Managing children with food allergies in childcare and school

In the past decade the rise in life-threatening allergic reactions to foods in young children has necessitated increased interaction among personnel in the psychosocial, medical, and educational arenas regarding the multifaceted aspects of this concerning problem. Schools and childcare facilities are vital venues for the continued growth and development of children outside the home. However, these facilities offer unique challenges to caring for the food-allergic child, requiring that the medical, educational, and caretaking communities work in unison to provide the safest environment for all children. Despite the potential obstacles, these settings offer a tremendous opportunity for the development and implementation of strategies to provide for proper identification of children at risk, to increase awareness and prevention, and for the provision of optimal treatment of food-related anaphylactic reactions occurring outside the home.