Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah: Preparing for Summer Camp for Children with Allergies and Asthma

For children with allergies and asthma, summer camp can be filled with hidden dangers, but pediatrician Dr. Cindy Costenbader says careful planning can make summer camp much safer. Here, “Dr. Cindy” as she’s known to her patients at Allergy and Asthma Care Centers, shares her best tips for parents as they prepare for the summer camp season.

Packing for Safety

Parents can consult their child’s allergist about the appropriate medications for camp, but Dr. Cindy recommends that every child with food allergies carry an antihistamine and an EpiPen to camp, taking care to make sure it hasn’t expired.

“In my experience, people transfer their EpiPen from their school office to their camp office,” said Dr. Cindy.  “You’ve got to double check the expiration date on the EpiPen.  It happens more often than you think.”

Consider the Source: Is Your Child in the Right Camp?

Choosing an appropriate camp for your child with asthma or allergies is very individual to the child, but Dr. Cindy says there is one factor every parent should consider and investigate: the readiness of the staff to respond to an allergy or asthma emergency.  “The staff – not just the camp director – needs to know how to use an EpiPen and how to treat anaphylaxis.”  She encourages parents to contact the camp director and ask about the level of medical training the camp staff receives, if there is a healthcare person on site, the distance to a treatment center in case of emergency, and whether the staff has ever encountered allergy and asthma attacks in the past.  “If you don’t have a staff that can handle an emergency, then in my opinion, that camp is not a good choice for a child with moderate or severe food allergies or asthma.”

In addition, camp staff should know how to safely store EpiPens, which cannot be exposed to extreme temperatures, “Like the glove compartment of a car during a hike,” explained Dr. Cindy. “Basically, the counselor needs to carry it in their pack or the child can carry it depending on their age.  They need to have it on their person.”

 Dining Hall Dangers: Is Your Camp Prepared for Food Allergies?

Dr. Cindy says parents of children with food allergies should always call ahead, “You want to know what their policy for food allergies is.”  And when in doubt, be prepared to have your camper brown bag it.”  Your best bet is to bring your own lunch.  Don’t share foods.”

She also recommends providing your camp director with powerful safety tools like the Food Allergy Action Plan from The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network at http://www.foodallergy.org.

Take Extra Care: Children with Asthma and Pre-Camp Check Ups

While Dr. Cindy doesn’t regularly examine children with food allergies prior to camp, she says children suffering from asthma may need a treatment tune-up before heading to camp.

“I want to see the asthma kids at least a couple weeks before they go off to camp to make sure their medicines are optimized,” said Dr. Cindy who encourages parents to consider their child’s asthma triggers and timing when choosing a camp.  “If my child had a bad grass allergy, I wouldn’t send them to an outdoor day camp in June.”

Do Try This at Home: Sunscreen and Bug Spray

Children with allergies and eczema can avoid potentially uncomfortable reactions from sunscreens and insect repellants by testing them in advance.  “Do a test dose on their forearm with sunscreen and bug spray for 24 to 48 hours to see if you get a rash,” said Dr. Cindy.  If you don’t get a rash, you’re probably in good shape.”

There are several online resources to help you prepare yourself and your camp’s staff for a safe summer camp season.  The following are some helpful links:

The Consortium on Children’s Asthma Camps

Camps at AllergyHome.com

Camp Superkids

FAAN – The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network

Dr. Cindy Costenbader has been treating patients at Allergy and Asthma Care Centers since 2003. Dr. Costenbader, (Dr. Cindy to her patients), feels the best way to provide quality care is by treating patients with compassion and respect in a relaxed and friendly environment.  Her treatment philosophy over her many years in medicine has remained the same: treat patients like you would treat a family member, and enjoy what you do.  You can request an appointment to see Dr. Costenbader or any of the excellent physicians at Allergy and Asthma Care Centers by clicking here.

Dr. Alle Goes to Washington: “It was an eye opener!”

Walking up Capitol Hill, Allergy and Asthma Care Centers allergist Dr. Darshana Alle was overcome with a sense of reverence.  “It’s nice to really feel like you’re a part of something,” she said.  “Healthcare is changing.  It’s important for us to get involved and be aware of these issues.”

Dr. Alle represented Allergy and Asthma Care Centers at the 15^th annual Allergy & Asthma Day Capitol Hill (AADCH) as part of National Asthma Awareness Month.  She found herself on the frontlines of the battle over allergy and asthma treatment.  This year’s debate centers on a drug proposal issued by the Food and Drug Administration in February that would make some currently prescription-only drugs available over the counter if they meet certain “conditions of safe use.”  In some cases, the new proposal would allow pharmacists to dispense allergy and asthma medications without a prescription.

Supporters say the plan could increase access to necessary medications, limit under-treatment of certain chronic conditions like asthma, and cut healthcare costs.  But critics of the proposed “new paradigm,” like the Allergy & Asthma Network Mothers of Asthmatics (AANMA), charge the new approach could be harmful to allergy and asthma patients and their families by placing critical medical diagnosis and treatment decisions in the hands of pharmacists, not highly trained allergists.

“Allergy & Asthma Care Centers supports the AANMA in opposition to the FDA’s proposed shift of allergy and asthma treatment from physicians to pharmacists,” said Brian August, Chief Executive Officer of Allergy and Asthma Care Centers.  “This proposed shift in care is not in the best interest of safety and will ultimately not reduce the costs of medical care.  While we respect pharmacists for their knowledge and the important function they perform in patient safety, they cannot be a substitute for allergists who receive extensive medical education and training in diagnosing and treating asthma, allergies, and other immunological disorders.”

Watching as lawmakers and leaders in the field of allergy and asthma treatment gathered on Capitol Hill to discuss the controversial drug plan, Dr. Alle was moved.

“It was an eye opener!” she said.  “It opened up my eyes to how important it is to have a voice from a public policy standpoint,” said Dr. Alle.  “It’s important to know the issues affecting our field and to participate in events like this as an allergist.  It’s motivated me to reach out to my own colleagues and educate them on what’s going on in the bigger picture.”

But that big picture is made up of millions of individual allergy and asthma sufferers, many of whom lined up on Capitol Hill not to discuss politics, but to discuss pollen, puffy eyes, and other symptoms at the Allergy & Asthma Day Capitol Hill free allergy and asthma screening.  Dr. Alle volunteered her skills, evaluated several participants and explained her specialty in bringing a variety of patients much-needed relief.

“We could educate them about what allergists do,” said Dr. Alle, “and what we treat: food allergies, environmental allergies, medication allergies, eczema, hives.  We see a spectrum of allergic diseases.”

The FDA is currently reviewing the public comments made in response to the proposed drug proposal: “Using Innovative Technologies and Other Conditions of Safe Use to Expand Which Drug Products Can Be Considered Nonprescription.”  The comment period is now closed.  The FDA is expected to announce next steps after the review process has been completed.

Meet the Winner of Allergy & Asthma Care Centers’ Key Ingredient Contest

We are thrilled to reveal the winner of the first ever Allergy and Asthma Care Centers’ “Key Ingredient” Contest!  If necessity is the mother of invention, then this recipe was a necessity for one special mother who faced deadly food allergies with courage and creativity.  Here’s her story and the winning recipe:

When faced with caring for a newborn with extreme food allergies any mom might reach for comfort food to cope.  But for Washington-area allergy mom Devin D. comfort food wasn’t an option.

Just weeks old, Devin’s infant daughter Jordan began to develop a “snake skin” rash and one terrifying night her eyes swelled shut.

“I panicked and called the pediatrician at 2:00 in the morning,” said Devin, “He said ‘that sounds like an allergy.’”  And it was.  In fact, Baby Jordan is allergic to dairy, soy, fish, shellfish, peanuts, tree nuts, legumes, and coconut.  Too young for solids, Baby Jordan was being exposed to dangerous allergens through her mother’s breast milk and Devin was immediately put on an elimination diet: if Baby Jordan couldn’t consume it, neither could her mother.

“I was living on Rice Crispies and knew this wasn’t going to last long,” said Devin.  Like so many allergy moms who struggle to identify foods their children can safely eat, Devin started the desperate search for appealing foods she could eat without triggering another terrifying allergy attack in Baby Jordan after nursing.  She headed into the kitchen, grabbed a favorite family recipe for Macaroni and Cheese and started making substitutions.  But finding the right ingredients and cooking methods took time, “I’ve always been the kind of person who can never follow the recipe like it is.  So this has been fun for me.  The third time was the charm!”

The recipe was not only a winner with Devin and her family; it is the official winner of the first Allergy and Asthma Care Centers’ “Key Ingredient” Contest:

 

Dairy-free, Soy-free, Vegan Baked Macaroni and Cheese

with White Cheese Sauce, Veggies, and Sausage

 

by Devin D. of nomyumfree.com

 

White Cheese Sauce: (double recipe for a large casserole dish)

2 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 cup vanilla rice milk

pepper (to taste)

1 tbsp spicy mustard

sea salt – ground fine (to taste)

¼ tsp granulated garlic (or garlic powder)

dairy-free, soy-free cheeses – shredded or cut small (like Rice Vegan)

 

Casserole:

1 box of cooked noodles (my husband prefers penne, but I also like rotini)

frozen vegetables (optional but recommended)

faux (or turkey for non-vegan) meat (like Field Roast Italian Sausage) (optional)

Casserole Prep:  Preheat oven to 350°.  In a large casserole dish, combine noodles, vegetables, and meats.  Stir to evenly distribute ingredients.  Set aside.

White Cheese Sauce:  Heat oil in a saucepan.  Briskly whisk in flour.  Continue whisking while mixture cooks for about 1 minute, being careful not to burn.  Add milk while whisking.  Stir in pepper, mustard, and garlic.  Cook until thickens (about 5 minutes) – stirring constantly.  Add cheese (amount to your liking), and continue cooking and stirring until cheese has melted almost completely.

Casserole:  Pour cheese sauce over casserole ingredients, and stir to distribute evenly.  Sprinkle shredded (or finely cut) cheese on top of casserole.  Bake for approximately 35 – 40 minutes.  (For creamier macaroni and cheese, bake covered for 15-20 minutes, and then remove cover before cooking for remaining time.)

Note:  This dish can be made ahead.  After adding white cheese sauce, simply refrigerate or freeze.  When ready to prepare, thaw or let come to room temperature before baking.

Compelled to help other allergy moms, Devin has started a blog (hyperlink: http://nomyumfree.com/) to share her allergy friendly recipes and other food allergy information.  She recommends that everyone learn about the dangers and symptoms of food allergies, “It’s important for people whose children don’t have allergies to educate themselves about it.  It’s a very scary thing.  It’s a life or death situation and I think most people don’t realize how serious it is.”

Devin D. is mother to 7-month-old food allergy sufferer Baby Jordan and 3-year-old Aidan.  She lives in suburban Maryland.  For submitting the winning recipe Devin will receive a $25 iTunes gift card. 

 

For more information about how to modify recipes to allow for a food allergy in your family, contact one of the eight Allergy and Asthma Care Centers in the Washington, DC metro area today!