I was just informed that I am no longer allowed to pack peanut butter sandwiches in my 8 year old’s lunch box at daycare. Why? For fear that some other 8 year old, who is allergic to peanuts, may take a bite and have an allergic reaction (or worse, die). I say, an 8 year old who is allergic to peanuts should know better than to take a big ‘ol bite of my daughter’s peanut butter sandwich. But, we have to protect the children…
Did you know that 50-100* people die of peanut related allergies each year? Even 1 person dying from eating peanuts is tragic but, compare that to the number of deaths by unintentional poisoning…27,531!*
Peanut butter was once the staple of lunch boxes around the playground but now has been labeled as poison.
Here’s something to think about: 36,171 people die from the seasonal flu each year. 288 children drown in pools. And there are approximately 33,289 suicides each year.
I wonder. Are we scaring ourselves silly? Is it over-reactive to ban peanut butter when there are other, more serious, things to be concerned about?
One more thing: My friend unintentionally over-dosed her daughter on prescription cough syrup when the pharmacist mistyped the Rx on the bottle! She was giving her 3-4 times the recommended dosage. Her little girl could have died if she had not called her doctor when her daughter was not waking up. Always, always be sure you get clear instructions from your doctor on how much medicine to give your child. Write it down while talking to your doctor so that if there is ever a question you can refer to notes. *Annual Averages & Estimates. (Source: Newsweek)
Have Faith Everyday 