Adventures of an Allergist Mommy

GlaxoSmithKline has recalled a batch of H1N1 vaccine that appears to be associated with a higher than normal rate of allergic reactions. Six individuals in Canada experienced allergic reactions after receiving the vaccine from this batch, but no other countries have reported similar adverse events. This batch (lot number A80CA007A) was distributed in Canada, and consists of 170,000 doses (the majority of which have already been administered). It was shipped in late October. Important points: • This affected batch was not distributed in the United States. The affected Canadian batch has been recalled. • Allergic reactions to a vaccine occur within 30 minutes to an hour after vaccination, so those who received the affected vaccine do not need to worry about the potential for a lingering reaction. • People with asthma are at high risk of serious complications from influenza infection, including H1N1. Vaccination can significantly reduce this risk. • Most individuals with egg allerg...

Son #1 has been going through a phase where he insults my parenting skills whenever I make him do something he doesn't want to. I know he doesn't mean it, but it still smarts. Here are a few examples: me: "Put your toys away, or I'll take them away." him: "You're a bad mommy!" me: "TV off, kiddo. You've watched enough." him: "I'm not going to be your son anymore!" me: "I know you don't want to leave, but we have to go home now." him: "I don't want to go home with you. Just send me to outer space. I'll live with the friendly aliens." Now, I know these statements make my kid sound like a spoiled brat, but to be honest, he's actually a very well-behaved little boy. I've come to recognize this phase as proof that my child understands that threatening to withdraw affection is the worst punishment you can inflict on someone who loves you. This is an important lesson, because i...

There's something about cooking with your kids which makes the holidays feel more holidaylicious. And just like all kids, mine are enamoured of the kitchen (especially since Disney's "Ratatouille"). Used to be, if you wanted to bake an allergy-friendly holiday dessert, you had to pull out a cookbook, make substitutions, and hope for the best. Not my style. Although I love it when other people slave away all day in the kitchen, I'm not really a "from scratch" kind of gal. So, you can imagine my delight when a patient's mother introduced me to Cherrybrook Kitchen ( http://www.cherrybrookkitchen.com ), which has created a line of dairy, egg, and peanut-free mixes for cookies, cakes, brownies, pancakes, and more. (Frostings, too!) They're now even offering wheat and gluten free items. Best of all, the result is something even someone without allergies would like to eat... Thanks, Cherrybrook! Now I can make goodies for my son's class with...

As we approach Thanksgiving in the midst of a raging healthcare reform debate, I'd like to share what I think is good about healthcare in America these days... I'm thankful that I practice medicine in a country where I have access to the most helpful and novel innovations with which to heal my patients. I'm thankful for compassionate nurses and assistants who put the patient first. I'm thankful for experienced and competent managers who keep small medical practices running during difficult economic times. I'm thankful for front desk staff who are always friendly and helpful, even though they have numerous stressors. I'm thankful for intelligent, thoughtful colleagues with whom I can discuss complex medical questions. I'm thankful for sane, grounded colleagues with whom I can share my frustrations. I'm thankful for the social media networks which allow physicians from all over the nation to interact as though we were neighbors. I'm thankful for inform...

Image by Getty Images via Daylife In this season of influenza pandemics, our vaccine-naive little ones were scheduled to be subjected to not one, but 2 separate influenza vaccines, in a total of 4 doses! Ouch! Well, here's some good news from GlaxoSmithKline, the makers of Pandemrix, one of the H1N1 vaccines currently being distributed and administered around the world. A single shot may be sufficient to confer protective immunity! The study is not yet complete, but preliminary results look promising... Son #2, who was none to happy with me when I gave him seasonal influenza vaccine 1 of 2 on Wednesday, would be pleased (if he had any idea what any of the fuss was about)! http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/711241_print

Halloween is an exciting time for children... costume parties, silly music, bags and bags of CANDY... Yep. It's the candy part that gets our undies all in a knot. Never mind the damage all that sugar does to those little teeth (Here's an idea-our dentist buys back candy at $1 per pound and sends it to our troops overseas!). For the parent of an allergic child, the concern is more about the damage that the hidden food allergen might do to our kids. The zombie costumes are ghoulish enough- do we really need to amp up the freakishness with hives and giant swollen lips? The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology offers some Halloween tips here: http://www.aaaai.org/patients/elements/1008/08halloween_checklist.stm I think these ideas are a great start, but I do doubt the practicality of distributing your own safe snacks to neighbors in advance of trick-or-treating. (Not really fair to expect them to keep track- or even be able to recognize your kid if he or she is in...

From the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology: MILWAUKEE – With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting that an initial analysis of 1,400 adults hospitalized for H1N1 found that 26% had asthma, how can the more than 34 million Americans with asthma protect themselves from the virus and complications? An article set to appear in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (JACI) recommends that people with asthma who have suspected or confirmed influenza should be strongly considered for antiviral medications because of their increased risk of developing a complication such as bacterial pneumonia. Additionally, most patients with asthma should be vaccinated with the seasonal and 2009 H1N1 inactivated vaccines. “People with asthma are at high risk of serious complications from influenza infection, including H1N1, but vaccination can significantly reduce this risk. If you have asthma, seasonal influenza and H1N1 vaccination is recommended. B...