Summer camp has hidden dangers for children with food allergies – especially if they're prone to severe allergic reactions, known as anaphylaxis. But if you take the right precautions, your kids can still have a great time. Read on for the top 10 tips to make your child's camp experience safe and fun…
At age 4, Julia Braverman was rushed to the hospital in anaphylactic shock after she came in contact with a peanut. A dose of epinephrine, a hormone that opens airways, saved her.
Julia, now 15, and her sister Heather, 17, both have food allergies that carry risk of anaphylaxis.
The life-threatening allergic reaction is most frequently triggered by peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish, medications or insect venom. It can cause dizziness, hives and trouble breathing, and it results in more than 200,000 emergency room visits per year. Without proper treatment, serious episodes can be fatal.
About 6 million U.S. children have food allergies, according to the nonprofit group Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE). Those with severe allergies can have an anaphylactic reaction, but it also may occur in kids who've only had mild reactions before.
"I'm always anxious about my food-allergic daughters, no matter where they are," says Julia's mom, Abbey Braverman. "I worry about restaurants, school, trips and, yes, camp."
Five years after Julia's anaphylactic reaction, she was headed to overnight camp for the first time. Her mom realized there could be trouble ahead and shifted into high gear.
"I made sure every camp employee knew that my daughter has a serious [allergic] reaction when she just touches peanuts," Braverman says. "Not everyone understands that you don't have to eat a food to get anaphylaxis."
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