The haunted happenings of Halloween children activities are upon us and soon we’ll be carving pumpkins, dressing in costumes and telling spooky stories.

But if your child has a food allergy, what’s at the bottom of his or her trick-or-treat bag may be more frightening than any ghost or goblin.

According to a new national survey of 678 moms of children with food allergies - whether to peanuts, tree nuts, milk or eggs, eight out of ten say Halloween causes a great deal of anxiety because they fear their little ones might eat candy containing peanuts or another allergen.(1) Their anxiety is heightened by the fact that food allergies can cause a potentially life-threatening severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is caused when an allergic reaction becomes so severe that a person may stop breathing. Unfortunately, it is impossible to predict when a child with food allergies might experience an anaphylactic reaction.

According to the survey, 40 percent of moms said that this time of year makes their children feel alienated because the child can’t fully engage or participate in Halloween activities.(1) The fear is so great that nearly half of these moms said they are thinking about having their child skip trick-or-treating altogether.

In spite of these concerns, less than half of moms surveyed are adequately prepared to handle a life-threatening allergic reaction - 43 percent of moms surveyed said they carry or have immediate access to an epinephrine auto-injector, such as EpiPen® (epinephrine) and EpiPen® Jr Auto-Injectors 0.3/0.15 mg.(1) EpiPen® Auto-Injector is a self-administered medicine that is used in the emergency treatment of a severe allergic reaction, including an anaphylactic reaction.

For those children who do go trick-or-treating, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI) offers these helpful tips:

Never Go Alone: Always accompany younger children trick-or-treating and have older children go out with friends.

Inform Others: Make sure all the adults and friends in your group know about your child’s food allergies and what to do in an emergency.

Pack Medication: While out for Halloween, make sure you or your child is carrying an epinephrine auto-injector. Make sure your child’s friends or other adults know how to administer this medication.

Provide Safe Snacks: Provide your close neighbors and even your child’s teacher at school with safe treats or even non-food items like stickers that can be given to your child.

Check the Goodies: Carefully read labels or check the candy company’s Web site to make sure the product doesn’t contain something that can cause an allergic reaction. It’s important to remember that the ingredients of ‘fun size’ candy bars may differ from the regular-size bars.

When in Doubt, Throw It Out: If you can’t find information on a treat’s ingredients or are simply not sure if it’s safe, then throw the candy away or stick it in a treat jar that is out of the reach of the child.

Avoid Snacking: Eating dinner before trick-or-treating might curb your child’s urge to sneak goodies from the bag.

SOURCE Dey Pharma L.P.

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