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My daughters' dance recital was this weekend and it got me thinking that many of you may be facing dance recitals, variety shows and school plays as we enter the spring season.

Despite the fact that many of these shows prohibit food backstage, it does tend to be everywhere, mainly because kids get hungry during long rehearsals. Also, I've found that parent volunteers tend to bring snacks to appease the kiddos. At a previous dance recital, I remember being told that no food was allowed backstage, only to find out from my daughter that she was being offered food right and left. In shows, as with life in general with a nut allergy, it pays to assume that there will always be food to deal with.

Even though you'll be super busy getting kids in costume, at the rehearsals on time and with all of their lines and/or dance steps memorized, you can't leave food allergies to chance. Here are a few things I've found to be helpful during "show time."

1. Make sure that key people (teachers, parents, whoever is helping out with your child's group) knows about your child's allergies. Take the time to introduce yourself at rehearsals and ask them not to give your child any food backstage unless it's been approved by you. You should also provide your cell-phone number in case of emergency.

2. Provide a safe snack and drink for you child, clearly labeled and marked with their full name. Oliver's Labels are a great choice because they also will say "No Nuts" in addition to your child's name. This will prevent water bottle mix ups and such that often occur during the chaos of practices and performances.

3. Depending on your child's age and ability to communicate about their allergy, consider a "safety tattoo." Available from One Step Ahead these will not interfere with your child's costume (like a medical I.D. tag) and will alert bystanders and helpers to your child's food allergy.

4. Pack Epi Pen, Benadryl and clear, easy-to-read usage instructions with your child. You will also want to list symptoms of an allergy in case an emergency occurs.

5. Volunteer to help if you can (especially for younger children.) I've done this in the past and never regretted it, even if I've had to miss some parts of the show. Dance performances and plays are notoriously chaotic backstage.

6. Ask to see the labels of any makeup and hair products that will be used on your child before the performance or during rehearsals. Some cosmetics and hair products contain nut oils that can be absorbed through the skin.

And remember, once you've taken your precautions, enjoy the show! It's rewarding to see your child get up there in front of an audience and there is no reason why they can't. Just be cautious, do your homework and then get ready for applause!

Welcome to the latest edition of the Living with Food Allergies Blog Carnival! I think you'll find a great variety of articles today. Thanks to everyone who posted!

Fred Lee presents Effective Treatment For Peanut Allergies In Children posted at Parenting Squad.

Alice Enevoldsen presents Blondies posted at Safe and Yummy. Alice says: "I needed a brownie fix - so here's a no-egg, no-milk, no-nuts, no-chocolate option. Still has wheat though!!"

Alison offers resources for college students living with food allergies at Food allergies in college posted at Sure Foods Living.

Colette Martin also contemplates college and food allergies with Making the College Choice When You Have Food Allergies posted at Learning to Eat Allergy Free - Multiple Food Allergies.


Lara DeHaven presents Valentine's Day Cookies posted at Texas Homesteader. Lara says: "Even though Valentine's Day has come and gone, the gluten-free cookie recipe given in this article can be easily adapted for any occasion."


Nicole Smith presents How to Get Food Allergy Legislation Introduced in Your State posted at Nicole Smith.

Ruth Lovett Smith provides great tips for summer camp with her post Summer Camp and Food Allergies posted at Food Allergy & Gluten Free Guide: Best Allergy Sites. Ruth says: "It will be summer before you know it. Start planning for summer camp now--especially if you have a child with food allergies." Great advice!

Food Allergy Assistant provides some new insights into the rise of peanut allergy with The History of Peanut Allergies posted at Food Allergy Assistant saying "This new book takes a unique look at the question we've all been asking, "Where did all these peanut allergies come from?". Read the first chapter for free. It's truly eye-opening."

Tricia Hodges offers a trio of posts for us today beginning with Sunbutter posted at Hodgepodge. She also offers meal planning advice for food allergy parents with Meal Planning, Mixes. Tricia explains: "Meal planning helps me keep my two children with peanut/tree nut allergies safe. It is minimal effort with mega results!"

Tricia also offers us a Dad's eye view with Allergy Challenge. This post was written by her husband.

Finally, we have Lisa of Let's Talk Babies with Nut Allergies: Teaching Your Child to Steer Clear.

Just a quick note to remind all of you fellow food allergy bloggers about the Living With Food Allergies Blog Carnival that I'm hosting this Thursday.

The deadline is Wednesday night, so click here to submit an article.

Thanks! I'm looking forward to reading your entries.

I recently received this news from FAAN (Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network) regarding new tree nut allergy research. This is exciting because tree nut allergy has not been studied to this extent before.

Here's the press release:

FAAN Awards 2010 Research Grants
Funded Studies Focus on Tree Nut Immunotherapy and the Economic Impact of Food Allergy

FAIRFAX, Va. (Feb. 25, 2010) – Two research studies with the potential for strong impact on the food allergy community have been awarded grants through the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network’s (FAAN) Research Grant Program.

This year’s grant winners are:
• Stacie Jones, M.D., Arkansas Children’s Hospital
• David Holdford, M.D., Virginia Commonwealth University

Dr. Jones and her team will receive funding to develop tree nut-specific immunotherapy for people who have multiple tree nut allergies. Considerable progress has been made using oral immunotherapy approaches for other food allergens, but this will be the first study to focus on the treatment of multiple tree nut allergies.
“The studies supported by FAAN, as typified by Dr. Jones’ study of tree nut allergy treatment, are critical as they provide the transition from basic research to the development of an intervention for patients with food allergy,” said Dr. Andrew Saxon of the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and the chairman of FAAN’s Research Advisory Board. “This brings us closer to having a treatment protocol that can be put into practice for individuals with food allergies.”

Dr. Holdford will examine the economic impact of food allergy and anaphylaxis in the U.S. No published studies have explored the costs related to this medical condition that affects 12 million Americans. Holdford plans to analyze both the direct and indirect costs of food allergy – ranging from expenses related to ambulance runs to lost work productivity.

“We hope that a better understanding of the financial burdens associated with food allergy will lead to increased government funding of food allergy research,” said Maria Acebal, FAAN Vice President and General Counsel.
Both of the studies have the potential to provide needed evidence in areas that previously have not received much attention. Forty-one researchers applied to FAAN for funding this year. FAAN’s competitive Research Grant Program is one of the organization's most popular initiatives. The program, which is 100 percent funded by members and other individual donors, has provided over $4.6 million for food allergy research over the past several years.

For more information or to support FAAN’s research efforts, visit www.foodallergy.org.

Plus, the FAAN 2010 Conferences, "Respect Every Bite" are coming up! The first is March 27th in Baltimore, followed by Conferences in Tarrytown, NY, Oakbrook, IL and more! Click here for more info and to register. This year's conference looks better than any I've seen before, with breakout sessions for grandparents and babysitters as well as special sessions for teens. I'll be at the Oakbrook conference, so maybe I'll see you there.