Hello there-

My name is Sarah O’Brien, senior nutrition specialist for Nutricia, and I’m really excited about joining the Baby Health Blog team.

I‘ve worked with nutrition and allergies for quite sometime now. About eight years ago, I came to Nutricia, where I’ve focused on nutrition therapies for kids with food allergies, gastrointestinal issues, metabolic conditions and neurological diseases.

I really like being able to lend a hand (and ear!) to parents facing these issues. But, I have to tell you, my line of work made the idea of becoming a mom a little scary for me! It’s kind of like reading way too many parenting-prep books and spending too much time with all those well-meaning people who tell you all the gory details about how painful their delivery was. I just had too much information.

But now, here I am, pregnant with my first child. And I do worry about food allergies and EE and everything else that my baby may be faced with. But the other thing I’ve learned from parents like you is that, no matter what happens, it will be very, very worth it. Because this baby will, in my husband’s and my eyes, be the most perfect baby ever born. (Although her perfection will be closely followed by my sister’s kids of course ;-)

I’m so happy to share information with you and be involved in this community. And, just like Steven and the other nutrition specialists, I hope you feel free to post comments, questions and opinions. But if you could hold off on all the gory delivery stories for a few months that would be great!

-Sarah

For those of you who are not familiar with EE, children that suffer from the condition follow severely restricted diets and rely on amino acid-based formulas such as Neocate for their nutritional needs.

Common symptoms include:

Nausea; Vomiting;
Severe heartburn;
Difficulty swallowing; and
Weight loss.

If you are interested in getting more information About.com has a great article you can read.

As Allergy and Asthma month goes on throughout May, continue to use it as another way to get the word out about food allergies, and next week, focus on EE.

-Marybeth

Great news for food allergy families! I just found out that the Maryland House Bill 578, requiring health insurance coverage for amino acid-based elemental formula, was signed at 10:00am yesterday by Governor Martin O’Malley (D). Essentially, this bill requires insurance companies in Maryland to reimburse families for amino acid-based elemental formulas, like Neocate, that are medically necessary for the “diagnosis and treatment of certain allergies, syndromes, and conditions.”

The coverage of amino acid-based formulas will be available to all policies, contracts and health benefit plans issued, delivered or renewed in Maryland on or after October 1, 2008.

Similar legislation has already been passed in the following states: Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey and New York. Click here to view a copy of each state's legislation.

If you don’t live in one of the above states and are interested in finding out how you can help get legislation passed it your state, visit Children’s Magic.

I expect this will provide a lot of much-needed relief for many Maryland food allergy families. Hopefully, more states will follow with similar legislation.

Take care,
Marybeth

Food shopping for your family can be tough. You want to keep everyone happy and healthy at the same time. With children, this can be extra hard with all the cookies and candies out there! And if you are parent of a kid with a food allergy you have to be especially careful!

As an allergy parent, you know one little drop of the food your child is allergic to could be devastating for them. Therefore, it’s extremely important to take the time to read through all food labels, slowly but surely. This is one of the best ways to safely manage your child’s food allergies.

A common mistake parents make is thinking that a product’s claim to be “allergy-free” means that the product is safe for their kids. Unfortunately, these products are most likely “allergy-friendly” and could contain some less common allergens – which your child might just be allergic to!

So how do you keep your child safe? Gina Clowes lists some helpful tips for consumers buying allergy-friendly products at the bottom of this press release.

Just another allergy safety reminder for you and your family!

May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness month -- the perfect time to talk to others about food allergies.

Right now many people are suffering from seasonal allergies, but they might not realize what it means to face an allergy 24/7. It’s good for everyone to know about food allergies because the more people who know, the more people there are to watch out for the kids who face the challenges of food allergies.

In addition to talking to your friends and family about allergies, there are many ways you can get involved to help increase public awareness and raise funds to research a cure.

Click here for a calendar FAAN created for Food Allergy Awareness Week (there are some great ideas on how to get involved).

For local events in your area, check out this site from Kids with Food Allergies to find a local support group.

As always, questions and comments are welcome!

The big story on allergy this past week has been about bullying by way of allergies. Geez, the teen/pre-teen years just get harder and harder, don’t they?

Apparently, an 8th grader from Kentucky slipped crumbs from a peanut butter cookie into the lunch box of a classmate with a severe peanut allergy. Fortunately, the allergic child didn’t eat from the contaminated lunch box and wasn’t harmed. But the 13-year-old bully was arrested on felony wanton endangerment charges.

Click here for the full story from ABC.

So, what does this tell me?

• It’s really important that the school (teachers, administrators, school nurses) are in the know about your child’s allergy – even through the teen years
• Gotta have that EpiPen on hand at all times
• I will never cease to be amazed by the lengths some kids will go to in order to be cruel to one another

What do you think? Have your kids been bullied because of their food allergy? If so, how do you protect them?

Take care,
Marybeth

Hi There,

Last Friday, we were happy to sponsor a really great teleconference presented by dietitian Cynthia Baranoski. She talked about how important it is to make sure that kids get all of their required nutrition – specifically when they have to follow restricted diets due to food allergies and related conditions. She provided a great explanation of the nutrients that every child needs as well as some useful tips about how to include these important nutrients into your food allergic child’s diet.

We are really thankful to Ms. Baranoski for taking the time to talk to all of us and for sharing her presentation with those who could not make it on Friday.

Anyone who was not able to join us on the telecall, just click here to download her presentation.

We hope you find it useful and, as always, let us know what you think

Take care,
April & Marybeth

Despite a lot of research, the exact cause of food allergies and the reason the number of kids affected is on the rise, is still something of a mystery. One very common question on the subject is “Are food allergies genetic?”

While no one has identified a “food allergy gene,” research does show that if Mom, Dad or both parents have a history of any type of food allergy it translates into a greater allergy risk for the children.

According to the University of Michigan, a child’s chance of allergy development is 40% if one parent has an allergy. If both parents have allergies, the chance of a food allergy rises to about 75% for each child. Sometimes, a child is allergic to the same food/foods as the parent.

If food allergies run in your family, there are some ways thought to possibly help prevent or delay the development of allergies.

• Breast-feeding the infants for a year;
• Restricting your diet while nursing to avoid some of the most common allergies (i.e. milk, eggs, peanuts)
• Waiting to introduce solid food until your baby is 6 months old;
• Introducing solid foods one at a time, beginning with those foods that are least likely to cause an allergy, like rice cereal;
• Avoiding processed foods with artificial colors and flavors; and
• Delaying the introduction of potentially allergic foods until your baby is a year old.

If it’s any consolation, if you suffer from food allergies, you’re probably more aware of the symptoms than the average parent and, hopefully, you’re able to spot the signs quickly. If that does happen, remember to consult with the pediatrician and either eliminate all the allergens from your diet while breastfeeding or switch formulas to an amino acid-based formula like Neocate.

As always, I’d love to see how you feel about this.

Take care,
Marybeth

Great news – Nutricia is sponsoring a free teleconference for parents on managing special diets. If you have a child with milk allergy, food allergies, eosinophilic esophagitis (EE) GERD or another condition that requires a restricted diet, check it out. And feel free to share with friends & family.

Here is the info:

Who: Cynthia Baranoski, MS, RD, LDN
Nutrition Therapy Department Head,
Easter Seals DuPage & the Fox Valley Region

What: Growing and Thriving on a Special Diet:
Addressing Nutritional Deficiencies in Kids on Restricted Diets
When: Friday, April 18, 2008 / 1:00pm EST

The presentation will address:

· Nutritional deficiencies common in children with food allergies, eosinophilic esophagitis and other conditions requiring restricted diets;
· Signs and symptoms of nutritional deficiencies and toxicities in your child;
· Food sources of specific vitamins and minerals;
· Vitamin and mineral supplementation;
· Establishing a balanced diet; and
· The use of elemental formulas to ensure adequacy in your child’s diet.

For more information and to register, click here.

Best,
April, Marybeth and Steven

During the Easter season, eggs and chocolate are everywhere! As a parent, you always want to create a fun holiday atmosphere for your child. However, when your child has a food allergy, Easter can be a tough time. Let’s face it, “Easter eggs” and chocolate bunnies are a big part of the celebration! But, with a little bit of creativity, your child can have as many memorable moments and traditions as any other child celebrating Easter.

The Basket

There are many ways to create a great Easter basket for you kids without the chocolate! Books and stuffed animals are always a great option. Who wants a chocolate bunny when they can have a stuffed one! Along with Easter comes the beginning of spring- so bubbles, sidewalk chalk and any other outside toy would be a great addition. Your child will be able to play with their Easter baskets long after the chocolate is gone.

The Eggs

When it comes to decorating eggs, you can use wood eggs, plastic eggs or even Styrofoam eggs instead of hard boiled ones. Create them early with your child and use them as a decoration around the house. It will be a constant reminder of how fun “fake” eggs can be to decorate.

The Tasty Treats

Okay, admittedly, giving up the chocolate and goodies isn’t going to be easy. The good news is there are now companies that make allergy-friendly Easter treats that some kids with food allergies can have. However, since every child’s allergy is different, be sure to check the labels and make sure the treat is ok for your little one.

And of course chocolate shakes are always fun. The amino acid-based formula Neocate Junior is available in a chocolate flavor (it is artificial flavor, so no danger there) that you can mix with ice to make a cool shake.

Allergymoms.com has a bunch of food allergy safe recipes for Easter and I have heard some parents have also used Neocate Chocolate to make some other fun recipes. I’d love to hear about them below if you’re willing to share. Just a word of warning, don’t put Neocate Junior Chocolate or any other amino acid-based formulas in the freezer. (The freezing process doesn’t cause allergic reactions, but it does cause loss of some of the formula’s important nutrients.)

If you have any other fun allergy-free Easter ideas, please share below!

Take care,
April