Statistics and more

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) website states that you are at risk of allergies if there is any family history of asthma.  No one on my husband’s fathers side has asthma, that I know of, and I have never met anyone on his mother’s side, so there could be someone, or not.   Now my family is another story. My mother takes asthma inhalers and her mother has severe asthma, my grandfather will not survive another year due to his asthma but he is not my biological grandfather.  Does it count that they are chain smokers and probably could have easily avoided having asthma?  Is this considered family history?  When my mom quit smoking for four months she did not have to use her inhaler once, her asthma disappeared.  She began smoking again because she was gaining too much weight and started having asthma attacks shortly after.  Do I consider their asthma as hereditary or not?

The only food allergy that I am aware of from me or my husband is that my husband was allergic to strawberries when he was a toddler, but that’s it, at least that is the only thing I am aware of.

90% of all food allergies are Cow’s Milk, Eggs, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Fish, Shellfish, Soybeans, and Wheat.  Aiden is allergic to 4 of the 8 major allergens. In addition, he’s allergic to sesame and possibly apples.

On the CDC website, it says “food allergies cause 30,000 cases of anaphylaxis, 2,000 hospitalizations, and 150 deaths annually.” –scary!  

In 2007, Four out of 100 children have a food allergy.  That is an 18% increase from 1997. After looking at all the charts, 2006 was the biggest increase, almost doubled.  I would love to see the 2010 statistics.  

I think I need to give myself a break and stop reading so much because I'm starting to scare myself.  I am hopeful that Aiden will outgrow all of them but I'm also trying to be realistic and know that there is a huge possibility that he will continue with a few of his allergies for many years to come, if not forever. 

This week I read about a 7 year old boy who suffered two heart attacks after a substitute teacher hands him chocolate that had a nut in it. (here is the story) And how am I suppose to feel safe with putting my child into a school? really? I want to stop reading about all these sad incidents, but I think I need to so that I can be aware of what can happen.  

And to brighten up the post. I made these incredibly delicious cookies for Aiden this week which I ate most of them.  I had to alter the recipe and use coconut yogurt and a special butter, but it worked. The recipe is here.