Customer Reviews

Flourishing with Food Allergies: Social, Emotional and Practical Guidance for Families with Young Children

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you have children with food allergies or suspect that your children may be allergic to certain foods, do yourself and your family a favor and read this book. It is thorough, authoritative, clearly written, and about as close to a "bible" on the subject as exists.

Anderson combines personal experiences stories, case histories and the latest research to show the reader how children and parents can not only cope with allergies to common foods such as wheat, diary, peanuts, tree nuts, etc., but how they can flourish in a world of dietary danger. Beginning with her own experience with two children who are allergic to certain foods--and not the same ones--Anderson shows the reader how to avoid the dangerous foods and how to cope with situations involving the dangerous foods. This is essential since some allergic reactions can be life-threatening.

She also shows how she personally dealt with denial and guilt and then took a pro-active acceptance stand while alerting the reader to the many pitfalls along the way, such as what can happen in preschool and after as your children interact with a world that doesn't realize that they are allergic and must be kept away from certain foods. Anderson made her own personal decision not to send her children to pre-school because of the dangers. For a child allergic to milk, for example, sometimes just the particles of cheese in the air during a pizza party can bring about an attack. Or even bits of the allergen on the fingers of classmates may spell out danger to the susceptible child.

In the next section of the book, Anderson presents stories from other parents of allergic children. These case histories are valuable because they recount different experiences with which readers may identify. These differing experiences can lead readers to recognize situations similar to their own so that potential mistakes are avoided. In the third section entitled "Theories, Facts and Findings," Anderson lays bare some fallacies about food allergies while bringing readers up to date on the latest research. She presents and critiques some of the latest theories from around the world.

Part 2, "The Solutions," begins with "Perspectives" in which two pediatricians, a naturopath, a specialist in allergies, and a psychologist are interviewed. Anderson asks them about their experiences and their recommendations for treatment and how allergic children and their parents might be helped socially and emotionally in dealing with allergy. Then she turns to her husband who presents his experience as a father of two food-allergic children. He recounts the stages of paralysis, avoidance, frustration, ... and finally acceptance that most of us would have to go through before finding a way forward. Anderson ends with an in-depth look at diet and how to avoid the main allergens that may be hiding in everyday foods in the supermarket. Finally, there is a section on social situations where parents and their allergic children have to be careful such as at birthday parties, at school or while traveling. Anderson gives detailed and specific advice on what to expect and what to do about it.

Although "empowering" is a word often overused these days, I can say without the shadow of a doubt that the parent who has this book will be greatly empowered in the day-to-day challenge of raising happy and healthy food-allergic children. Grandparents and professionals who work with children would also empower both themselves and children in their care by reading this enormously helpful book.

As a mother of a young child with severe food allergies, I thought FLOURISHING WITH FOOD ALLERGIES: SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, AND PRACTICAL GUIDANCE FOR FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN by A. Anderson would be a very useful book. I consider myself a pretty educated mother on the topic of food allergies, but I'm always looking for new-to-me information about how best to handle this issue.

I admit that this book has been sitting on my shelves for some time because when I skimmed through the book, I discovered that it really wasn't what I was expecting. This book does have its share of helpful information, but I think it is geared more to parents who have just discovered that their kid has food allergies. I didn't really learn a lot of new things specifically about food allergies and how to best handle them with my son.

Initially, I was drawn to the idea that this book discussed the "social, emotional, and practical guidance" aspect of having a child with food allergies. I was hoping that this book would help me help my child deal with his allergies. I wanted "advice" on how to teach him and his friends about his allergies. In addition, I wanted assistance in explaining to him why he can't eat what other kids are eating and how not to make him feel left out. (I would have loved a listing of educational books or DVDs that deal with food allergies.) There were some helpful hints about how to handle parties and school and ingredient listings, but the book was still lacking for me -- maybe it's because I have thoroughly researched food allergies on my own over the past five years.

I found that the author tended to write about her personal experiences a little too much for me rather than focusing on the general. She was probably trying to show the reader that others are experiencing the same situation, but it just didn't appeal to me. Much of the book's audience might like this aspect of the book; however, I often times had issues with her basic philosophies about food, allergies, and child-rearing. For example, there is a section of the book devoted to why the author chose not to send her boys to preschool as well as another section explaining how to prepare them for kindergarten. I don't want to make it sound like the author judged parents who make different decisions the she did -- because she didn't. I just don't think details on how to educationally prepare your child for kindergarten is relevant in a book about food allergies.

Another thing that I found confusing about this book were the sections devoted to other parents talking about their experiences with their children's food allergies. I can pretty much guarantee that some of the testimonials will ring true, but I found myself getting very overwhelmed with all the different information that was thrown out. I had a similar reaction to the sections of the book where professionals discussed their opinions about food allergies. One thing's for sure, there is definitely not any agreement as to what causes food allergies or what to do about them. Later in the book, the author mentions that she was deliberating showing all of the differences to highlight that a great deal of research still needs to be conducted.

And ultimately, that's where I found myself agreeing most with the book. There are lots of children and families whose lives are deeply affected by severe food allergies; and there doesn't seem to be a general consensus about how to best handle them. I commend the author for tackling a lot of these issues even though I didn't always agree with her. I liked that the author provided a sample letter in the back of the book to write to your elected representatives requesting more money and research for food allergies. I think it's something that every parent of children with food allergies should send.

This book is a wonderful resource for parents. I am a speech-language pathologist and am thrilled that there is such a wonderful book to recommend to parents of children with food allergies. It offers practical, useful information and lets parents know that living with food allergies is truly manageable!

This is a wonderful book! It is so great to know that other parents are going through similar situations. It is also nice to know that you can live successfully with food allergies.

Reviewed By Kelly Jad'on
From Basil & Spice

Have you ever taken your child to to the allergist only to be told that he probably won't live, because his allergies are so numerous that they're life-threatening? I have. That was 14 years ago. Today my son is six feet tall and a member of his school's weight-lifting team.

Today, four out of every 100 kids in the United States has a food allergy, and there is no cure.

A recent study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology has shown that "obese children and adolescents are at increased risk of having some kind of allergy, especially to a food." The rate for these kids is 59% higher than that of children who are not obese.

* Peanut allergy has doubled in children between 1997 and 2002.
* In 2007, 3.9% of children under age 18 had a food or digestive allergy.
* Between 1997 and 2007, reported food allergy increased 18% among those under age 18.
* Kids with food allergies are two to four times more likely to also have asthma and other related conditions.
* Between 2004 and 2006, 9,500 children were sent to the hospital with a food allergy problem.
* Each year in the United States, 150 people die of anaphylaxis.

Food allergies are on the rise, and scientists aren't sure why. Commonplace in schools are peanut-free lunch tables and emergency EpiPens® for treating anaphylactic reactions. The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (CDC) reports that more schools are obtaining food allergy information from students to be placed in their permanent records. Until more people and institutions are aware of food allergy and know how to prevent a reaction, mothers will worry.

A. Anderson, speaker and advocate for families an professionals who care for children with allergies has written Flourishing With Food Allergies: Social, Emotional and Practical Guidance For Families with Young Children. Ms. Anderson, an award-winning (Yale University) writer, felt forced into her role after her two sons were diagnosed with food allergies. I feel for her. We wish to take away a child's disease, handicap, syndrome, or illness---but cannot. Feeling cornered, parents look for help. Most often, assistance comes in the form of other mothers' advice. Author Anderson has collected the biographical stories of other children from around the globe, as told by their parents. They discuss the origins of the allergies, explain how they were diagnosed, or misdiagnosed and treated. Topics range from problems in social situations with allergy-causing foods to epipens.Flourishing With Food Allergies also outlines current research in the United States, as compared with other developed countries. Currently, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has given $5 million in grants for innovative studies into food allergy.

Anderson's book sets aside the myths of food allergy; for example many believe that most people are allergic to strawberries and tomatoes. In actuality, the top eight allergens are: dairy, egg, peanut, tree nut, soy, wheat, fish, and shellfish. Anderson instead, focuses on the facts.

Whole chapters of Flourishing With Food Allergies are given over to the relativity of autism, ADHD, and asthma. The author points out the detrimental effects of pesticides, antibiotics, and hormones in our food, citing several important studies. Written perspectives of pediatricians, allergists, a naturopath, and a clinical psychologist are included. Anderson adds research into cross-reactionary substances and the usefulness of probiotics in treating food allergy. "Probiotics primarily help the body maintain a balance of good bacteria, which in turn helps protect us from illness." She cites a study from Finland and published in The Lancet (2001) which has shown that probiotics "may help with eczema, food allergies and asthma." Good food sources are yogurt and kefir.

A complete section is devoted to social situations--school emergencies, teacher awareness, preschool, friends' homes, travel--both domestic and abroad. What's on the horizon? A new type of food allergy treatment is being explored in the European Union, where about 10 million citizens are affected, many allergic to fruit and fish. The FAST project utilizes modified variants of allergic proteins that are hypoallergenic, rather than traditional injections allergen-specific immunotherapy which has the potential side effect of anaphylaxis.

Anderson's book has recently been selected as a resource by the European Union, listed in the USDA's National Agricultural Library, and featured by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation. As a mother who has struggled with overwhelming food allergies, asthma, "special" school lunches, and the ignorance of the food allergy issue in the public, I have found Flourishing With Food Allergies to be an exceptional book by A. Anderson, who is both mother and advocate.

Flourishing With Food Allergies (Papoose Publishing/ Jul 2008) by A. Anderson (5 Stars)

Food Allergies can crop up far more often than one would think, and can change the way some live their lives. "Flourishing With Food Allergies: Social, Emotional, and Practical Guidance for Families with Young Children" is a guide for parents of children who suffer from food allergies. Chapters are filled with tips on finding proper medical care, and keeping one's children away from allergens when they are at social situations or school. Enhanced with a bibliography and appendix, "Flourishing With Food Allergies" should be considered a first pick for any parent of a child with food allergies.

This book is very helpful in the sense that it addresses the emotional and social issues that families go through when dealing with food allergies. It's comforting to hear others are going through similar experiences and learn how they handled it. An informative & interesting read! Thank you A. Anderson!

Living with food allergies can be difficult, overwhelming and emotionally challenging. This book helps families deal with all of the emotions they might encounter. It is so well written and easy to read. Much like you are having a conversation with a friend. I loved the various stories, insights and found that I learned something new from each section of the book. A must read for families living with food allergies. Here is a review as posted on the [...]

If you have a child, family member or friends with food allergies then reading Flourishing with Food Allergies is a must read. This is one of the most comprehensive books on food allergies that I have read to date and I have read many. It provides the emotional support and tools that can help empower you in guiding your child's way in managing to live successfully with food allergies and not in fear. For my regular readers, I have shared that I have a 10 year old son who has dealt with major food allergies since he was 1 year old. He has outgrown many allergies but has consistently had peanut and tree nut allergies which are anaphylactic and life threatening. Recently we have had new allergies develop and it's a rigorous and stressful process trying to figure out what is going on as we work closely with our son's allergist and gastroenterologist.

The author, Ms. Anderson is the mother of two young children with food allergies. She presents a positive and practical approach to her journey of learning to deal with and manage life as a family with children who have food allergies. The book is broken down into sections and in the first section the author shares her personal story and the stories of 14 other parents from around the world. I believe that this is very helpful to families as you can read these experiences and relate to them and to know that you are not alone, share common feelings, and get new ideas and options that may help you handle a situation that you are personally experiencing. Personally, I found this section to have almost too much information and would have preferred some editing to the authors story and details of her life. With the 14 parents stories, they have captions so that you can pick and choose what you are interested in reading or that may apply to you at the time or to refer to at a later date. I say this as reading a book on any medical topic that relates to a child or a family member is most likely already a stressful and overwhelming situation that can trigger emotions. For me, I could not sit down and read this book all at once but had to read it in sections.

There is truly a wealth of information in Ms. Anderson's book Flourishing with Food Allergies that covers myths, facts and findings from all over the world that relate to food allergies. She addresses concerns over Genetically Modified Foods vs Organic as well as pesticides, antibiotics and hormones and how they effect the immune system and allergies. Ms Anderson sites research and studies to support this with detailed End Notes. This is something that I personally agree with and am in the process of researching and transitioning to choosing more organic and locally grown foods.

Ms. Anderson shares perspectives from various doctors and medical professionals including pediatricians, allergists, naturopaths and psychologists. As an added bonus, there is a chapter from Ms. Anderson's husband who is honest in sharing his feelings and experiences from a husband/father's perspective. This is an excellent chapter for a father of a child with food allergies to read.

There is a section on Diet which covers the big eight allergens (dairy, soy, egg, wheat, fish, shellfish, peanuts and tree nuts), ingredient information, dietary information, and information on Probiotics/acidophulus that may help with food allergies, which I found very interesting. Ms. Anderson has written an article for Natural Products Marketplace called Natural Supplements for Children with Allergies in which she highlights probiotics and other supplements. This is important to read and review and discuss with your child's allergist.

The final section covers social situations which is very thorough in discussing ways to handle birthday parties, friends, play dates and outings, preschool and kindergarten/school readiness. This section is chock full of information related towards younger children and from what I understood, Ms. Anderson had 2 children under the age of 4 at the time of writing this book. I would have loved to have had this book available to me as a resource when my son was entering preschool. Fortunately, I had a neighbor who had an older child with similar allergies and had educated my son's preschool and I continued the process as my son was at the preschool. School issues are ones that you have to prepare for with a child with food allergies and this is a great resource to help someone through this process. As I have an elementary aged son going into 5th grade, there wasn't much information in the book geared toward entering elementary school or the grades beyond. I'm assuming it may be due to the fact that Ms. Anderson hadn't experienced that yet as a parent while writing the book. I did appreciate the perspectives featured from both Grammar school (elementary) and Middle School teachers and found them very helpful to see their viewpoints as teachers in the classrooms. With that said, I have communicated via email with the publisher who shared with me that Ms. Anderson's older son just finished kindergarten and is now entering first grade. We are working on arranging a follow up guest post/interview with Ms. Anderson that I will feature here sometime in the next month or two as I would love to hear her perspectives from her school experiences with her son and share them with you.

This last section on social situations also covered travel including Ms. Anderson's own experiences as well as airline guidelines related to specific airlines. I appreciated this information as it is challenging as a parent to contact each airline to find out what their individual policies are related to foods and allergies. I would still double check to verify this information but Ms. Anderson gave extensive and detailed information that was very informative to know. She also addresses international travel and has an extensive list of International Emergency Telephone numbers that covered 6 1/2 pages. This is the type of book that would be highly beneficial to take along while traveling internationally.

Lastly, Ms Anderson encourages readers to reach out to government and let our voices be heard and to give more attention to food allergy research. Included is a sample letter that can be freely copied to send to a congress person.


I don't recall how much Ms. Anderson references finding and being involved in parent support groups. There is not an index at the back of the book which would have been helpful to locate information as you can only rely upon the table of contents. I highly recommend finding a local food allergy support group or starting one of your own, especially if you are just learning a child has food allergies. I am involved in a small, local group of parents who live in my community and I have found it very helpful to share information, support each other, provide education to our local schools, find information about doctors etc.