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Letter of Recommendation: Bamba

nytimes.com

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Re: Letter of Recommendation: Bamba

#31

Post by Jtsummers »

lukasm wrote: post #7

I don't know anyone in Poland that have peanut allergies. Peanuts are only used for a few cakes (walnut).

Hmm, so walnuts are used, but not peanuts. From friends here with allergies, they're specifically allergic to peanuts and not nuts in general (though they avoid most because they're often processed in the same facilities). Depending on the severity of their allergy that avoidance will be greater or lesser, a couple will eat brownies or cookies made with walnuts, or a pecan pie, but won't eat from a can of mixed nuts even if it doesn't (by the label) contain peanuts.

Re: Letter of Recommendation: Bamba

#32

Post by potatote »

littletimmy wrote: post #2

Allergies are mostly a North American and European thing aren't they? I had never heard of allergies until I came to the US from my slice of third world hell.

That's what I wonder every now and then, too. Like a couple of comments noted here, I have never heard of peanut allergies in my country (Myanmar) until I came to the US. Myanmar people eat a lot of peanut-based snacks (including the famous national salad called "Lahpet", which has peanut. It could entirely be due to genetics (i.e. south east asians are genetically immune to peanut allergies?), but I really would like to know the answer one day.

Re: Letter of Recommendation: Bamba

#34

Post by darkerside »

megaman22 wrote: post #22
megaman22 wrote: post #4

Yup, makes total sense. Let your kids eat a bug or two, play in the dirt, sneeze on each other. Unless you are statistically unlucky, they'll be fine, and they'll build up stronger immune systems, so they won't be as fragile later on. Unless your child is Bubble Boy, there's no need for OCD antiseptic cleanliness.

One comment on the article cites a recommendation that young children not consume honey because it might possibly cause 90 cases of botulism a year. 90 cases out of several million is not really a significant thing to worry about. Sucks if it happens, but it is really unlikely.

Just to set the record straight, part of the reason we have so few cases of infant botulism each year is that pediatricians actively recommend against feeding honey to kids under 1 year old. There aren't really any immunological benefits to early honey, so it really is an unnecessary risk. Please don't recommend people disregard medical advice that is there for good reasons.

http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/bacterial_viral/botu...

Re: Letter of Recommendation: Bamba

#35

Post by protomyth »

megaman22 wrote: post #4

Yup, makes total sense. Let your kids eat a bug or two, play in the dirt, sneeze on each other. Unless you are statistically unlucky, they'll be fine, and they'll build up stronger immune systems, so they won't be as fragile later on. Unless your child is Bubble Boy, there's no need for OCD antiseptic cleanliness.

When I was doing research for a daycare center in the 90's, we found a lot of studies that said putting in those deluxe clean air systems actually caused more problems (e.g. asthma). Came as quite a shock given the other cleaning procedures were a good thing (When a truck drops off your Lysol, you are using a lot).

Re: Letter of Recommendation: Bamba

#36

Post by myth_buster »

WalterBright wrote: post #21

Evolution of parents: 1. first kid - sterilize baby bottle nipples 2. second kid - run nipples through the dishwasher 3. third kid - rinse nipples under the faucet 4. fourth kid - hold out nipples for dog to lick clean

There is an excellent standup comedy routine on being the youngest child and surviving until teens. I'll link to it when I could recollect who did it.

Re: Letter of Recommendation: Bamba

#37

Post by devereaux »

Jgrubb wrote: post #26
WalterBright wrote: post #21

Evolution of parents: 1. first kid - sterilize baby bottle nipples 2. second kid - run nipples through the dishwasher 3. third kid - rinse nipples under the faucet 4. fourth kid - hold out nipples for dog to lick clean

First kid - "be careful he doesn't trip and fall" Second kid - "Oh, he tripped and fell. are you ok?" Third kid - (BAM CRASH Cry from upstairs) - "oh, he's fine. crying means he's fine."

Fourth kid - scream "I hope your head did not damage the floor!!"

(quickest way to make a child stop screaming BTW)

Re: Letter of Recommendation: Bamba

#38

Post by alexbilbie »

Jtsummers wrote: post #31
lukasm wrote: post #7

I don't know anyone in Poland that have peanut allergies. Peanuts are only used for a few cakes (walnut).

Hmm, so walnuts are used, but not peanuts . From friends here with allergies, they're specifically allergic to peanuts and not nuts in general (though they avoid most because they're often processed in the same facilities). Depending on the severity of their allergy that avoidance will be greater or lesser, a couple will eat brownies or cookies made with walnuts, or a pecan pie, but won't eat from a can of mixed nuts…

Peanuts are legumes, and walnuts are tree nuts. People can be allergic to just legumes, or just tree nuts or both.

Within the tree nut family, some people can be allergic to just certain types such as cashew nuts because the proteins they're allergic differ to other tree nuts.

Re: Letter of Recommendation: Bamba

#39

Post by bambax »

manachar wrote: post #17
bambax wrote: post #11

Never seen a French kid with a peanut allergy; they probably exist since most processed foods now have warnings about possible allergens, but they must be quite rare. In France "Nutella" is found in most homes; it's an Italian-made (and quite unhealthy) thick mixture of chocolate paste and crushed peanuts. Kids love it. Also, this formulation is weird: > Nothing is more unnerving than exposing your child to danger fo…

Nutella is generally made of hazelnuts here, is the stuff in France made of peanuts?

No, I don't think so; I mixed up peanuts and hazelnuts. Sorry about that.

Re: Letter of Recommendation: Bamba

#40

Post by alexbilbie »

samstave wrote: post #33

What about Vietnamese kids -- who have lots of peanuts in their main diets. What about US kids that eat a lots of PB&J?

If kids are already eating lots of nuts it's likely they're not going to be allergic to that type of nut/legume (however they can be allergic to other nuts in the same tree nut family).
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