Schools takes steps to protect children with food allergies
As the National School
Boards Association announces publication of a policy guide to
help schools protect students with life-threatening food allergies,
some Southern Illinois school districts say they have been
addressing the issue of allergies for years.
Signs on the schoolhouse doors may boldly proclaim the building
as a “nut free zone” to warn those who might bring a peanut-butter
sandwich or candy bar to school and inadvertently trigger a serious
allergic reaction in a classmate.
Classroom birthday parties may prohibit homemade cupcakes,
cookies or other treats, because they don’t bear a label listing
their ingredients.
Unity Point School District 140 south of Carbondale has been
proactive in working to protect kids with allergies, Principal
April Haar said.
“We have signs up saying we’re a nut-free environment,” she
said. “We have a strict food policy regarding birthday parties and
other occasions. Treats must be store-bought with the label still
attached to the package and all ingredients listed.”
The school also has a special “allergy-free” table in the
cafeteria for kids who must avoid certain foods, Haar said. They
and their friends can opt to eat there if the day’s menu contains
something they must avoid.
“It has been estimated that one in every 25 school-aged children
has a food allergy, with the rates of reported food allergies
increasing 18 percent in the 10-year period from 1997 to 2007,”
Anne L. Bryant, NSBA executive director, said. “Studies show that
approximately 16 to 18 percent of children with food allergies have
had a mild to life-threatening reaction at school.”
Roger Pfister has been a school board member and officer in both
De Soto and Carbondale, and currently heads the Carbondale
Elementary School District 95 board.
“I think we’re a little ahead of the curve” in dealing with
allergies, Pfister said. A longtime pharmacist, he said food
allergies are becoming a problem for restaurants as well as
schools.
The District 95 head cook, Mary Crawshaw, has worked with SIU
Carbondale to develop procedures for lunchrooms, he said.
At Unity Point, the school registration packet for parents asks
them to list all of the child’s allergies, so staff can be aware up
front of things to be avoided, Haar said.
The school has switched from serving peanut butter to soy
butter; children with milk allergies are served soy milk or water.
Those are among the more common food allergies, but others present
more of a challenge.
“We have one child who is allergic to squash, cucumbers, onions
and several other seeded vegetables,” Haar said.
For children with unusual or severe allergies, the school
develops an action plan to avoid triggering allergies and to be
prepared for severe reactions. School staff members are trained to
detect reactions, and to administer ephedrine to combat
symptoms.
Because Unity Point district includes many SIUC international
students and faculty members, it also provides substitutes for
those whose religion prohibits them from eating pork or other
foods. The district also works with those who are on gluten-free or
vegetarian diets by choice.
“Some parents also try to change a child’s diet before starting
medications for ADHD,” Haar said. “One mother said she noticed
simply avoiding red food coloring had improved her son’s
behavior.”
“We’re pretty accommodating to dietary preferences,” she
said.
The NSBA policy guide was developed with funding from the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and emphasized the role
of schools in protecting students with life-threatening food
allergies.
Food Allergies with Bill & Sheila
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