Allergy Healthcare published a note.

4 months ago

Back to School...Ok so it may be a few weeks away but it’s time to start making sure that your child is ‘Allergy Ready’ for school. Here’s a few things to consider...

ALLERGY REVIEW

Having an allergy review is important before your child initially starts nursery or school, and whenever they move from one school environment to another, such as infants to junior school or primary to secondary. Once your child starts school their allergy reviews will become less frequent as the immune system is more mature and allergies tend not to change as much as during the pre school years. However it is important to make sure you know what your child is still allergic to, that you have the right medications and management plan, and keep your child’s school up to date with any changes.

GOOD COMMUNICATION

If possible try and meet with your child’s teacher before school starts to discuss their allergies. This might include

Safe snacks.

Managing activities and lessons that may include food.

Birthday treats such as cakes and sweets brought in by other children.

The Anaphylaxis Campaign has a school’s allergy awareness resource pack for teachers designed to facilitate an allergy awareness session for infant and primary school age children (key stages 1 and 2) and a free ALLERGYWISE training course for teachers.

Talk with your child to make sure they are aware of their allergy and that they must always check food that might be offered to them.

BE PREPARED

If your child needs an adrenaline autoinjector, make sure that you visit the device specific website which have useful resources such a VIDEO DEMONSTRATION of when and how to give Adrenaline, an EXPIRY ALERT service to ensure you are aware when to reorder devices, an order service for TRAINER PRACTICE PENS to allow you, family and friends to familiarise yourself with how to use the Adrenaline pen and MOBILE PHONE APPS to help you manage your allergy.

www.epipen.co.uk www.emerade-bausch.co.uk www.jext.co.uk

ALLERGY EMERGENCY KIT:

It is the schools responsibility to ensure the staff are trained to deal with Allergy however it is your responsibility as a parent to ensure the school is aware of your child’s allergies, to provide them with an Allergy Emergency Kit and Allergy Action Plan, and to ensure the medications in the kit are kept in date.

Allergy Action Plan: This provides details of your child’s allergies, prescribed medications and how to recognise and treat allergic reactions. Device specific Allergy Action plans are available here if you do not have one, however they do need to be signed by a healthcare professional. www.bsaci.org/about/pag-allergy-action-plans







Antihistamine (syrup or tablets).

Adrenaline Autoinjector pen/s: NICE and MHRA guidelines recommend that TWO Devices are available at all times for use in an emergency. In practice this usually means that in Primary school TWO devices should be included in your child’s school emergency kit, with TWO in the home kit. Once at secondary school your child should be carrying their own ‘home’ emergency kit with TWO devices available. If so school may not request a kit or may just need one AAI provided.

Asthma RELIEVER inhaler for those children prescribed one.

UNIVERSITY

Students going to university are often, for the first time, managing their allergies on their own and face many challenges from living in shared accommodation, taking responsibility for their medication, to eating in restaurants and going on nights out. The Anaphylaxis campaign has produced a useful booklet for young adults starting University. www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/schools/universities/allergies-at-university/ ... See MoreSee Less