Food Allergies Mean Back to School Jitters for Students &Parents!

The incidence of food allergy has skyrocketed, doubling in the last 10 years. In fact, 2.2 million school-age children and more than 12 million Americans ” one in 25 ” suffer from food allergy. It is the leading cause of anaphylaxis outside the hospital setting in the U.S. and results in 150-200 deaths and more than 30,000 emergency room visits each year. It is for these reasons that back-to-school can be an especially anxious time for some children and their parents. There is no known cure for food allergy; strict avoidance is the only way to prevent a reaction. But avoidance can be hard in schools, where food allergens are everywhere: in the cafeteria, on the playground, in the classroom. Not just in meals and snacks, but in art projects, craft activities, even math lessons. Yet there is no uniform food-allergy policy to guide our nation’s schools some of which are well-prepared to deal with food allergy, while others aren’t. That may change as a result of legislation recently introduced in Congress. The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act (HR.2063/S.1232) would, if passed, call on the federal government to establish voluntary national guidelines for managing students with food allergies. For more information, please visit http://www.foodallergy.org More about Anne Munoz- Furlong: Anne Munoz-Furlong is CEO and founder of The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization with over 30,000 members. Her interest in food allergies began with the birth of her second child, who was allergic to eggs and milk. The lack of practical, scientifically accurate information about food allergies made her determined to create a clearinghouse for such information. FAAN has become the national and international leader in raising public awareness about food allergy and anaphylaxis and related issues. FAAN’s mission is to raise public awareness, to provide advocacy and education, and to advance research on behalf of all those affected by food allergies and anaphylaxis. Anne has spoken nationally and internationally about the work of FAAN and the patient’s perspective, addressing the food industry, schools, health professionals, and government organizations. To help those in other countries start up patient advocacy groups, she founded the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Alliance, an international group with members in eight countries. https://videos.whiteblox.com/gnb/secure/player.aspx?sid=34961