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Experts provide tips for trick-or-treating with children with food allergies

Category: Allergy Testing

Halloween can be a difficult time for children who have received positive food allergy tests. Many of the treats handed out during this holiday contain peanuts or their byproducts. For this reason, experts are urging parents of children with food allergies to remain vigilant.

Jenny Kales, the author of the Nut-Free Mom Blog and mother of a child with food allergies, recently told the Chicago Tribune that paying attention to the candy children receive and making sure young people are prepared to handle temptations are key to keeping kids with food allergies safe during Halloween.

"Take a hungry child with a food allergy and dangle some Halloween candy before them - are they going to be tempted? Most likely. So don't let that happen," she told the news source.

Kales recommended filling kids up with a nutritious meal before heading out trick-or-treating. This may help them avoid indulging in any sweets before parents have had a chance to determine if they are safe or not.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are 3 million children in the U.S. who suffer from food allergies.