Kids Food Allergies

Nut Allergies

Kids Food Allergies

Nut Allergies

Food allergy to nuts and peanuts can be severe such as anaphylatic shock. The food allergy can effect different parts of the body like mouth, throat, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and skin.

Most cases of peanut allergy result in a mild skin reaction like eczema or hives, although it can result in vomiting or for very sensitive children result in breathing difficulties or a drop in blood pressure, which is known as anaphylaxis.

How common is it for kids to have a nut allergy?

In Australia, peanut allergy affects 1 in 50 children, and 1 in 200 adults

Children most likely to have a nut allergy are those with a personal or family history of allergic diseases. There is ongoing research as to whether early exposure to peanuts either increases or decreases the likelihood of developing a nut or peanut allergy.

How to diagnose a peanut allergy?

You should consult your doctor if you suspect that your child has a peanut allergy

Treatment for children with peanut allergy

The treatment for children with a nut or peanut allergy is centred around avoidance of foods that could contain nuts. Unfortunately, a lot of processed shop bought foods can contain traces of nuts as part of the food preparation, so always carefully read the labels.

Children with a nut allergy will have no adverse nutritional effects for excluding nuts from their diet. Children should also be told not to swap food from their school lunch box.

Your doctor will make an action plan for you and also determine whether or not you should have an Epipen (or EpiPen Junior for children) in case of a severe reaction. You should also consult with your doctor about whether you need to inform your child’s child care or school.

Here is more information on Nut Allergies

Here are some additional sources of information on nut food allergies.

Nut Allergy
Description: This web site has a useful chart that has a list of peanut products and ingredients to avoid if you have a nut allergy

The Peanut Allergy Answer Book
Description: This book provides background medical information on peanut allergies, identifying peanut ingredients in foods, as well as advice on dealing with peanut allergies in schools, day care centre, and other public places.

The Peanut Allergy Answer Book: 2nd Edition

The Complete Peanut Allergy Handbook
Description: This handbook is a useful guide to understanding and preventing peanut allergy attacks. The book includes information for parents with children with nut allergies.

The Complete Peanut Allergy Handbook