Mums of children with severe allergies | ExpatWoman.com
 

Mums of children with severe allergies

1247
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 22 December 2011 - 08:46

There was a thread a while back RE birthday cakes in school, I don't want to bump it because it was -as the mother of a gluten free child- a pretty upsetting thread. Anyway, I just found this article, it explains a nut allergy beautifully and I am saving the link in my favourites for future use. I am sure other mums of food intolerant / allergic children, and also all those who think "its only cake" ;) would love to read it. Not trying to start a discussion, just hope this can help someone understand somewhere.

http://multiplefoodallergyhelp.com/2011/05/10/open-letter-about-our-scho...

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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 29 September 2016 - 19:55
Can you please suggest a place to buy a ready made nut free, gluten free cake? You can try contacting Skinny genie and inform them of the allergies and they should be able to bake a gluten free and nut free cake. They have a 100% gluten free facility and they deliver as well. Just make sure you inform them of the nut allergy as well - from what I know, they are not a nut free facility. http://www.skinny-genie.com/
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 27 September 2016 - 21:14
Can you please suggest a place to buy a ready made nut free, gluten free cake?
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 04 January 2012 - 11:36
just a bump for the EW'ers that were away for the Winter break :)
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 22 December 2011 - 15:28
Nscm7859 i'm an adult with a nut allergy, and there are a few options to eat out. I find Jumeirah Owned Resturants to be very good. They label the menu's, and like other posters have said, I order through the manager. The staff there seem to be very understanding. I've also had good experiences at NoBu, MJs, Trader Vics and Hunters. Another good one is Bateaux Dubai, they have been great in the past. Just call them before to let me know. Brunches are a big no no. Can never get anything nut free.
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 22 December 2011 - 15:20
We have friends coming to stay in the New Year, one with a severe nut allergy. Does anyone have any advice on safe places to take them when we eat out, as this is a new experience for us. Thank you. My advice here is to always always always order through a manager, dont risk it with a waiter, so many of then will just say "yes maaam" without really having a clue what you have just asked. I have been told all sorts, including " no maaam, you have to pay for all food" when asking for gluten free options. You can also never really trust that a waiter will relay any information to all chefs etc, so better to walk in, ask for a manager before being seated and explain the situation. If you dont feel they get you, then eat elsewhere. Better yet, phone ahead, most 5 star hotels should be able to deal with this :)
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EW GURU
Latest post on 22 December 2011 - 15:19
We have friends coming to stay in the New Year, one with a severe nut allergy. Does anyone have any advice on safe places to take them when we eat out, as this is a new experience for us. Thank you. Hi Nscm7859, I also have a severe nut allergy. My top tip would be to avoid Asian/Chinese style meals, and also buffet meals. Very few places label buffets correctly, and you cannot always rely on the staff to know what is in the dishes they are serving, or even understand the issues. I am an Indian curry fan myself, but I only go to restaurants where I know they speak English to a standard that they will understand the importance. I can give you some restaurant names if that helps. Italian food is always a good, safe bet (as long as you avoid pesto which quite often contains walnuts out here!) and seafood restaurants are safe too. BTW, don't worry unduly when you are doing your shopping about the "may contain traces of nuts" - usually its just manufacturers covering themselves. However, out here, check grocery labels very carefully. I've seen "may contain traces of nuts" warnings on products which actually have peanuts as a main ingredient!! ETA - avoid Arabic pastries, sweets and puddings - they use excessive amounts of nuts! Also, just for reassurance, unfortunately I have had anaphlyaxis out here and required treatment in hospital, and when this happened I was taken to Medcare Hospital who were brilliant and understood the problem and acted quickly. So if the worst comes to the worst (very unlikely) go there. <em>edited by shamat on 22/12/2011</em>
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 22 December 2011 - 13:12
In Dubai....hmm No! Had a cousin get very ill although they were assured no nuts - cross contamination is always a possibility unless the restaurant itself is nut free. Often you take your own for the person with the allergy. DD does get away with carefully selected foods. Most 5 stars have obliged us to prepare a meal from scratch ensuring no allergens and the cooking vessel thoroughly washed.
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 22 December 2011 - 12:05
It's the nurse who sends out letters in our school. It might have more impact if it came from an authority figure at school rather than yourself - some other parents just see us as paranoid. I know what you are saying -the school did it for us, but I was not happy with the contents and insisted they include the words may cause death - I can't remember now if they actually changed it. Maybe i'll get my doc to word a letter and have the school send it out. Thanks for the suggestion.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 22 December 2011 - 11:58
It's the nurse who sends out letters in our school. It might have more impact if it came from an authority figure at school rather than yourself - some other parents just see us as paranoid.
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 22 December 2011 - 11:53
Thank you for the link.... I still hope DD will someday be desensitised enough that her reaction will be manageable, even though I know that usually nut allergies only get worse with age. Btw - DD also has had foods that say 'made in a factory where nuts are processed' or 'May contain..' so far all good. Once school restarts after Christmas, I will send a reminder letter to parents of all classmates.
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 22 December 2011 - 11:32
Our school is very good about reinforcing the "no nuts" policy. They are always sending out reminders. In addition there's a picture in the staff room of every child in the school who has allergies so all staff know about these children. Despite that parents have sent in nutella sandwiches for party food to be shared. Honestly, some parents don't think and consider nutella more of a chocolate spread than one with nuts - even though the name is a bit of a giveaway. My dd is allergic to heaps of things but we are lucky in that she can be beside someone eating peanut butter and it does not affect her. I know some people react even in the presence of peanuts and I read about a child who was allergic to chickpeas and had a reaction when they were being cooked. I don't know the answer to whether it's safe for allergy suffers to eat food that "may contain nuts" or that's packed in a factory where nuts are processed. To be absolutely safe it would be better to avoid such food but the label appears so commonly (probably manufacturers seeking to avoid any liability claims) that it's hard to avoid. In my dd's case, she has eaten food so labelled but I was really hesitant the first few times she tried it. Touch wood, she seems ok. For others though, like people who can't tolerate being in the presence of an allergen, it would be better to completely avoid these foods. One thing which I think makes people weary and less careful of allergies is the tendancy now for so many people to claim they are allergic. Often these people have not been clinically tested. These people downplay the seriousness of allergies for those truly allergic.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 22 December 2011 - 10:38
Question Is cadburys chocolate spread OK in schools? Does say on jar "may contain nuts" so not sure if acceptable. Was given the task of providing non meat party sandwiches for school recently and thought about doing chocolate and banana ones but in the end thought better not. Sure there must be nuts hidden in tons of things I would never think of.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 22 December 2011 - 10:19
Hi Purple, being an auntie to a very severely allergic girl (nuts, esp walnuts and beef!) I know how hard it is to live with such a life-threatening allergy. She is now 11 yrs old, which makes it a little bit easier as she herself is very much aware of what she can and cannot touch or eat. Unfortunately, the allergies develop and she has more food products that she can't have anymore. Even though our school is supposed to be nut-free, many people ignore that and give their children a sandwich with Nutella to school. When speaking to another parent about this, I explained that you don't even have to SEE the Nutella for it to be lethal! In all fairness, this mum never, ever realised it could kill a child! but I really had to put it to her very, very bluntly! I think schools have to explain their no-nut policy, why they have this policy...to protect children's lives. Unfortunately, many parents are absolutely not aware of the dangers. My 8 yr old DD will actually tell the teacher that a child is eating sth containing nuts....she will refuse to eat anything that might be dangerous to her cousin when we're back home where her cousin lives. Makes me really proud of her that she is so aware and explaining it to her friends in school. I also have a friend whose son died of an anaphylactic reaction....she has now made it her life-task to develop recipes for people with severe allergies...she even has a cookbook published in the Netherlands with recipes catering for people with severe allergies. Unfortunately, it is not available in English...
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EW GURU
Latest post on 22 December 2011 - 09:27
Thanks Purple Very informative article that puts it in everyday language.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 22 December 2011 - 09:20
Very Informative. Recently DD was on a school trip, and as they were approaching Dibba (far enough away from hospitals etc) some of the kids on the bus decided to eat their lunch of nutella and p/b sandwiches. Even though we had been reminded not to pack those items. The kids do not care and we know why. Because the parents don't care, and we know why. Because the schools themselves are not educated enough to care and do not push the information. It is all up to the parents to do the hard work. A good result would be that all schools should be nut free zones around the world, just as they are alcohol free.
 
 

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