Lunch Room Food Allergies Target Children

Health professionals take this problem very seriously because food allergies can cause hospitalization and even death.

Lovette Robinson, Director of Nursing at the Community Healthcare Center said peanuts are the main culprit they keep seeing cause food allergies because peanuts are in many products that parents don't know about. One of the best ways to protect your child is to educate them on what they are allergic to and make them a list of what they can and cannot have.

"Make the kids lunch if that is a lot easier for them," said Robinson. "That way they don't have to worry about what the child may be getting into."

Unfortunately children sometimes like to trade their food at the lunch table, that's why educating your child on what they can eat is important. Lovette said giving your child an allergy bracelet is also a great way to protect your child away from home.

Sometimes kids are allergic to something as simple as food dye, like red dye number 40, where they can't eat anything red or orange. This is when educating the child is extremely important said Lovette.

Lovette suggests support groups for parents with children that have food allergies. Parents can get together and share ideas about how to protect their kids from the dangers of food allergies.

Brody Carter, Newschannel 6