Argelia Salgado
UWP1
Theresa Walsh
11/27/13
A New “Normal” for Children with Food Allergies
Introduction
Nicole’s first allergic reaction to peanuts happened when she was just a year old.
A small taste of peanut butter caused her then tiny body to break out in hives and for her
whole life to change. Eating became a task filled with fear and stress for her and her
family. At the age of twelve she experienced her first anaphylaxis reaction and unable to
breathe she was rushed to the emergency room. After coming so close to death she
realized just how dangerous her allergy was. A few years later upon entering her biology
class her first day of freshmen year in high school, she was once again faced with threat.
Students were making peanut butter sandwiches as part of an experiment and when she
had to tell her teacher in front of the whole class about her life-threatening allergy she felt
humiliated. She was also completely embarrassed by the first impression she had just
given her new peers. (FARE)
Today three in ten families will have a child diagnosed with a chronic condition.
(R1) With one out of every ten children having a chronic condition so severe that they
require special supervision and care. (R1) Food allergies are just one of many chronic
conditions. Six to eight percent of all children suffer from food allergies. (R2) And 150
people die each year in the U.S after experiencing severe reactions to foods. (R2)
Understanding the psychological effects of chronic conditions, such as food
allergies, in children in the U.S is one of the most important steps in helping them attain a
better quality of life. The focus of this paper will be to describe the psychological effects
of chronic conditions in young children. In order to narrow the data, my discussion will
be limited to the psychological effects of food allergies in children. I will describe how
anxiety, uncertainty, defining a new “normal,” and bullying contribute as negative factors
in the psychological well-being of a child living with food allergies. Through my
description of these factors, I will demonstrate the importance of emotional support for a
child living with food allergies.
What are chronic conditions?
A chronic condition is defined as one that lasts longer than three months. (R1)
The diagnosis of a chronic condition is the initial and most difficult time in the child’s
new life. After diagnosis children are faced with new limitations, over protecting parents,
and the need to re-establish their lives. The child’s life must now be lived on a day-to-day
basis, as a tomorrow is not always guaranteed.
Food Allergies as a Chronic Condition
Children living with food allergies as a chronic condition have one of the best
understandings of what it means to live on a day-to-day basis. Food allergies consist of
the failure of the immune system to develop tolerance or maintain tolerance to the
proteins of certain foods. (WebMD)Food intolerances are often confused with food
allergies but unlike actual allergies they are not all involved with the immune system.
(WebMD) An individual can be may be unable to digest certain foods but it does not
mean he or she is allergic to the food. Fish, peanut, egg, soy, wheat, shellfish, tree nut,
and cow’s milk have been identified as the eight most common food allergens in
individuals.(R2)
The most important threat to individuals with food allergies is the risk of
experiencing an anaphylaxis reaction. Anaphylaxis is a sudden, dangerous, and
potentially fatal reaction that involves the skin as well as several major systems including
the gastrointestinal system, respiratory system, and the cardiovascular system. It results in
difficulty breathing, a drop in blood pressure, and when proper care is not given
immediately it can result in death. (R5)
Feelings of Anger and of Loss
When faced with the possibility of death and various other restrictions it should
come as no surprise that children experience an initial feeling of anger and loss with their
diagnosis. Food allergies as any other chronic condition changes the definition of
“childhood” for a child. Due to the danger of exposure to the allergen and the extreme
care they require, they are often restricted from attending parties, sleep overs, going on
vacations, and sometimes even simply having dinner at restaurants. Young children are
aware of the restrictions their parents place on them and realize for their safety but seeing
other children is a constant reminder of what they have lost. Feelings of loss and grief
come as a result of losing control over their emotions, relationships with friends, their
bodies, the allergy, but most importantly over their life. Even though children are young
they are not blind to the world, if anything a child with an allergy is more aware of the
world around them because their life depends on it.
A Life Filled with Uncertainty
For many children living with food allergies it often feels as if no matter how
vigilant they are of the world around them it is never enough. Allergic reactions can
occur at any time and in any place, even when the child and their family have ensured
that the environment is “safe.” Uncertainty always remains present in the mind of a child
with a food allergy who can never be guaranteed with full certainty that what he puts it in
his mouth, the things and people he interacts with, or the places he visits wont result in a
deadly reaction. A small error on a product’s food label, cross-contamination, or even
shaking someone’s hand that came in contact with the allergen is enough to elicit a
reaction. (R4)It is to no surprise that, “Living with uncertainty affects a child’s sense of
control, beliefs about risk, level of vigilance, and confidence in safety.”(R5 pg 3) It is
frustrating and upsetting for a child when they adhere to strict restrictions, always carry
with them a sense of fear, and still experience a reaction. It becomes a roller coaster of
emotions for the child when their only sources of protection are restrictions from the
world around them and a painful epipen injection in case a reaction could not be
prevented.
Experience of Anxiety
Relying on so little for safety and being afraid of so much can lead children to
experience severe levels of anxiety. An important influencing factor in the child’s anxiety
is the parent’s reaction and attitude towards the allergy. Parents who remain calm and
maintain a positive outlook have been found to help children experience lower levels of
anxiety and to take a proactive approach in protecting their health. However, parents who
demonstrated high levels of anxiety through over protective behaviors, raised children
with higher levels of anxiety and placed them at risk for developing mental health
problems. (R4) Children with chronic conditions have been found twice as much at risk
for developing mental health problems than healthy children. (R5) Despite the negative
consequences that anxiety may have, experts believe that small levels of anxiety can
actually be beneficial to the child. (R4) Maintaining small levels of anxiety reminds the
child the severity of their allergy and that they must protect themselves as best as they
can.
Establishing a New “Normal”
Adapting to the anxiety, the restrictions, the uncertainty, and the allergy as a
whole, requires children and their families to create a new “normal.” Children are no
longer able to play, interact with others, or experience life as they go without worrying
about a reaction. “If kids are normal, not sick, they like to be treated special. But if kids
have a disease, they want to be treated normal. (11-year-old girl”(R-5) Living with a
chronic condition such as a food allergy changes the world for a child as Nicole described
in her story. Children must now live on a day-to-day basis with no guarantee that there
will indeed be a tomorrow.
Every child develops his own definition of a new “normal” differently. Some
children define a new normal in terms of safety and acceptance and understanding from
their loved ones. For other children, a new “normal” consists of being able to freely
interact within the real world and to be seen as normal. The last group consists of
children trying to find a balance between the previous two. (R1) No matter what the new
“normal” becomes it is a crucial step in subsiding some of the negative psychological
effects of food allergies. During this transition the child learns to find an appropriate
balance between experiencing a close to a “normal” childhood as possible and taking the
necessary the precautions to avoid a reaction. Since developing a new “normal” is a
process that requires the involvement of the whole family, it is also a time when children
realize they are cared for and loved by others.
Importance of Emotional Support
Very often parents, ‘“parents underestimate the negative impact food allergy has
on the quality of life of their child. It was found that parents reported significantly less
impact of food allergy on the quality of life of their child than the children
themselves.”(R5) This demonstrates that parents are not aware of the severe effect food
allergies have on the psychological well-being of children. In order for parents and
families to be able to provide adequate support to the child, they must first have a good
understanding of what the child is feeling. Often parents become so focused on
preventing a reaction that they fail to recognize that the emotional well-being of the child
is just as important as the physical.
Conclusion
If a child is mentally and emotionally strong they are better able to endure the
negative changes associated with having a food allergy. An increase in understanding of
the psychological effects of chronic conditions such as food allergies would result in a
better lifestyle for these children. This newly found understanding must be used to
provide children the necessary support that addresses the multiple psychological effects
of living with a food allergy. Anger, loss, uncertainty, anxiety and the need to develop a
new “normal” can be managed by helping the child see that they are not alone and that
their allergy does not define every aspect of who they are. Education in regards to food
allergies and their psychological effects should not be limited to the family members of
the children. At one point or another in our lives we may have to interact or take care of a
child with food allergies and thus we must be prepared to help them prevent more than
just a allergic reaction.
References
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