Tricky Treats
For parents of children with food allergies, Halloween can be truly frightening.

by Beth Bakkum

While your child may not have a food allergy, chances are you know a child who does.

“We are seeing the prevalence of food allergies rise,” says Dr. Todd Mahr, pediatric allergist at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, and clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin Medical School at Madison. “There is research underway to try and figure out why—research into when food allergens are introduced into the diet, and other influences on the developing immune system.”

It’s no surprise then that Halloween, like all events that involve food, can make parents of children with food allergies especially nervous. However, by becoming more aware of food allergies, parents can do their best to make this Halloween season safer for all our little ghosts and goblins.

Jan Griffin of West Salem, whose 8-year-old son, Will, has a peanut allergy, carefully monitors what candy passes Will’s lips. “When Will goes trick-or-treating, he is not allowed to eat any candy on the route at all,” Griffin says.

Back at home, Griffin sorts through his candy and takes away anything he cannot have.

“One of the many problems with Halloween is that labeling laws for food allergens do not cover the individual units of a large package of treats,” says Dr. Mahr. “This means that many of the small-size treats have no food allergy labels on them. This information is usually contained on the original bag or package. So if your child has food allergies, it is unclear if the treat is ‘allergy safe.’ ”

Dr. James Thompson of Allergy Associates of La Crosse says that statistically, “food allergies are more common in young children and are seen in 6 to 8 percent of preschoolers.”

The most common food allergies are peanut, tree nut, milk, egg, fish, shellfish, wheat, and soy. Food allergies should not be confused for food intolerance. A food allergy triggers an immune system response; food intolerance does not. Symptoms of an allergic reaction to food include hives, asthma, swelling of the tongue and throat, vomiting, cramps, a drop in blood pressure, and even death.

Griffin treats Halloween parties like she handles any function involving food that Will is invited to. She starts a dialogue with the hosts about Will’s allergy and what’s on the menu for the event. “Will is very aware of what he can and cannot have,” she says. “He knows that if he questions it at all, either to ask someone, or not to have it.”

Still, as an added precaution, Griffin always sends a plaid bag with him that contains Benadryl, phone numbers, and a note to let the hosts know that Will would go to Gundersen Lutheran in an emergency. The bag also contains an EpiPen® that is given to the hosts.

Dr. Thompson reminds parents that the problem doesn’t disappear when trick-or-treating is over. “After Halloween, kids may also be exposed when the treats show up later in school lunches,” he says. “Kids with severe food allergies shouldn’t trade food.”

Beth Bakkum is a freelance writer and stay-at-home mom in West Salem. She plans on handing out Skittles this Halloween.