A mom’s decision to let her daughter eat a PB&J sandwich at Target has sparked a heated debate about how communities should deal with food allergies. What are the social rules when it comes to peanut allergies? Should people be expected to stop eating peanut products in public?
“Has it become unacceptable to eat peanut butter in public? DD (Dear daughter) was eating PB&J at a store today and a woman stopped me to lecture me about peanut allergies,” the mom wrote on the parenting forum UrbanBaby.
New research suggests that almost 2.5 percent of U.S. children have peanut allergies, an increase of 21 percent since 2010. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) has reported that about 1.1 percent of people in the U.S. have a tree nut and/or peanut allergy. Of those hospitalized for anaphylaxis, about 63 to 99 are fatal per year in the U.S. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology also said it’s highly unlikely for casual exposure to peanut butter, such as coming into skin contact with the peanut product, would spark a major allergic reaction.
But it’s also good to remember that not every study applies to every family, and for moms who have kids with potential food allergies, every day can feel like a leap of faith. The question is, how much are you willing to do to keep other kids safe?
