In response to "Are Nut Allergies Taking Over the Planet?", it might do the author well to get more information from a doctor before writing such an article. The very nature of nut allergies are unpredictable. So, my son, who has only had one reaction to peanut butter, may have had a mild anaphylactic reaction, but that doesn't mean his next reaction will be mild. His next reaction could be life threatening. Nut allergies are one of the most unpredictable of all the allergies.

I was surprised to see that you took it upon yourself to decide you knew your child's classmates allergies better than that child's own father did. We take PRECAUTIONS! This means doing things that are sometimes not necessary, but it helps keep our child SAFER and sometimes SAFE. If we could predict just how severe a reaction might be, we wouldn't take half the precautions we do. Do you think I don't want my son enjoying birthday cake with the rest of his friends? I want to take him for ice cream on a hot summer night- I can't- not without risking his life. I want him to go to a friend's house and play without a care in the world- to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich- to bring cupcakes to school on his birthday- to go trick or treating and eat 1/2 a bag of candy before he gets home- he has lost a part of his right as a child to be carefree. You write as though we like the attention this brings to our children- and that perhaps we somehow get something out of asking something of you. If science tells me that each of his next reactions would be mild, then I wouldn't ask you to take the crackers home- I wouldn't keep peanut butter from schools- I would push for him to have his cupcakes on his birthday. But, I am told that his tiny throat could close up and his blood pressure could drop so low, that he could die. And sometimes this happens because people like you think they know someone else's allergies better than their parents. We are asking you to help keep our children safe- we can't do that without you. Perhaps a big inconvienence for you, but never for me.