Food allergies affect about 5 percent to 8 percent of all young children, according to Keep Kids Healthy, some of whom outgrow the condition. Peanuts and tree nuts are the No. 1 and No. 2 source of food allergies in kids, and these allergies sometimes prove fatal.
Types
Children can be allergic to any kind of nut, from tree nuts to peanuts. Although peanuts aren't a true nut, belonging instead to the legume family, they are still often lumped together with other nuts when talking about allergies because the allergen in peanuts is similar to that in tree nuts. Other nuts that kids can be allergic to include cashews, almonds, walnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, pistachios, hazelnuts and macadamias. Most children who are allergic tend to react to multiple types of nuts.
Symptoms
Symptoms of a nut allergy in children can range from minor to severe. On the mild end, they can include redness, swelling or rashes on the skin, digestive problems, an itchy or tingly mouth, shortness of breath and a stuffy or runny nose. A severe allergic reaction to nuts involves an anaphylactic reaction, the sudden swelling of airways, drop in blood pressure and loss of consciousness that can lead to death if not immediately treated. Symptoms typically appear within seconds or minutes after exposure to nuts.
Sources
Nuts are an ingredient in many foods that may not be obvious. Aside from avoiding nuts themselves, parents must be careful to teach allergic kids to avoid nut oils, candies and other foods prepared on machines that also process products containing nuts, cereals and ethnic foods that may contain nuts and cooked foods prepared by someone who has recently handled nuts.
Prevention
Parents of children with a nut allergy are understandably concerned with how to keep their child safe from accidental exposure to nut or peanut allergens. Avoiding bringing nuts into the home or placing any nuts out of reach of the allergic child is important. However, it is equally important to investigate packaged or prepared foods for hidden sources of nuts, inform other caregivers never to give the child nuts and teach the child how to avoid accidental nut consumption.
Emergency Treatment
Parents and caregivers of children with nut allergies should be aware of not only how to prevent nut exposure, but also of what to do if the child should accidentally become exposed to nuts. Parents should take an infant and child CPR course and parents, children and other caregivers should always carry a dose of epinephrine, which can stop an allergic reaction if injected quickly after exposure, at all times.
