Gathering for Thanksgiving - FAAN

Gathering for Thanksgiving - FAAN

Food Allergy Research

New Research Presented at ACAAI’s Annual Meeting

Leading allergists and immunologists from around the world gathered last week in Phoenix at the annual scientific meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology(ACAAI).

Presentations included the Food Allergy Herbal Formula (FAHF-2), a promising Chinese herbal formula currently being tested for use to treat food allergies; a preview of guidelines for diagnosis and management of food allergy in the U.S. (to be released next month); and the ability of peanut- or tree nut-allergic patients to visually identify these foods (researchers noted that only half of peanut- or tree nut-allergic patients ages 6 and up knew what the nut they are allergic to looked like).

Here are highlights from the media releases from ACAAI.

Researchers presented findings that influenza vaccines (seasonal and H1N1) can contain different amounts of allergenic components, most commonly egg and/or gelatin. Allergists suggest that any egg- or gelatin-allergic patient, or anyone with history of severe reaction to any influenza vaccine, be tested to the specific vaccine lot number they will be given prior to immunization. The study authors noted that it should not be assumed that if one dose of influenza vaccine has been tolerated that it will be tolerated in the future.

Also presented were findings from a study in which researchers examined IgE levels in subjects from the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES), a large cross-sectional U.S. population survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, in 2005-2006.

The results were then compared to the Tucson Epidemiological Study (TES), which examined similar data from the 1970s. “Particularly noteworthy is the doubling of IgE levels in individuals over 55 years, and the more gradual decline in levels with increasing age," wrote the authors. They attribute possible reasons for the increase to “allergic sensitization in our population or changes in lab testing.”

Celebrating Thanksgiving when your child has food allergies

Thanksgiving Survival Tips

Thanksgiving is a holiday in the United States notable for overindulging on a large spread of traditionally prepared foods, many of which are laced with wheat, eggs, milk and other allergenic ingredients. A perfect holiday for many Americans includes eating a butter-basted turkey, creamy mashed potatoes, traditional bread stuffing and Grandma’s pumpkin pie - followed by leaving the table stuffed, loosening one’s belt, and then falling asleep in front of a football game on the TV.

Holidays like Thanksgiving that revolve around food can truly be challenges for families raising children with food allergies. The traditional meal for your family can present numerous allergy risks -- and the risks can be even greater if you are not preparing the meal yourself but relying on someone else to cook the meal. Is there any way around the stress and pressure of a holiday known for allergen-laden foods? Or can the foods be made safe for your food-allergic kids? 

Read More: Celebrating Thanksgiving when your child has food allergies

News From FAAN

Revised School Food Allergy Program Now Available!

We are pleased to announce that our updated School Food Allergy Program is hot off the presses. Endorsed and/or supported by the Anaphylaxis Committee of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology and the National Association of School Nurses, this program is a comprehensive guide that will enable educators to implement food allergy management policies. Also available is our new Safe@School^® CD-Rom, which complements the School Food Allergy Program. This component provides resources for school nurses or administrators to conduct in-service training about food allergies and anaphylaxis.

Pricing for the program is as follows:

• School Food Allergy Program (includes Comprehensive Guide and Safe@School^®), $75
• Comprehensive Guide Only, $40
• Safe@School^® Only, $40

Your Disney Experience

We will be honoring Walt Disney Parks and Resorts for its longtime commitment to food allergy awareness at an upcoming event. If you’ve been to a Disney park, we’d love to hear about your experience. Please videotape you and your family talking about Disney and e-mail it with the subject "Disney" by Nov. 15. Videos of 2 minutes or less are preferred.

New Content on the Web

Check out our web presence this month – we’ve posted new content to our teen andkids’ websites, in addition to the FAAN website. On our main website, you’ll find tips on managing food allergies during family gatherings on special occasions such as Thanksgiving, Deep Dish Leftover Turkey Pie, a new featured recipe, and a new FAAN member-authored essayby Melissa G. about the journey since her son’s first big reaction. Kids will want to check out the newest “Dear Alexander” advice column, and teens can read the newest essays by members of our Teen Advisory Group. 

Council Volunteers Wanted  

We are still accepting applications for FAAN’s new Adult Advisory Council and Post Grad Advisory Council. These committees will focus on adults with food allergies and post-graduates (ages 18-25) with food allergies, respectively. For more information about these programs or for information on how FAAN members can serve on these councils, contact Eleanor Garrow, Vice President of Education and Outreach.

Pepsi Refresh

Please remember to support FAAN – we have two ideas in the running for grants from the Pepsi Refresh Project this month.Vote to Fund a Cure for Life-Threatening Food Allergies and vote to launch Camp TAG. Please vote (for both projects) each and every day through Nov. 30!

 

Allergy-friendly Advent Calendar

News from Blue Bear Aware

Chocolate Advent Calendars have arrived! 
Behind every door on your Advent Calendar is a peanut free, nut free, egg free and dairy free chocolate! A wonderful way to count down the Holiday Season, especially if your son or daughter has never been able to have such a calendar in the past!
Avoiding Milk Blog: Chocolate Advent Calendars

Halloween Candy Buy Back

A dentist in Dover, Nh is buying back candy at a $1 a pound and the candy will get sent overseas to the men and women in the military - thought this would be good for all of food allergic families who have candy that they can't do anything with ;) (Thanks Wendy!)


http://www.howarddental.com/

Change in Meeting Date

Our next meeting will be Monday Nov. 15, 7-9 pm at Portsmouth Regional Hospital in Classroom 1.
The hospital had a conflict and asked us to change the date. Sorry for any inconvenience.