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Peanut allergy affects many school lunches

Respiratory Care Weekly, November 8, 2006

People who aren't allergic to peanuts are showing increased sensitivity to the population that does have the allergy, according to a study published by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Moms and dads pack fewer lunches featuring peanuts even in schools where policies restricting their consumption don't exist. Previous research shows that up to 1.5% of children have peanut allergies, some of them so allergic that exposure to trace amounts can induce fatal anaphylaxis.

"We were surprised to find that, in schools where peanuts are permitted, they only show up in 5% to 10% of lunches," said Anne Clarke, MD, of McGill University in Montreal. "Parents don't know whether the policy applies in their child's classroom, so they are choosing to avoid peanuts."

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