergies. As mentioned above, peanut allergies are largely a 1st world problem as our kids are too clean and immune systems are effectively cruising along and seem to seek something--anything--to combat. My kids do have seasonal allergies and tested severely allergic to cockroaches. I guess we should have had them roll around in cedar and cockroaches when they were 4 months as well. :-)

That worked for our first but not our second.