The latest is from Time Magazine in their article Why We’re Going Nuts Over Nut Allergies

Because accommodating food allergic children has become more common in recent years, more and more other parents are affected and this really seems to tick them off.

I understand that parents get upset because they don’t see the need for these accommodations in schools and at other places. And it’s true that some allergy moms are very anxious at various times. I also know that we are always doing our best and that our anxiety is kept in check when our kids are safe and well cared for.

So Time Magazine decides that rather than interview an allergy mom who is very moderate in her views, they pick one who is described by the allergist as “one of the most fearful mothers I ever came into contact with.”

We all know that you can find extremes any where but it would have been nice if at least they would have balanced that with an interview or a few quotes from Dr Wood or other allergist who have lost patients.

One of the points in the article is that accommodations for food allergies are overdone and that there is no evidence that having a peanut or allergen free classroom is any safer. They site Dr Sicherer’s study on casual contact:

“In fact, a 2003 study led by Dr. Scott Sicherer, a Mount Sinai pediatrician, showed that 90% of peanut-allergic children who got peanut butter on their skin developed nothing more than a red rash; none developed a systemic reaction in which their airways swelled up. “

What they don’t point out is that this study rubbed a small dab of peanut butter in the middle of the children’s backs. In real life, if young children who are messy,tactile and oral, are fed peanut butter and peanut butter snacks in the classroom, they are bound to cross contaminate all of the books, toys and supplies in the classroom. You can be sure that it will only be a matter of time before one of the allergic children then puts his finders in his eyes or mouth.

Dr Sicherer elaborated on his findings here explaining:

From Dr Sicherer: “The story would be completely different for younger children or impulsive children with frequent oral behaviors where any skin contact could be become an ingestion as fingers or objects are licked. In other words, the study result should not dissuade child care centers and schools from implementing reasonable policies to avoid ingestion. “