Peanut Allergy Safety

M.,

Good for you to be concerned. Talk with her mom and see how much you need to clean, and with what. I have a nephew that is allergic to nuts, soy, and egg (either egg or milk, I can't remember now). I am constantly asking what he can and can't have if I'm preparing anything where he will attend. My BIL is great and just tells me what is okay, and the alternatives that will work.

Hope this helps,
Melissa

You should ask the mom before the little one comes over

As every allergy is completely different only her mother can answer that for you. Some people are extremely allergic, while others like my daughter just need to avoid actually ingesting the product. Call the mom; that is the only way to be certain.

Depending on how sensitive she is, your house may or may not be safe enough for her to stay/play at. If she's extremely sensitive, hopefully her mom packs an epi pen with her whenever she goes to someone's house to play/stay. Talk to her Mom and voice your concerns. It could be that play dates will have to be at her house.

I agree with others, ask mom. We have had two children come over for playdates that have a peanut allergy. One was fine even with trace amounts on counters, the other was so severe that if a child's hands weren't washed properly and they touched her she would almost immediately swell up. Mom is usually very well versed and can tell you how severe things are and what needs to be done to prep.

The only person who can answer your question is the girl's mother. My granddaughter has a peanut allergy and we are careful that she doesn't eat anything with peanuts in it. She reads labels and is able to say, "I can't eat that." That is the only way the allergy affects her life. Her mother and brother both eat peanut butter. She has never had a negative reaction to peanuts.

Her peanut allergy is relatively minor. There are serious peanut allergies in which the person can't even be in the same room with peanuts. You need to know how serious her allergy is and what you should do. Since she didn't tell you specifically what to do I'd guess that you just need to not feed her anything with peanuts but you need to check with her mother.

Please relax and enjoy your daughter enjoying her. I understand your concern. There has been so much publicity about peanut allergies. For some people the allergy can be life threatening but the majority of people with allergies are not that sensitive, in part because they don't expose themselves to peanut butter. It is best to be careful but it's counter productive to let it scare people so much that the child is treated differently when it's not necessary.

I have a peanut allergy but I'm not as careful as my granddaughter and her mother. Every once in awhile I eat something with peanuts in it and my throat and ear canals gets itchy. Often that is the only way I knew that the product contained peanuts.

I'm also allergic to chocolate and most fruits and veggies when they're raw. Cooked seems to be OK. So I try to stay away from foods that I'm allergic to but I don't worry about it. It's highly unlikely that I'd have a major reaction.
I was diagnosed before law suits took over. A doctor probably could not tell a patient that a peanut allergy was unlikely to be life threatening today. I think it is true that allergies to peanuts and shellfish are more likely to be life threatening than most other allergies.

Guess I got on my soap box and gave you more info than you need. I did so because I would like people to know that although food allergies should be taken seriously they don't always have to be feared.

M.,
This is really a question for the mom of the child.

Our son has a friend with peanut allergies and an epi pen accompanies him where ever he goes.

I agree that you can't get everything, but personally I would omit peanut products in the house a few days before the friend comes over. This will allow you time to get under the table, toys, etc.

Best of luck to you.

First of all, as a mother of a 5 year old son with a severe peanut allergy, I think it's wonderful that you are asking this question. I think partly it depends on the level or severity of this child's allergy. The child's mother is probably the best person to ask about how thourougly to clean. When we go to a play date at someone home, my friends wipe down the kitchen and eating ares and put all peanut products tucked away on the top shelf. They also don't feed their kids any peanut stuff the same day we will be coming. As far as toys etc. I think it would depend on whether your kids eat and play in the same area, or are in the habit of getting up and down from the table. If you are a pretty clean housekeeper, you're probably ok. I think the biggest and most important thing is having and knowing how to use the epi-pen. Be prepared and know what to do if a reaction occurs. Knowing what a reaction "looks like" is important also (ask the mom what's typical for her child). It's a very fast and life threatening reaction. I don't want to scare you, but it is scary. I think it's great that you are willing, and this child that is coming to your home is probably really excited because kids with life threatening allergies typically don't get to do all the fun stuff like non allergic kids. Good luck and I hope your play date is a great success.

I think what you are planning on doing sounds good. Using warm, soapy water followed by the Lysol would probably be safer. Keeping her out of the kitchen is a great idea, because that's where the food is. I have a friend who's son is VERY allergic to peanuts. Also, if the friend is VERY allergic, like, deathly, you need to make sure you are clear on how to administer an epi-pen. If the friend doesn't have one, she probably isn't deathly allergic, but precautions still need to be taken so the little girl isn't exposed to peanuts and have an uncomfortable allergic reaction. Hope all this helps!

I agree with the other posters -- check with the momma -- but if any concern persists on your part, I wonder if changing the locale of the play date might help everyone feel comfortable. Maybe start the play date at your house (in a room you are 100% comfortable with) and then move it ... could they play mostly outside? Or go to a rec center for some play time? That might be a fun change for everyone.

Hi M.,

My friend Carol is the BEST person to ask - her son has this same allergy and, because it's so serious, the entire family lives a nut-free life (her need to read EVERY package is, sadly, pathological!).

Like you, I'm terrified to have her child to my house (we are completely nuts...er...you get what I mean :-). Carol is, like me, very direct and candid - she'll tell it to you straight! And she knows a scary huge amount about this subject - so I urge you to email her for the best advice on the planet - to give yourself the gift of some kind of real peace of mind. You can find her email on her website - http://www.babychaleco.com.

Hope that helps,
T. B.

My brother is extremely allergic to nuts of any kind and can not even be in the room when people are eating them (he had to be helicoptered out of Safeco field during a Mariners game). That being said, he does go to friend's houses where they eat nuts. His friends' family are just careful not to eat anything nut related while he is there. Considering the friend is probably around 7, she probably knows about her allergy and would not eat a peanut M&M if she found it. I would defiantly take a look around the area where the kids will be playing and wipe up anything and vacuum. I would defiantly talk to her mother about how severe her allergy is and whether she will be bringing an epi pen or inhaler or anything. If something does cause her to go into an allergic reaction where she can't breathe and you do need to administer the epi pen while you are watching her, she would have to be taken to the hospital right away or she could die. I'm sure it will be fine, though. It is just important you know about those things while you are watching her.

The first thing you need to find out is how allergic your daughter's friend is. My daughter is allergic to peanuts, but she has to eat a nut to have a reaction. Some children have allergic reactions from smelling the peanut butter sandwich in the room. So that would be first thing to find out. As far as cleaning...Just make sure you wash all surfaces where the peanut products may have been. I wouldn't worry too much, as long as your children haven't smudged peanut butter on the couch or dropped a peanut M&M on the floor, chances are your home will be safe. Just to make yourself and the little girl's mother feel better, I wouldn't give your children any peanut products the day before the playdate (then there is less of a chance of missing something that could trigger an allergic reaction). And yes, lysol wipes will be fine.

I haven't read any other responses, but my daughter is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, so I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents. We did have lunch at a friend's, who was very aware of the allergy and is a nurse, but they eat of lot of nuts, too. During lunch, my daughter started to get hives on her face, so we figured it was probably from some surface or cabinet in the kitchen. Fortunately, Benadryl was enough to help her. I would try your best to wash everything down, where you think there could be contamination, and whatever cleaner you use is probably fine. Even dish soap and hot water should work. However, on top of that, I would just encourage the girl to wash her hands frequently, and before touching her face or eating anything. You can ask her mother, but my daughter only has reactions when she ingests the nuts or touches her face. So she can control that somewhat by the hand washing. Hope this helps and good luck!