Tips to Make Halloween Less Scary for Food-Allergic Kids

Food allergies can quickly weigh down holiday fun. Halloween treats may contain prime allergy-causing ingredients like eggs, milk, peanuts, and even wheat. A bite of the wrong piece of candy could throw a child into an allergic tailspin, but thankfully, there are precautionary measures parents can take to limit potential reactions at Halloween events.

1. Plan non-food focused activities

Halloween can be about far more than candy. Get involved in helping to plan school and church parties. Help with games and activities that don’t center on food.

2. Inform the host of the Halloween party

Class party? Inform the teacher well in advance about your child’s allergies. As she/he (or other parents) are planning the party, they can be sure to include non-allergy causing treats. The same goes for neighborhood and church parties. A little communication goes a long way.

3. Escort them

If you’re nervous about a party your child has been invited to, or if your child is too young to make informed decisions about safe food, go with them. That will allow you to approve questionable foods and be close in case there is a food-related allergic reaction.

4. Be prepared

Sometimes, no matter how much effort is made, the unthinkable happens. If you know that your child has extreme allergic reactions, such as anaphylaxis, make sure to have self-injectable epinephrine around for Halloween. For serious allergy sufferers, epinephrine should be readily available at all times, but especially during occasions with higher chances of exposure to allergens.

Tired of food allergies?

A growing body of research affirms sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) as an effective treatment for food allergies. With SLIT, allergy drops are absorbed under the tongue, gradually desensitizing people to food allergens that previously caused allergic reactions. If you are looking for long-term relief from food allergies, contact AllergyEasy for more information about SLIT.