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Dear Seacoast Food Allergy Group, We did it!! Five years after the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act (FAAMA) was introduced in the U.S. Congress, FAAMA has finally passed as part of the food safety bill and is expected to be signed into law by President Obama.  FAAMA will lead to the much-needed creation of national food allergy management guidelines for schools. While these guidelines are voluntary, they will provide schools without existing food allergy management policies with a valuable resource.These policies are critical to help educate school officials about food allergy, a potentially life-threatening medical condition, and help them implement emergency plans in case a severe reaction occurs on school grounds. Studies have shown that up to 25% percent of reactions in school occur in children with previously undiagnosed food allergy. Earlier this month, a fatal reaction occurred at a school in Chicago, allegedly due to food that was consumed at school. The guidelines will also benefit parents of children with food allergies, who are looking for a vetted resource to help them safely manage their child’s food allergies in the school setting. Written largely by FAAN, the national guidelines will not supersede existing or pending state laws orguidelines concerning schools and food allergies. The FAAMA guidelines should be seen as a complement to existing guidelines created as a result of other legislation. This tremendous accomplishment was made possible by the thousands of individuals who advocated for this legislation and many elected representatives who co-sponsored FAAMA over the years, most notably Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.), whose daughter has a food allergy, and Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), who has a grandchild with a food allergy. We celebrate the passage of FAAMA today, but our work is not done. FAAN will continue to work diligently to raise awareness, educate others, and advocate on behalf of the millions of Americans with food allergy and anaphylaxis. Thank you all for your support!  Julia Bradsher FAAN CEO  |
FAAMA Passes Congress!
NIH Food Allergy Guidelines
| FOOD ALLERGY GUIDELINES |
 For the first time, clinical guidelines have been issued to help assure quality diagnosis and treatment for millions of American adults and children living with food allergies. These guidelines are intended for use by physicians and other health care practitioners who treat food allergies. Patients will benefit directly, because the guidelines will provide standardized information and recommendations to healthcare providers for the diagnosis and treatment of food allergies.A panel of experts convened by the NIH/NIAID, which oversees allergy research, developed these guidelines, and we are proud to play an important role in these guidelines: AAFA's Vice President of Policy & Programs serves on the NIAID's Clinical Practice Guidelines Coordinating Committee, responsible for writing the new guidelines. Also, AAFA's President and CEO serves as a member of the National Advisory Allergy and Infectious Diseases Council at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). What Can You Do? If you have food allergies or care for a child or loved one with food allergies, here is what you can do:
Food Allergy Resources and Tools
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Food Allergy Books-Special Offer
Linda Coss, author of several food allergy cookbook's and management books is offering holiday discounts on these great books:
(From Linda Coss)
When it comes to raising a child with life-threatening food allergies, it really does “take a village” - there are many people who need to be on the food allergy management team. That’s why every holiday season since I published my first book in 2000 I've encouraged people to consider giving food allergy books to relatives, friends, caregivers and anyone else who would benefit from having helpful food allergy resources on hand.
Once again, I'm running my annual holiday special: Order by December 31, 2010 and get FREE Priority Mail shipping. There’s no minimum order or coupons required, and you can also save up to 26% when you order the books in sets.
Just go to www.FoodAllergyBooks.com to place your order.
As always, those who would like their books personally autographed or need me to include a gift card just need to ask (by leaving me a note in the “special instructions” section of the order form).
Thank you in advance for helping me spread the word.
Best wishes,
Linda Coss
Plumtree Press
949-699-2749
Books to Help Your Family Live with Food Allergies
www.FoodAllergyBooks.com
Linda Coss
Plumtree Press
949-699-2749
Books to Help Your Family Live with Food Allergies
www.FoodAllergyBooks.com
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?
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!
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