Although only about 4 percent of Americans are affected by food allergies, they seem more prevalent today than ever. We recently finished an eight-part milk allergy series where we followed Brett Nasuti, a Children’s patient who last summer became the first person ever to go through a milk exposure desensitization trial. Check out the first video in the series.
If your children have cavities, it’s much more likely they’ll become adults with cavities. An Israeli study found that premature babies listening to Mozart were able to grow faster. Children born to mothers exposed to microbes during pregnancy may be less likely to develop allergies.
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on October 11, 2009
Here’s a quick look at what Thrive was up to last week.
Canada is delaying its seasonal-flu vaccine program. Should we be worried? There are an alarmingly high number of glass-table injuries involving children. Six months after Children’s Hospital Boston’s Division of Emergency Medicine published a study on these injuries, new standards have been recommended in the production of glass-tables. A Children’s study showed that side effects or accidental overdoses of medications in children are more common than you might think. In part 7 of our milk allergy series, Robyn Nasuti shares her tips on keeping her kitchen safe. French Parliament wants to pass a law that would mandate a bold print notice when images have been digitally enhanced. Children’s Alison Field, ScD, who specializes in eating disorders, talks about what we can do to educate our children about images in the media. We follow one family’s story when they discovered their child, Ann Louise, showed signs of a congenital heart defect. Children’s David Ludwig, MD, addresses the soda-tax solution in an opinion piece for the Los Angeles Times. The HealthMap team gives their weekly H1N1 update. The Mediatrician weighs in on what computer games, if any, are good for a 2-year-old.
Robyn Nasuti shares her tips on keeping her kitchen safe–no small feat, given that two out of her three children have severe food allergies. She also shows how she’s simplified home-made pizza night at her house.
Other videos and posts in the series
In last week’s video, we followed Brett Nasuti at school, where he runs Allergy Awareness Week to raise money for research. Brett is Children’s first patient to go through a new trial that could cure him of his severe food allergies. Hear what he and his classmates have to say.
Celebrity chef Ming Tsai, chef-owner of Blue Ginger restaurant in Wellesley, Massachusetts, is passionate about improving restaurant systems so people with food allergies can eat out safely. The father of a son who has had multiple severe food allergies, Tsai talks about what he’s learned as both a chef and a parent here. [click to continue…]
Brett Nasuti has battled bullies who have taunted him with put-downs like “peanut boy” and had to sit at the highly stigmatized ‘peanut-free table” at school. Even so, he could be the poster child for living well with food allergies. He’s even taken it upon himself to educate his peers by organizing an annual Food Allergy awareness week at his school, during which he raises money for food allergy research. Here, watch Brett in action and hear what his schoolmates have to say about what they’ve learned from him. [click to continue…]
This week, watch the Nasutis take on their regular challenge of food shopping—no easy feat, considering that two out of the three children have life-threatening food allergies. Brett was born allergic to 15 foods, and his little brother, Nicholas, is allergic to 16. Their sister, Taylor, doesn’t have any food allergies, like her parents. In order to keep them all fed, Robyn makes three different meals every time her family eats, which requires her to drive to three different grocery stores. And the specialty foods don’t come cheap; dairy-free milk alone costs her $10 a gallon. “I spend about $850 a month on groceries,” Robyn says.
My name is Robyn Nasuti and I’m the mother of three children: Brett, 11, (who’s featured in this series and pictured here), Taylor Marie, 10, and Nicholas, 5. Brett is allergic to dairy, peanuts and eggs. Taylor has no food allergies and Nicholas is allergic to peanuts, dairy, eggs, lamb, chicken, turkey, sesame, almond, wheat, oat, spelt, banana, pea and walnut. He just outgrew his soy allergy last month.
My husband, Alan, and I found out about Brett’s allergies when he was 1. I started keeping a journal because every time I went to the doctor, they’d ask me questions about his skin, asthma and reactions, and I couldn’t keep it straight in my head. By writing down my thoughts, I was able to find peace — and also helped doctor’s determine how to best deal with Brett’s allergies.
Psychologist wins $1 million for showing that 
My name is Robyn Nasuti and I’m the mother of three children: Brett, 11, (who’s featured in this series and pictured here), Taylor Marie, 10, and Nicholas, 5. Brett is allergic to dairy, peanuts and eggs. Taylor has no food allergies and Nicholas is allergic to peanuts, dairy, eggs, lamb, chicken, turkey, sesame, almond, wheat, oat, spelt, banana, pea and walnut. He just outgrew his soy allergy last month.
