Peanut Butter

[momofboys]

So, she should have had the foresight needed to KNOW this kid was going to have an allergic reaction? We are supposed to be mind-readers AND have the ability to see into the future too?? Wow...if I had those abilities I would NOT be in the business of childcare.....

Foods processed with peanuts are so common. PB sandwiches are a traditional food served to children for lunch. Its high in protein and complex carbohydrates, which makes it a great food to serve for those who use high amounts of energy (IE; children). I would never give a second thought to serving peanut butter to children UNLESS I was told otherwise by the parents.

For you to say the provider was insane for doing so is a pretty bold statement. If that is true..I, too, must be insane as well as a good chunk of the other providers on this forum.

No, she should not be a mind reader but she should have had the knowledge to know this was life-threatening, especailly if he was swelling up. This child could have easily gone into anaphylactic shock which could have resulted in death. I would re-consider your peanut butter policy if I were you. Most dr. do not recommend it until 3 years of age.

[Former Teacher]

Wow..I am torn on this subject (for a change :

First yes the provider should have caused 911. You hear all the time about peanut allergies sometimes with devastating results.

On that same note: the provider could have given the 18 month anything with peanuts. Not necessarily peanut butter. I read labels all the time. I have to since I am allergic to certain types of red dye. Believe me..red dye is in EVERYTHING. From shampoo to ice cream. Me and Benadryl are best friends :: Anyway, labels sometimes say that a product may have been processed on something made with peanuts (or something like that)

That being said and I feel awkward saying this but in all my years in daycare, I have never asked a parent about a peanut allergy. Of course we would ask about general allergies but nothing about peanuts. Then again we would serve pb and j sandwiches, pb crackers etc..to all children once they were on table food. Even hot dogs. Of course we would cut up the food into small pieces but they were served nevertheless.

Long story short: IMO No I don't think they should leave the provider. The woman did not know the child was going to react. She did call the parents and the parents came. If this subject makes them feel uncomfortable then yes they should change. However IMO this was a learning experience. The parents now know the child is allergic to peanuts.

[misol]

Wow..I am torn on this subject (for a change :

First yes the provider should have caused 911. You hear all the time about peanut allergies sometimes with devastating results.

On that same note: the provider could have given the 18 month anything with peanuts. Not necessarily peanut butter. I read labels all the time. I have to since I am allergic to certain types of red dye. Believe me..red dye is in EVERYTHING. From shampoo to ice cream. Me and Benadryl are best friends :: Anyway, labels sometimes say that a product may have been processed on something made with peanuts (or something like that)

That being said and I feel awkward saying this but in all my years in daycare, I have never asked a parent about a peanut allergy. Of course we would ask about general allergies but nothing about peanuts. Then again we would serve pb and j sandwiches, pb crackers etc..to all children once they were on table food. Even hot dogs. Of course we would cut up the food into small pieces but they were served nevertheless.

Long story short: IMO No I don't think they should leave the provider. The woman did not know the child was going to react. She did call the parents and the parents came. If this subject makes them feel uncomfortable then yes they should change. However IMO this was a learning experience. The parents now know the child is allergic to peanuts.

I agree with you Former Teacher. The kid's reaction to the pb was severe enough to warrant a call to 911.

I always ask parents if the child has any food allergies but I don't specifically ask about nuts either. Since my family like nuts and nut products I would never make my daycare a "nut free" facility. Personally, I just wouldn't take a child with a nut allergy because it's too risky.

For the record, our old pediatrician said pb was OK after age 1 but if the child is high risk (meaning that they are allergic to other foods or have a family history of allergies) then wait until 2. Our current ped says age 2 unless high risk then wait for 3.

The allergic reaction could have just as easily happened at home so there was no way for the provider to have known. If you like everything else about the provider then I would give her another chance. Maybe educate her about nut allergies as someone else mentioned.

If I am not mistaken, when you are on the food program a child goes to the regular menu once they turn a year old. Since pb is an approved food, and the child was over a year old, it's possible that the provider truly thought pb was OK.

[kimsdaycare]

I'd be freaked out as well, but if you truly like his provider in every other way I would probably stay with her (if she is willing to keep him, this has probably freaked her out almost as much as you). You will both need to educate yourselves to keep him safe in the future. Unfortunately this may make finding another provider difficult as well. As many have commented, he may be seen as a liability to many nut-loving homes You know what *I* learned some new things from this too! My ped always said 2 years before peanut butter, now I know that 3 yrs is recommended. I also never thought about all the foods we serve that are processed in nut-product facilities. Even without peanut butter or actual peanuts we still may trigger reactions unknowingly. Oh, and did anyone else know that moms shouldn't eat nuts while pregnant or nursing if anyone in their family has an allergy (even if it's not them)? I'm sure their Dr would tell them, but I had never given it a thought. It makes sense, but it's amazing how little we can know if it has never directly impacted us. I've never known anyone with a peanut allergy, so I haven't researched it in a while. Glad I did!

Here's an article I found that also mentions peanut butter is ok and actually good for 1 yr olds with no family nut allergy risk. Interesting. (I still wouldnt serve it to dcks though!)

http://babyparenting.about.com/od/nutritionandfeeding/f/peanutbutter.htm

[originalkat]

Wow..I am torn on this subject (for a change :

First yes the provider should have caused 911. You hear all the time about peanut allergies sometimes with devastating results.

On that same note: the provider could have given the 18 month anything with peanuts. Not necessarily peanut butter. I read labels all the time. I have to since I am allergic to certain types of red dye. Believe me..red dye is in EVERYTHING. From shampoo to ice cream. Me and Benadryl are best friends :: Anyway, labels sometimes say that a product may have been processed on something made with peanuts (or something like that)

That being said and I feel awkward saying this but in all my years in daycare, I have never asked a parent about a peanut allergy. Of course we would ask about general allergies but nothing about peanuts. Then again we would serve pb and j sandwiches, pb crackers etc..to all children once they were on table food. Even hot dogs. Of course we would cut up the food into small pieces but they were served nevertheless.

Long story short: IMO No I don't think they should leave the provider. The woman did not know the child was going to react. She did call the parents and the parents came. If this subject makes them feel uncomfortable then yes they should change. However IMO this was a learning experience. The parents now know the child is allergic to peanuts.

This post saved me from typing the same response. I completely agree.

[Unregistered]

ditto to above. I always ask about allergies, but once child is on table food, it is cut up and served.

[MN Mom]

No, she should not be a mind reader but she should have had the knowledge to know this was life-threatening, especailly if he was swelling up. This child could have easily gone into anaphylactic shock which could have resulted in death. I would re-consider your peanut butter policy if I were you. Most dr. do not recommend it until 3 years of age.

I agree, if I was in that situation and ambulance would have been called immediately. Then a call to the parents.

The policies on PB vary from doctor to doctor. There needs to be more consistency in information regarding age-groups imho, due to the confusion most people have regarding allergies, specifically peanut allergies. It happened to be PB that caused the reaction, but peanut(s) and oils are used in the processing and preservation of many foods you would not link to peanuts. Check labels next time you go shopping, you'd be surprised. It could have been a cracker, a cookie etc that triggered this too, eventually.

My ped. specified no peanut butter until after 1 year AND only if they could chew and swallow without issue. He never mentioned anything regarding other foods processed with peanuts, it was always PB. I always thought it was due to the high risk of choking with such a sticky food, not because of allergic reactions.

Of course my youngest is now 4 and the standards / recommendations are always changing. It's very hard to keep up!

[momofboys]

I agree, if I was in that situation and ambulance would have been called immediately. Then a call to the parents.

The policies on PB vary from doctor to doctor. There needs to be more consistency in information regarding age-groups imho, due to the confusion most people have regarding allergies, specifically peanut allergies. It happened to be PB that caused the reaction, but peanut(s) and oils are used in the processing and preservation of many foods you would not link to peanuts. Check labels next time you go shopping, you'd be surprised. It could have been a cracker, a cookie etc that triggered this too, eventually.

My ped. specified no peanut butter until after 1 year AND only if they could chew and swallow without issue. He never mentioned anything regarding other foods processed with peanuts, it was always PB. I always thought it was due to the high risk of choking with such a sticky food, not because of allergic reactions.

Of course my youngest is now 4 and the standards / recommendations are always changing. It's very hard to keep up!

I think the reason my ped recommends waiting until 3 is b/c my oldest does have a peanut allergy so she advised that for our younger kids too. So some docs may say it's okay to try it earlier. And I am totally aware of the high incidence of peanut products & cross-contamination that can occur with foods you would not suspect having peanuts in them. Seeing as my child has the allergy we are very careful with what we buy. I guess that is my point, that providers need to be seeking out the info if they have not. Who as a provider would want to have this situation enfold in their home with other kids in their care & not have a clue what to do? I believe providers should ask parents if the child has ever tried anything with peanuts upon enrollment. If they have not, make sure it is tried at home with the parent & not at daycare. Believe me, it is a very scary situation to have an attack & be unprepared.

[MarinaVanessa]

This is a toughy. Although I agree that there was no way that a provider can know what a child is allergic to I also agree that I wouldn't want to be the first child care provider to give a child his/her first taste of ANYTHING especially foods like peanuts, eggs, honey and milk.

I always ask the parents for a list of things that a young child is able to eat and has already tried and what they have not tried. You just never know. If I have a child that is newly being intoroduced to solids I always ask the parents not to bring me baby food that they have not tried before and I make a list of my own of the foods that I can give the child. I even wait a while after a parent tells me they have introduced milk, eggs, honey or peanuts to a child because of the fact that an alergic reaction may not be apparent right away. However, I don't feel that in this case it is anyones fault, just an accident that fotunately didn't end too horribly.

I too think that working with the provider would be the best outcome but if the parents feel uneasy or unerved then looking for care elsewhere might be best. There is no need for anyone to feel uncomfortable when it comes to their children.

[toddletots]

I am a center provider, and our lunches come from the local school. Peanut butter sandwiches are provided daily as a supplement for those who won't eat the lunch. Our teachers are required to have a signed permission form in order to serve peanut butter to any child. When the children are moved onto the school lunch program in the infant room, they are informed about the policy and many parents do serve peanutbutter at home at the age of one. My room is ages 16 - 24 months, and I currently have one child out of 10 who cannot have peanutbutter. In food allergies, we request the parent serve the child the questionable item at home before we serve it at the center.

I feel the provider did the right thing in calling the parent first at the onset of the reaction. The parent chose to call a dr. instead of picking up the child and taking him to get checked out. The provider did what she felt was right, and monitored the child. She followed the parents orders.

I wouldn't find a new provider. The parent has to be accountable for the mistake they made in not requesting medical treatment immediately. We don't know much about the providers background. But she has learned something new in regards to food allergies.

[Unregistered]

I also agree with Former Teacher, We are told to wait untill they are one and although i ask about allergies i do not get specific, it's the parents job to inform their provider of any issues, an allergic reaction to a food unless the child has been tested is not something that can be forseen, I would have called the parents and asked what they wanted to do, ie: come see the child for themselves or have me call 911, i wouldnt have let them wait untill pick up but the provider did call and say what happened, the parents cant blame her when they werent concerned enough to leave work over it,If she is a good provider why leave?
KiddieCare

[Lucy]

Unless your provider knew he was allergic, they had no way of knowing what would happen. My kids have been eating peanut butter since they could chew and swallow. Also...an allergic reaction rarely happens on the first introduction of the offending allergen. The body needs time to react and produce anti-bodies first. So, more than likely, your son has had peanut butter, or peanut processed food products before.

Unless you had told the provider to NOT give him foods processed with peanut products...they had no idea what would happen to your son. I'd try to work with them on his food needs. If they are unable and unwilling to work with you, that is when I would look for a new provider.

As a first time parent, things like this can be very scary. Just relax, calm down, and try to go with the flow. As much as we'd like to protect our little darlings 100% of the time...it's just not possible. Things will happen, kids get hurt, its part of the learning process for both parent and child! Hang in there! By child number 2, 3, or 4 little things will be less likely to phase you. =)

Good Luck! Keep us posted!

~Rachael

NO WAY SHOULD YOU GIVE A CHILD UNDER TWO PEANUT BUTTER. This is common knowledge, or so I thought! I've even heard 3 years, but it depends on the source. I've read that if you have no family history of peanut allergies, you can try it at 1 year. But that is on your OWN child. Never, ever should a Daycare Provider give peanut (or tree nut) products to a Daycare child who is too young. They don't know the child's history, and frankly, it's not their place to make that decision. I would consider calling the agency that governs Daycare Providers in your state and ask them if there are guidelines as to what age Providers are allowed to feed the kids nut products.