Why I'm Thankful

We've Moved!To better reflect the focus of our blog, we have a new name (and a new home) – Food Allergy Living at www.foodallergyliving.net. At the new address, you'll still be able to find blog entries from your favorite nutrition specialists twice a week. But you’ll also find some new goodies that will be updated once a month and distributed to subscribers as a newsletter. You’ll be able to count on a new recipe every month, submit your own questions to the nutrition specialists and see some beautiful smiles in our Neocate Faces section.

Be sure to check it all out at www.FoodAllergyLiving.net and let us know what you think. Also, don't forget to update your bookmarks and RSS feeds. See you all there!

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, Nita, Christine, Mallory and I thought it would be fun to do a series of blog entries on what we are thankful for in our own lives. I’m going to kick it off today, but be sure to check in each Thursday in November for a new “Why I’m Thankful” post.

I am thankful for the knowledge and experience that I have gained by working at Nutricia. I not only have the privilege to help families find relief for their babies, but I was also able to put my knowledge to use with my own child, Reagan. After 7 weeks of allergy-related reflux and colic, Reagan was also able to find relief with Neocate and my husband and I were able to find a little more assurance in ourselves as new parents…….and also a tad more rest!

After hearing from parents every day about what a long journey it is for them to finally find relief (usually 3-4 months), I was grateful that Reagan found comfort in just 7 weeks (which felt like an eternity at the time). I returned from maternity leave feeling even more empowered to help other mothers because I now understand first hand how desperate and exhausting these situations can be. It brought my job to a whole new level and I am thrilled to be able to have an opportunity to share my knowledge and become a resource to other families in these situations.

I was also able to help my niece, Maya who was diagnosed with a milk allergy and ended up on Neocate shortly after Reagan. Reagan and Maya are now 16 and 14 months old and have both grown out of their allergy and reflux issues. They are happy and healthy babies which I could not be more grateful for!

What are you thankful for this year? I would love to hear about your families!

-Sarah

Food Allergy News Roundup

We've Moved!

To better reflect the focus of our blog, we have a new name (and a new home) – Food Allergy Living at www.foodallergyliving.net. At the new address, you'll still be able to find blog entries from your favorite nutrition specialists twice a week. But you’ll also find some new goodies that will be updated once a month and distributed to subscribers as a newsletter. You’ll be able to count on a new recipe every month, submit your own questions to the nutrition specialists and see some beautiful smiles in our Neocate Faces section.

Be sure to check it all out at www.FoodAllergyLiving.net and let us know what you think. Also, don't forget to update your bookmarks and RSS feeds. See you all there!

While I’m always paying attention to stories about food allergies, I’ve noticed lately there have been even more articles than usual in the media, which is great. More stories helps to increase awareness and educate the public about how serious food allergies can be as well as some of the signs/symptoms people should look for if they suspect an allergy. Below are just a few of some of the articles and posts about food allergies from the past few weeks that have caught my attention.

How – and How Not – To Diagnose A Food Allergy
Have you been thinking about having your child tested for food allergies? Before heading to the allergist check out this entry from The Washington Post’s “Checkup” blog. It talks about the benefits of formal allergy testing and gives some helpful information about the different types of diagnostic tests from the Food Allergy Initiative.

A Family That Takes It’s Food Allergies Seriously
I always think it is amazing when kids are out in the community raising awareness about their food allergies. The Boston Globe reported last week on Spencer and Zoe Cohen. Between the two, they are allergic to nuts, fish, soy, mangoes, bananas, carrots, broccoli, and lettuce! The siblings traveled to the FAAN Kids Congress last month where they met with lawmakers to lobby for the FAAMA Act which could help fund more food allergy research.

A Next-Generation Epi-Pen is unveiled
Dey Pharma, the makers of Epi-Pen, released a new more user-friendly Epi-Pen. If your little one needs one, don’t forget to read our tips for Epi-Pen safety. Hopefully you will never need to use one, but it is always best to be prepared for an emergency situation!

Trained Dog Warns Child with Allergy to Peanuts
We blogged about a new furry trend in food allergy safety - food allergy dogs - a few weeks ago. Now USA Today is telling the story of the Rine family whose adorable Portuguese water dog Nicco helps their son Ethan avoid peanuts. Right now these dogs are expensive because of the high cost of their extensive training, but they are helping keep kids safe. Perhaps as they become more common, the cost will go down and they will be more affordable.

Have you read any interesting news or tips recently? If so, share them with us in the comments!

-Christine

Neocate and Corn Allergies

We've Moved!To better reflect the focus of our blog, we have a new name (and a new home) – Food Allergy Living at www.foodallergyliving.net. At the new address, you'll still be able to find blog entries from your favorite nutrition specialists twice a week. But you’ll also find some new goodies that will be updated once a month and distributed to subscribers as a newsletter. You’ll be able to count on a new recipe every month, submit your own questions to the nutrition specialists and see some beautiful smiles in our Neocate Faces section.

Be sure to check it all out at www.FoodAllergyLiving.net and let us know what you think. Also, don't forget to update your bookmarks and RSS feeds. See you all there!

It’s common for children with milk allergies to also have sensitivities to other common allergens like soy, wheat and corn. Since Neocate contains “corn syrup solids,” I often get asked if Neocate is safe for children with corn allergies.

The answer is Yes – Neocate is typically safe for children with a corn allergy. Even though “corn syrup solids” are listed on the ingredient list, corn allergies are usually the result of the body being unable to tolerate the corn protein. In Neocate, all of the corn protein has been extracted out of the corn syrup leaving only the corn carbohydrate source which is suitable for a child with a corn allergy. (Also, the corn source in Neocate is non-GMO, which means it does not come from genetically modified organisms.)

However, be careful! Food labels can be confusing and other products listing “corn syrup” as an ingredient, might not be safe for your little one. When in doubt, check with your doctor and/or the manufacturer.

Any other questions about the ingredients in Neocate? Let us know!

-Mallory