Peanuts no small danger

Columbus Dispatch ^ | 02 November 2003 | Tiffany Y . Latta

[DumpsterDiver]

You see all these commercials for anti-germ cleaning sprays and the like -- it is a wonder we of the revious genration survived.

IF I live to a ripe old age, I'm going to attribute it to drinking sewer water (Los Angeles tap water), smoking, and never washing my hands before preparing food. That oughta gross 'em out! :-)

[freedumb2003]

My twin daughters almost died of a common cold virus (RSV) when they were 6 weeks old.

That's pretty young -- before they have really started seriously developing their autoimmiune system -- it probably weakened them and now you do have a legitimiate need to keep them in a clean environment

But most kids don't have that requirement. And if people keep over-cleaning the bugs will just get stronger -- just like the antiboiotic-resistant strains now being found. This problem is bigger than the individuals -- all people will be adversly affected by the mutant anti-germicidal bugs,.

[wsack]

The problem with M&M's is that there is always the possibility that a peanut M&M can get in the bag with plain M&M's. They are manufactured in the same plant so there is nothing preventing this from happening by chance. Yes this is a small chance, but just think of the number of M&M's manufactured in any one day. Even a small probability becomes a certainty when you package millions of these. Eating one misplaced M&M can kill a person, believe it or not.

I admit I previously had the same attitude about food allergies. But my 4 year old daughter has been diagnosed with a severe peanut allergy and now I must carry an Epi-Pen and carefully watch what I and other people may give her.

[wsack]

"It almost borders on Munchausen-by-proxy."

"I guess doing all of that really makes mom feel like she's needed...
That's it! You hit the nail on the head."

Once again I admit that I once had a similar opinion, but you'll never realize how ignorant your comments are until you have a child in a similar situation.

[mathluv]

I saw a lady have a reaction to peanuts. She knew she was allergic and avoided contact with anything peanut related. We were at a seminar. Her lip was swollen out about 1/2 inch. She had watched what she ate - not much. She thought that she must have touched something that had touched nuts, then touched her lip with her hand.

On the other hand, my grandson tested as allergic to peanuts (and the rest of the world), but has no problems. He has eaten peanut butter sandwiches every school day for over 7 years with no problem. The allergist said as long as he showed no problems, let him continue as he had been. The reason for the testing was his little brother - only allergic to dust mites, but had many problems from that.

[Iris7]

There is no prevention. Treatment is only for the allergic reaction. Pure adrenalin injections are carried 24/7 ready for instant injection into the vein or even directly into the heart.

Take one peanut in the hand and then eat a clean sandwich without scrubbing the hands first is enough. A peanut butter sandwich fifty feet upwind and they can break out in hives. A peanut anaphylactic allergy is death.

Rough for the parent although the kids aren't all that bothered, not being old enough. The reason we see so much of an increase these days is that in the old days the children would die from it very young, and children dying was routine, expectable. A hundred years ago a fourth of American children died by age twelve, as I recall.

I have children. This thing is as tough as leukemia to face. Maybe worse.

[Iris7]

They don't make it that far.

[Junior]

I never denied the existence of the allergy, I merely questioned its prevalence. Of course, neither of you actually took the time to understand what was being said. You simply jumped to erroneous conclusions.

When I was growing up, we never heard of anyone with these allergies. Now they are everywhere. Of course, humans can become allergic to just about anything (I did no someone allergic to food dyes, for instance). It just appears that peanuts are the allergy du jour and lots of parents appear to be jumping on the bandwagon. What would be wrong with getting a doctor's note explaining the child has the allergy? If that happened, would the number of children claiming these allergies decline?

[toddst]

I know a child with a VERY severe life threatening peanut allergy. His parents would give anything to live a normal life.

Exactly and there are many more parents faced with the same threat to their children's lives.

Apparently some posters would rather be funny(?) than learn about what does impact real people. Pathetic.

[Iris7]

"Unfit" is an opinion, as you can agree, having stated yours.

Perhaps we can avoid Hillary having the power to decide who is "unfit", else perhaps you would meet your end even more quickly than I.

Remember the Nazis, who were a Leftist cult, started their killing spree with the "unfit".

[F.J. Mitchell]

Bump!

[F.J. Mitchell]

Nice hat. Tinfoil becomes you.

[netmilsmom]

Did you breast feed?

I have less of a problem with people washing hands around my kids because I saw the opposite problem with my friends who disinfect everything, their kids built up no natural immunity then go to Gymboree and end up in a hospital.

I do however have a problem with parents of "Caillou"s who think that the world rises and sets on their little booties. Who cares if the kid is snotting onto his chest, it's no reason to miss a get together with other children (and of course the adults who actually watch their kids and correct them). Normally, I don't even hear, "It's just a little sniffle." because they medicate them before we see them. Just about the time the meds make the darlings as hyper as a gerbil in a blender, mom plops down with a glass of wine while dad is back on the computer with the Michigan State game on near it. Guess who watches them? ME! Their house or mine.

Then for the next week I have my 1st grader snotting away the classroom and my preschooler unable to sleep for the stuffy nose and sucking boogies. Oh yeah! I love those parents (yes BIL & SIL) I am talking to you!

[Chancellor Palpatine]

There is NO way that the trace amounts of peanuts from a vat surface, having been mixed and diluted in another vat full of chocolate could be enough to cause a reaction. You could coat the surface of the vat with strichnine or arsenic and not have enough molecules per volume to harm anyone.

So I take it that you work in a scientific endeavor that studies allergens, or are you just talking out of your ass?

[netmilsmom]

Please see post #29. There is a shot to prevent this.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

There are shots that may help, based on the body chemistry of the patient. Even then, they can't go out and have a PBJ sandwich - it just makes it less dangerous to be exposed.

[netmilsmom]

>> hundred years ago a fourth of American children died by age twelve, as I recall.<<

But we are not talking 100 years ago, we are talking 30 when I was in school. I went to a Catholic school, my hubby went to public as did my best friend, my cousins and my hubby's siblings. That is two different states. Not one had a peanut allergy in their school. What is causing it now?

[P.O.E.]

My 3-year-old nephew has this allergy - VERY severely. We have the epi-pen for attacks, but so far the docs say there's no treatment. He inherited it from his Dad.

We never heard of a lot of things when we were young - medicine and widespread news coverage wasn't as developed back then.

If anyone here wants to say he should just go ahead and die from it, give me your address and I'll let you know what I think about you.

[netmilsmom]

http://www.cnn.com/2003/HEALTH/conditions/03/10/peanut.allergy.ap/

Check this out...