Don\'t buy me peanuts or Cracker Jack

Tag : Peanuts Butter

Peanuts go with baseball like hot dogs and beer, but peanuts andBrian Hackman don't mix well. After he ate peanut butter at 17months, he started vomiting, crying and swelling. His parentsrushed him to the hospital and were told he had a life-threateningallergy to peanuts.
Now as an 8-year-old baseball fan, whenever he goes to a ballgame,Brian has to watch out for peanuts as well as foul balls. Fearingthat even airborne dust from peanut shells might cause an allergicreaction, his mother, Leslie Hackman, wipes down seats and asksnearby fans to hold off on eating nuts. She calls it "beyondstressful."
Tonight, the Island Lake mother can relax. The Kane County Cougarsin Geneva are holding a peanut-free game for people with allergies.
"For once, I don't have to worry," Hackman said. "He'll be in asafe, clean environment, and everyone can just have fun."
As food allergies have become more frequent, airlines aren't theonly public places that have eliminated peanuts. Schools,restaurants and even ballparks are slowly becoming moreaccommodating to people with allergies.
School districts are increasingly developing written plans to spellout how to protect a child with allergies, including keepingcertain classrooms and lunch tables peanut-free. Restaurants havebegun offering allergy-friendly dinners. And numerous minor leagueballparks and the Minnesota Twins offer special peanut-free events.The Chicago Cubs are considering a peanut-free game next year.
It's all in response to an apparent epidemic in food allergies.
Nationwide, the Centers for Disease control estimates 4 to 8percent of children have food allergies. Each year, an estimated30,000 people go to hospitals for allergic reactions, and 150people die.
One study estimated the number of children with peanut allergiesdoubled from 1997 to 2002. And yet, researchers say it's hard to besure how much of an increase there's actually been.
While one out of four parents believe their children haveallergies, the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network reports only 4percent actually do. Many children simply have food intolerancesthat they may outgrow, not true allergies.
Even many of those who've had reactions to skin and blood testswon't always react badly to the food in question. But a severereaction can be fatal, so parents keep an epinephrine pen ready fora lifesaving injection.
Because of that fear, for some children, tonight's Cougars gamewill be the first baseball game they've ever attended.
While the peanut-free game brings new fans to the game, it's not amoneymaker, because the team has to stop selling peanut products.That means not only the peanuts, but Cracker Jack, candy bars withpeanuts and even ice cream made with peanut oil are all thrown outof the game.
"You'd be surprised," General Manager Jeff Sedivy said, "how manypeople get upset that we're not selling peanuts."
Still, he added, "I'm trying to make some kids happy. If we winsome fans along the way, that's great."
Despite the dangers of venturing into public places, KelleeKonieczny doesn't let that stop her from bringing her 8- and3-year-old to the ol' ballgame. She asks those around her to layoff the peanuts and tries to explain the danger.
"I explain this is kind of a life-threatening situation," she said."No matter where you are - a gas station, a park, a theater -you've got to be on your guard. We'd like our sons to be able toenjoy the game like everybody else."