Parents of children with food allergies beware! Halloween can be scary, but devouring you Halloween haul doesn't need to be.
Whether you have a nut, seed, chocolate, gluten, or dairy intolerance, it all can be found right inside of fun-sized candy bars found during a trick-or-treat hunt or classroom celebration.
National Jewish Health has a short list of what you can do to make sure you child — and all of those around them — is safe this Halloween and the following holidays.
- Meet with school staff members: Set up meetings with principals, teachers, nurses and cafeteria staff before the school year begins. This ensures that everyone is informed and prepared and allows a parent to understand how a child’s school manages food allergies.
- Create a written plan: Work with an allergist to develop an action plan that outlines all necessary information on your child’s allergy, including how to prevent accidental exposures and how to recognize and treat symptoms of an allergic reaction.
- Post pictures: Tape pictures of your child to the classroom wall with information on their allergies to alert anyone that comes into the room. You can also post one on your child’s desk, which can serve as a secondary reminder when snacks are served.
- Make safe snacks: Pack allergen-free snacks for your child in case someone brings in a treat for the class. Send the snacks to school with a label specifying that they are safe, or leave some with their teacher so your child won’t feel left out during classroom celebrations
Another good idea would be to make sure you're carrying epinephrine.
More information on how to stay safe can be found at njhealth.multimedia-newsroom.com.
