Help!-What can we feed this kid?

Jolie, BSN · Dec 17, 2010

Is this child newly enrolled in your school? Or are these newly-diagnosed allergies?

What does s/he eat at home for lunch and snacks? What did s/he eat at her former school?

What does the doctor's office say about allowable food for lunch and snacks? Is there a dietician you can consult? Will your food-service provider give you a list of products that are free of these ingredients? Our menus have a key that indicates food items containing eggs, soy, milk, fish and pork. (Pork for religious reasons.) I'm sure that information comes from the vendors.

Have arrangements been made for an Epi-pen or other allergy meds at school?

I understand that accomodations will have to be made for this child's dietary needs, but until you have the opportunity to gather reliable information from the parents and health care provider and develop a plan, it seems reasonable to request that the child be sent with food from home. Will your principal back you up on this? If the parents are at all concerned with the child's safety (and not just interested in being blow-hards about suing), they will comply. Is the child old enough to understand and be cooperative?

In the meantime, try to find out if this is a "true" milk allergy, or a lactose intolerance. Many children with lactose intolerance are able to eat yogurt and some cheeses. True milk allergies are rare, which makes me wonder if the parents understand the difference. Fresh fruits and veggies should be fine, along with grilles, baked or broiled meats.

I don't understand the concern about special bread. I just checked the ingredients in the loaf of wheat bread in my pantry, and it does not contain milk, soy or eggs. I don't think that most plain white or wheat breads do.

I know I've thrown out a lot of questions; hopefully one or more will stick and be useful in your planning.

safarirn · Dec 18, 2010

My own child has severe food allergies. I pack her lunch daily. I accept her food-safety concerts as MY issue, not the school's. Stakes are too high, IMO. Too bad that mom doesn't feel the same way.

Flare, ASN, BSN · Dec 20, 2010

Wow, those parents are really preparing their child for life in the real world. Are the allergies life threatening? Does the student have an epi-pen. Have the parents provided documantation from a pediatric allergist to state that these allergies exist and to establish an emergency care plan? Have the parents provided your food services with a list of acceptable foods? Have the parents provided a supply of foods so the student may be included in "special events"?

Jolie made some really great sugestions. You may wish to consult your administrator and certainly may wish to have the admin contact the district lawyer to see what exactly the school is responsible for and what the parent's responsibilities are.

DistrictNurse19 · Dec 20, 2010

Thanks to all for your "brainstorming"...this child qualifies for free lunch so by law we have to provide the food. The parent has threatened to "sue" the school district so administrators are bending over backward to please her. Our food service manager is just as frustrated as I am, and our primary food vendor's nutritional guidelines do not match those that are recommended/required for free lunch programs (but is more economical). Mom is not much help in giving us ideas, she has many other children and blah, blah, blah...The doctor's note indicates a "rhinitis" reaction (not gastrointestinal and not life-threatening; no epi-pen needed) but again "bending over backward for fear of liability"...

Flare, ASN, BSN · Dec 20, 2010

hmmm.... reminds me of the student who's mom told me he was allergic to milk.... until he got approved for free milk - then the allergy disappeared.

In this case, i would def consult with district lawyer to see exactly what the law states must be provided and what her role is. Time for her to take some responsibility.

Jolie, BSN · Dec 20, 2010

So the kid gets a runny nose when she eats milk, eggs or soy, requiring extensive accomodations from the school in order to prevent a lawsuit from the parents?

Our district requires certification of allergies from a physician, in order to prevent parents from claiming false allergies to foods that the kids simply don't like. I can't help but wonder if this may be happening here, and the physician doesn't want to be bothered, so s/he wrote the note that the parents requested.

Can you ask for documentation of the testing done to "confirm" these allergies? If no testing was done, was there at least a food diary with corresponding symptoms? If not, then I would ask the physician for the basis of the diagnosis, and his/her recommendations for food accomodations in school.

If these are true allergies, the physician should be willing to work with you to protect the child's health and safety at school. If they are not true allergies, s/he ought to be called out for enabling difficult parents, an action which is ultimately harmful to the child and unnecessarily disruptive to the school.

sharpeimom · Dec 20, 2010

i had a great many food allergies and food intolerances as a child, almost all of which have been outgrown or, at least, receded greatly. i still am lactose intolerant, but can eat many cheeses and natural live culture yogurts. if this student is truly lactose intolerant, s/he also suffers from an unreal amount of gas, plus abdominal pain and probably diarrhea, which is no fun at any age, but is humiliating when you're a kid. even now, i look for sheep or goat cheese over cheese made from cow's milk.

is the student allergic to corn? i still am, but to a lesser degree than i was. as a kid, many meds caused gas plus stuffiness. more than a little bit gave me the runs. not life threatening perhaps, but other children can be cruel. i use almond milk in some cooking and substitute broth for the rest.

i just checked our bread. it's plain whole wheat and contains no eggs or soy or corn syrup. the oat bread does contain egg "products" in it.

what about a hospital dietitian? she might be helpful.