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April 2007 Issue |
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Thank you to
Twinject
For sponsoring this month's newsletter!
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Thank you, volunteers! |
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April is national volunteer appreciation month. I want to take this time to thank the dozens of volunteers that contribute more than 1,000 hours monthly to keep KFA online
for families. I sincerely appreciate your contributions and your time, and thank you for making Kids With Food Allergies a wonderful online community for families.
Kind regards,
Lynda Mitchell
President
Send Email
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Ways you can support KFA |
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Kids With Food Allergies marketplace
Our marketplace features businesses offering foods, products, and services useful to individuals with food allergies. The featured businesses support Kids With Food Allergies when they place their business banner in our marketplace.
Support Kids With Food Allergies when you shop at Amazon.com!
Amazon will contribute a percentage equal to 5-7% of the sale price to Kids With Food Allergies for any purchase you make at Amazon after clicking on one of the images on our Book Shop pages.
Kids with Food Allergies online store
Our "Please do not feed me, I have food allergies" T-shirts for children are our most popular items, but there are also sweatshirts, coffee mugs, and other logo items for gifts or family. Cafe Press now offers $5 Flat Shipping--a shipping
rate of $5 for up to 5 items for orders shipped within the US. See the online store for additional details.
MedicAlert $5 discount
Our members and subscribers are eligible for a $5 discount for any new membership from MedicAlert. Sponsored MedicAlert membership information is also available for those unable to afford the cost.
Create your own plush animals
A "please do not feed me, I have food allergies" Taffy monkey is available at Partyanimalsco.com, with a portion of all sales being donated to Kids With Food Allergies. In-home party packages are also available with a variety of plush
animals for children to create at a party in your own home.
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Become a Family Membership subscriber! |
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Information. Support. Understanding. Hope.
That's what parents have gained from Kids With Food Allergies Online Community. Help us support the growing number of families raising children with food allergies: become a Family Membership subscriber if you've not already done so, or
donate to Kids With Food Allergies today.
Family Memberships are $25 per year. Family memberships include:
Unlimited access to our popular online support forums and quality educational resources
Use of our extensive database full of hundreds of allergen-friendly recipes
Access to our monthly member newsletter featuring news, tips and recipe updates
A subscription to our beautiful quarterly e-publication, Support Net, featuring news, views and supportive information for families.
Fee Waivers are available to those unable to afford the cost of a Family Membership due to financial constraints.
Donations are always welcome and are tax-deductible to the extent provided by law. |
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Contact us |
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Project Manager:
Lynda Mitchell
Editor:
Heather Hetler
Contributing Writer:
Amy Hugon
We welcome your suggestions and comments:
Kids With Food Allergies, Inc.
73 Old Dublin Pike, Ste. 10, #163
Doylestown, PA 18901
E-mail:
Webmaster
Fax: (215) 340-7674
www.kidswithfoodallergies.org
"A World of Support"
Important notice
We will never sell, rent or trade your e-mail address to any other organization.
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Announcements |
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Formula survey invitation
SKIM Analytical Healthcare is conducting a market research study on behalf of a formula company, and is inviting subscribers and members of Kids With Food Allergies to participate. The survey is to understand opinions and attitudes towards
specialized nutritional products for cow/soy milk allergy, multiple food allergies, or allergy-induced gastrointestinal issues (such as short bowel syndrome, eosinophilic esophagitis, gastroesophageal reflux, milk/soy protein intolerance
MSPI, multiple food intolerences and eosinophilic gastroenteritis).
If you are willing to take the survey, it will take approximately 30 minutes to complete. If you qualify and complete the survey, you will receive $10 for successfully completing the survey. Or if you prefer, you can donate your check to
Kids With Food Allergies.
Please be assured that the results of this survey will be used for market research purposes only and all responses will be kept in strictest confidence. The information you provide will be used in aggregate and not reported on an
individual level.
Please
go here if you are willing to take the survey.
***Please note**** If you tried taking this survey last week by email invitation, your child has eosinophilic gastroenteritis, MSPI and/or multiple food intolerences, and you were not able to complete the survey, please
try again. Those qualifying diagnoses were inadvertently omitted.
Virginia Tech Tragedy
Our hearts and prayers go out to all of our members and subscribers affected, either directly or indirectly, by the tragedy at Virginia Tech.
Holiday card artwork
We will be creating another holiday card this year and invite children to submit their creations! We've already received some talented work from children, and will continue to accept entries until the end of June. Please use regular 8.5
x 11 inch sheet of paper for entries and send them to our business mailing address located on the left hand column of this newsletter. Thank you!
Family membership renewals
We have many Family Members and Sponsored Family Members whose memberships are coming up for renewal this month. Please
follow this link if you need to find out how to renew your membership.
Happy Mothers' Day!
We hope all of our moms have a happy Mother's Day! If you are thinking of ways to enjoy your special day, take a look at our
KFA Iron Chef Food Competition Forum for some new ideas for allergy-friendly Mothers' Day brunch recipes.
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A message from our sponsor |
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Twinject? (epinephrine injection, USP 1:1000) twice the confidence for parents of children with food allergies
Twinject is the only available auto-injector to contain 2 doses of epinephrine in a single device. This can give parents and caregivers the peace of mind of having a back-up dose of epinephrine on hand, in case it is needed. Being well
prepared for an emergency can reduce delays in treatment and help to ensure a quick and effective response.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Do not hesitate to administer epinephrine
According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI), epinephrine is the recommended treatment for anaphylaxis. The AAAAI guidelines recommend that if your child has been diagnosed with anaphylaxis, you should have an
active prescription for an epinephrine auto-injector and the device should accompany the child at all times.
Epinephrine: the standard of care
Keys to successful management of anaphylaxis are preparation, prompt recognition, and aggressive treatment.
? Epinephrine and oxygen are the most important therapeutic agents given to patients with anaphylaxis.1
? Epinephrine is universally regarded as the treatment of choice for anaphylaxis and is classified by the World Health Organization as an essential drug.2
? Epinephrine should be administered at the first sign or suspicion of an anaphylactic attack.1
? Epinephrine works almost immediately to reverse the life-threatening effects of anaphylaxis.
Epinephrine should always be used in the event of an anaphylactic attack
There are no absolute contraindications to the use of epinephrine to reverse the effects of a life-threatening anaphylactic attack. Because epinephrine is the drug of choice for all anaphylactic episodes, it should be administered at the
first sign of an attack. A delay in administration can lead to a fatal reaction.
In some cases after epinephrine administration, symptoms appear to go away, only to return a few hours later, sometimes with increased severity. As many as 1 in 3 people can have a reaction so severe that a single dose is not enough to
return the body to normal.3,4 Because there is no way to predict who may have a second reaction, having a second prepared dose on hand is important. Administering a second dose quickly, if needed, can help patients survive a severe attack
or an attack with symptoms that return.
For more information about Twinject, please see full patient and prescribing information at
www.twinject.com or
www.twinjecttraining.com.
References:
1. Lieberman P, Kemp S, Oppenheimer J, et al. The diagnosis and management of anaphylaxis: an update practice parameter. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2005;115:S483-S523.
2. Sampson HA, Munoz-Furlong A, Bock SA et al. Symposium on the definition and management of anaphylaxis: summary report. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2005;115:584-591.
3. Korenblat P, Lundie MJ, Dankner RE, Day JH. A retrospective study of epinephrine administration for anaphylaxis: how many doses are needed? Allergy Asthma Proc. 1999;20:383-386.
4. Varghese M, Lieberman P. Factors affecting the use of automatic epinephrine injectors (AEIs). Poster presented at: AAAAI 2006; Miami, Fla.
Important safety information about Twinject?:
Epinephrine should be administered with caution to patients with cardiac arrhythmias, coronary artery or organic heart disease, or hypertension. In patients with coronary insufficiency or ischemic heart disease, epinephrine may precipitate
or aggravate angina pectoris as well as produce ventricular arrhythmias. It should be recognized that the presence of these conditions is not a contraindication to epinephrine administration in an acute life-threatening situation.
Adverse reactions to epinephrine include transient, moderate anxiety; apprehensiveness; restlessness; tremor; weakness; dizziness; sweating; palpitations; pallor; nausea and vomiting; headache; and/or respiratory difficulties.
Twinject is designed as an emergency supportive therapy only and is not a replacement or substitute for immediate medical care.
Twinject should only be injected into the anterolateral aspect of the thigh. Accidental injection into the hands or feet may result in loss of blood flow to the affected area and should be avoided. DO NOT INJECT INTO BUTTOCK. DO NOT INJECT
INTRAVENOUSLY.
Since the dose of epinephrine delivered from Twinject 0.15 mg is fixed at 0.15 mg, the physician should consider other forms of injectable epinephrine if doses lower than 0.15 mg are felt to be necessary (eg, patients who weigh less than
15 kilograms [approximately 33 pounds]).
To learn more about Twinject, ask your doctor and visit
www.twinject.com.
Twinject is a registered trademark of Verus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
?2007 Verus Pharmaceuticals, Inc., San Diego, CA. All rights reserved. VRTJ0158
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Iron Chef KFA - spring 2007 battle |
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It's Springtime! Time to celebrate the season for moms, dads, or grads! That often means celebrating with brunch. The meal that's fancier than breakfast, but not quite lunch. It also means keeping our food-allergic kids safe while we serve
a tasty meal to others who may be more than a bit skeptical of allergen-free foods. Our theme for this battle is "Brunch Main Dishes!"
Brunch main dishes are traditionally loaded with eggs and dairy....not to mention wheat. Therefore, the Secret Without restrictions for this battle are dairy, eggs and wheat.
Kids With Food Allergies will be awarding all KFA Iron Chef challengers and judges his or her choice of a coupon for a free product (value up to $5.50) from Enjoy Life Foods, the sponsor of KFA's Food & Cooking Forum, or a copy of the new
"KFA Baker's Dozen: Sweets & Treats" recipe booklet! This a printed collection of 13 dessert recipes from the Safe Eats Recipe Database.
There are five competitors in this round of the competition. For details on how to be a judge, please visit the
KFA Iron Chef Food Competition Forum. The recipes are:
Sweet and Sour Meat Bites,
Cinnamon Rolls,
Southwestern Baked Beans,
ABC Potato Salad, and
Vietnamese Inspired Rice Noodle Salad.
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Active forum topics |
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Editor's note: Our forums provide a place to discuss many issues related to food allergies and your family.
Registration as an Associate Member is at no cost to you, and allows you to read the current topics and messages listed below.
Some of these topics discuss foods. Remember to always verify the safety of any products mentioned on our forums to make sure they are truly safe for your child's unique food allergy issues.
Current Active Topics in our Main Support Forum:
Pregnancy and food allergies and
Pregnancy support circle
Are you pregnant? Are you wondering about avoiding foods while pregnant, and other ways to minimize potential food allergies? The support circle contains information from the past 2+ years, and the recent thread in the main forum has
some good discussion as well.
How do you carry your epi-pens?
If you're new to food allergies, be sure to read this thread for good ideas on how others carry the epi-pens.
Written record of reactions
This thread has good suggestions if you'd like to start a written record of any reactions. If you already keep written records, post on the thread to share your methods with others!
Anaphylactic oranges
A discussion of using oranges to practice injecting with expired epi-pens.
Walt Disney World support circle
Finally! A place to consolidate all of the questions about WDW and traveling there. There is also a recent thread in the Main Forum about
Disney World planning.
Treat basket at school
Get some advice on how to do a treat basket at school, just in case your child needs an unplanned safe treat.
Labeling laws
Are you often confused about labeling laws? Read this thread, and post your own questions, for some help clarifying what is the law.
Neocate mixing and heating questions
This thread is in the
Formulas and Special Medical Foods For Food-Allergic Kids forum, accessible to Family Membership Subscribers.
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Allergy-friendly businesses |
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advertisements
CoolMedID
Peanut Allergy Wristbands, medical identification that kids want to wear. CoolMedID wristbands for kids with Peanut Allergy come in a variety of fun colors, and
are available for children and youth. From $3.49 to $4.99 each plus $2 shipping/handling. Visit
www.coolmedid.com to purchase wristbands today!
Ian's Natural Foods
Finding the right foods for your child when their diet is restricted by food allergies can be tough. Luckily, Ian's Natural Foods has developed a line of great-tasting products made especially for kids that are free of wheat, gluten, milk,
casein, eggs, nuts and soy! Try them today!
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News and research |
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Our News and Research Forum is updated daily with new articles related to food and food allergies. You can read the articles, as well as join in a discussion on individual
articles. Here are some recently posted news items:
Hyperlinks to these newstories have been removed from archived copies of KFA e-news since many are no longer working at this time
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Safe Eats recipes |
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Safe Dips
Most kids, especially toddlers, love to dip their food. However, many of the commercially-available dips are not safe for many kids with food allergies. Here are two recipes that may work for your child. For more recipes from breakfast
through dessert, visit our
Safe Eats Recipe Database.
Reminder: These are recipes donated by members and have not been tested in a test kitchen. Be sure to verify the safety of all ingredients.
Sesame-Free Hummus
Recipe Created By: Lisa
Made without milk, peanut, egg, soy, tree nut, gluten, wheat, corn, fish, shellfish, sesame.
Ingredients
1 can chickpeas, drained & rinsed
1 Tbsp finely grated onion
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 lemon, squeezed
1-2 Tbsp water
salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Blend together in food processor.
Substitutions
Be sure to check the ingredients of your canned chickpeas.
Joey's High-Protein Guacamole
Recipe Created by Momma2Joey
Made without milk, peanut, egg, tree nut, wheat, gluten, corn, fish, shellfish, and sesame
Ingredients
1 medium avocado
1 12 oz box silken tofu
1 large clove garlic (chopped) (optional)
1/2 cup onions (finely diced) (optional)
6 drops hot pepper sauce (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
9 grinds fresh ground black pepper (optional)
2 Tbsp fresh parsley
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 medium tomato (seeded and chopped) (optional)
Instructions
Combine avocado, silken tofu and garlic clove (if using) in a food processor. Blend until smooth, scraping sides as necessary.
Add remaining ingredients to food processor and pulse a few times to begin blending the ingredients. Taste for seasoning and heat and add more salt/pepper/hot pepper sauce to taste. Continue pulsing until still chunky but mostly blended.
The texture is really a preference, so blend longer for a smoother dip and for less time for a more chunky dip. Scrape down the sides as needed.
Adjust the salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce to taste.
Transfer the dip to the serving bowl and stir in the chopped tomatoes if using. Serve with safe corn tortilla chips, or chopped veggies such as carrot, celery, and cucumber sticks.
Comments
I'm always trying to get more protein into my son, and adding it to his guacamole has worked like a charm. The addition of the tofu doesn't change the taste much at all. If anything, it makes the taste of the dish more mild than the
original.
We use Mori-nu brand silken tofu. It comes in a box and is shelf-stable.
Substitutions
You could use cilantro and lime to replace the parsley and lemon in this recipe.
I highly recommend using either garlic or onion or both, but, if you can't use either, this recipe will still be yummy, just add more hot pepper sauce to make up for the flavor. If avoiding garlic, be sure to check your hot sauce for added
garlic.
You can also chop up some ripe tomatoes and stir them into the dip once it's prepared. This is an especially nice touch when serving the dip with tortilla chips.
New recipes accessible to Family Membership subscribers:
Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
Phoebe's Brownies
Quick Rice Pudding
Magic Apple Pie
Dino's Favorite Sausage
Millet Banana Muffins
GF French Bread Mix
GF Pretzel Sticks
Simple Pear Crisp
Raspberry Coulis
For the entire list of new recipes added this month, go to the
Recipe Database and click on "new recipes" in the left navigation menu.
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Food allergy recalls |
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Food alerts! Have you checked the
food alerts section at KFA recently?
All of the food allergy alerts from the U.S. and Canada are listed on our Web site and are also posted in the News And Research Forum. You can also find links to the U.K. and Australian alerts, as well as kosher alerts.
The following foods were recently recalled. Check our Web site for complete details:
U.S. allergy recalls
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Wilton Industries, Wilton brand dark chocolate cocoa candy melts (undeclared milk)
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Harry & David Operations Corp., Harry & David candies (undeclared peanuts, almonds, pecans, walnuts and cashews)
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Energy Club, Inc. healthy California mix and raisin nut mix (undeclared sulfites)
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Greenleaf lemon bars (undeclared milk)
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Acapulco Bakery, Lorenzo brand conchas de sabor vainilla, cuernitos de canela, hojaldras, croissant and sweet Mexican bread (undeclared milk)
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Healthy Corner Foods chicken and turkey salads; and turkey, turkey salad, and chicken salad sandwiches (undeclared milk)
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Hempler Foods Group summer sausage (undeclared milk protein)
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Southeast Asian Foods fish paste, fish ball, and fish cake products (undeclared egg)
Canadian allergy recalls
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Wilton Industries, Wilton brand dark chocolate cocoa candy melts (undeclared milk)
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Sucharu International Ltd., People's Pantry, Nancy's Fancy and Maple Leaf Nut Co brands of croutons and snack mixes (undeclared milk, sesame seeds, soy and sulphites)
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Sanko-Seika Japanese rice crackers (undeclared egg, shrimp, fish, milk, sesame, soy and wheat)
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Hygaard Fine Foods Ltd. sandwiches (undeclared egg and soy)
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Canadian pre-packaged foods caution for people with food allergies (incomplete ingredient lists)
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Tickleberry's chocolate covered dried fruit (undeclared milk, soy, sulfites, peanuts and wheat)
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Finesse assorted dark chocolate (undeclared milk)
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Disclaimer |
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This newsletter is provided to you as a member and subscriber benefit and your use of it is in accordance with our Web site's
terms of service.
Kids With Food Allergies Inc. makes no representation, whatsoever, for the contents that may be contained in any of the sponsors or advertisers in this newsletter or the quality of any products, information, or other materials displayed,
purchased, or obtained by you as a result of an offer in connection with any ad.
Please follow the instructions at the bottom of the newsletter to unsubscribe if you no longer wish to be on our distribution list.
This newsletter is sent to all newsletter subscribers and registered members of Kids With Food Allergies.
Copyright (c) 2007, Kids With Food Allergies, Inc., all rights reserved.
Important notice
We will never sell, rent or trade your e-mail address to any other organization. Please see our
Privacy Policy.
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