I was reading from the thread about the camp blogger that Gina posted on Main Board and someone else posted on the Media Board.
The writer cited this site as her validation that less kids are allergic to peanuts than really are. I went to the site and found the facts and statements to be very contradicting and really inaccurate. What do you all think???
[url="http://keepkidshealthy.com/welcome/commonproblems/food_allergies.html"]http://keepkidshealthy.com/welcome/commonproblems/food_allergies.html[/url]
(I have selected text from this site that I find to be irresponsible...you can use the link to read the full page.
"True food allergies are not as common as most people believe and only affect about 2% of children, although they are more common in younger children (affecting about 5-8% of younger children). And fortunately, most younger children will outgrow these food allergies by the time they are three years old."
"Symptoms of a food allergy can include wheezing and difficulty breathing, itchy skin rashes, including hives, vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain and swelling around his mouth and in his throat. These symptoms usually develop fairly quickly after your child ingests the food he is allergic to, often within minutes to hours. Nasal symptoms by themselves, such as congestion or a runny nose, are usually not caused by food allergies."
"Symptoms may be mild or very severe, depending on how much of the food your child ingested and how allergic he is to the food. A severe reaction can include anaphylaxis, with difficulty breathing, swelling in the mouth and throat, decreased blood pressure, shock and even death."
While children often outgrow their food allergies, if your child had a severe reaction to a food, then you should talk with your Pediatrician or allergist before reintroducing the food.
Talk with and educate other family members and caregivers about your child's food allergies. Most people do not understand how serious food allergies can be, and may think it is all right to give just a small amount of a food that your child is allergic to.
Educate your child about his allergy, so that he can learn to avoid foods that he is allergic to. "
"If your child does not improve with these interventions or if he has had a severe allergic reaction, then you should consider having him see an allergy specialist for testing to figure out what foods he is allergic to and to possibly start allergy injections."
My irritation is that whoever wrote the information on the website makes it seem like they are serious, but then says things like most outgrow by age three. The symptoms also seemed to minimize certain symptoms like running nose, etc. There are no allergy injections available for food allergies that I am aware of.
Does this site rub anyone else the wrong way???
Misinformation always rubs me wrong!!!! My life is hard enough without 'experts' chiming in. I am not worried about people who have made up their mind (like the threads mentioned). I am worried about people who are searching for allergy answers and may come to those people before true professionals.
I am also wondering how 'dated' their informaiton is--about 10 years ago this would have been cutting edge.
[This message has been edited by Peanut Militia (edited July 24, 2007).]