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What should you do if your child has a food allergy? |
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If your child has a food allergy, you have to take all necessary precautions to ensure his safety as this can be a very dangerous condition.
Diagnosis
It is very important to have a medical professional confirm your child's diagnosis of food allergy as eating the food that he is allergic to can lead to very serious reactions and even death.
Prevention
Prevention is best! The only and best way to prevent any symptoms is for your child to totally avoid the food that he is allergic to.
Inform all care givers and teachers
Everyone who has contact with the child should be aware of his condition and the symptoms of food allergies so that they can react immediately and appropriately if any symptoms occur. You would need to spend time talking to these people and explaining what his condition is about and emphasising that his condition can be life threatening.
Write it down
Often talking about it is not enough. Food allergy is not a common condition and even childcare / teaching professionals who come into contact with many children daily may not know or remember what to do when a reaction happens.
Write down the foods that your child has to avoid.
Write down the symptoms that can occur if there is an allergy.
Give the teacher a clear plan detailing step by step how to care for your child if any reaction should occur.
Wear a medical alert bracelet or necklace.
This can usually be purchased from a pharmacy. They are decorative in nature and state the allergies and other medical information and what to do in an emergency.
Pack food for your child
To avoid accidents, get your child to bring food from home so that he can have safe food for his meal times.
Teach your child
Children are very smart and they learn from an early age that there are certain foods that make them ill. Depending on the age of your child, you can teach you child how to recognise the foods that he is allergic to, how to read labels and how to be careful when eating outside the home. Older children should also be taught how to recognise the symptoms and what to do when having an allergic reaction.
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