Ah, summer break. It’s the kids’ favorite time of year, when they get to sleep in, play outside, hang out with friends, and enjoy the sunshine. For many kids, summer break also means summer camp (day camp or sleepaway), slumber parties, play dates, birthday parties, barbecues, vacations, and more. Of course, this also means that a lot of kids are spending time in new situations which can be stressful for families with food allergies. With the right game plan, parents can feel more confident that their kids with food allergies can still enjoy the best parts of summer.
It’s important to make sure that no matter where your child is or who is watching them, you have a plan in place in case of an allergic emergency. Brittany Mahomes, co-owner of the Kansas City Current soccer team and mom of two young children with severe food allergies, shares her family’s food allergy game plan for when her children are with friends or family.
“Our family is very active, so I'm sure to tell everyone around our family two things: which foods my kids are allergic to so they can be avoided and where we keep our AUVI-q® (epinephrine injection, USP). Another key part of our game plan is to keep the diaper bag stocked when we’re on the go. This includes making sure Bronze and Sterling each have two AUVI-q devices on hand and staying prepared with foods and snacks our kids can safely eat. I know I can’t always be with my kids so it’s reassuring to know we have a plan and we have AUVI-q which has a calm voice and clear instructions to help any caregiver administer epinephrine quickly and confidently during an allergic emergency.”
How to Prepare
Dr. Ruchi Gupta, Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Center for Food Allergy and Asthma Research at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and paid medical advisor to Kaléo, gives some tips on how to stay prepared:
- If your child has been diagnosed with a food allergy, it’s critical to have a food allergy game plan in place to help prepare for any life-threatening emergencies.
- Always keep two epinephrine auto-injectors, like AUVI-Q, in your diaper bag and with your kids and teens, whether they’re at camp, a play date, a sleepover or on vacation.[1]
- Watch out for skin reactions, such as hives, and stomach-related issues, like persistent vomiting, in infants and toddlers.[2],[3]
- Help your children read labels and encourage them to carry a Food Allergy Alert Card, like the one on the AUVI-Q resource page.
To learn more about how to be prepared for a severe food allergy reaction and how to prepare your summer game plan, visit www.FoodAllergyGamePlan.com.
Brittany Mahomes was compensated for her participation in this campaign.
Indication
AUVI-Q® (epinephrine injection, USP) is a prescription medicine used to treat life-threatening allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, in people who are at risk for or have a history of serious allergic reactions.
Important Safety Information
AUVI-Q is for immediate self (or caregiver) administration and does not take the place of emergency medical care. Seek immediate medical treatment after using AUVI-Q. Each AUVI-Q contains a single dose of epinephrine. AUVI-Q should only be injected into your outer thigh, through clothing if necessary. If you inject a young child or infant with AUVI-Q, hold their leg firmly in place before and during the injection to prevent injuries. Do not inject AUVI-Q into any other part of your body, such as into veins, buttocks, fingers, toes, hands, or feet. If this occurs, seek immediate medical treatment and make sure to inform the healthcare provider of the location of the accidental injection. Only a healthcare provider should give additional doses of epinephrine if more than two doses are necessary for a single allergic emergency.
Rarely, patients who use AUVI-Q may develop infections at the injection site within a few days of an injection. Some of these infections can be serious. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms at an injection site: redness that does not go away, swelling, tenderness, or the area feels warm to the touch.
If you have certain medical conditions, or take certain medicines, your condition may get worse or you may have more or longer lasting side effects when you use AUVI-Q. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, especially medicines for asthma. Also tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, especially if you have asthma, a history of depression, thyroid problems, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, heart problems or high blood pressure, have any other medical conditions, are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Epinephrine should be used with caution if you have heart disease or are taking certain medicines that can cause heart-related (cardiac) symptoms.
Common side effects include fast, irregular or ‘pounding’ heartbeat, sweating, shakiness, headache, paleness, feelings of over excitement, nervousness, or anxiety, weakness, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, or breathing problems. These side effects usually go away quickly, especially if you rest. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.
Please see the full Prescribing Information and the Patient Information.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
CM-US-AQ-3435
REFERENCES
[1] Greenberger PA, Wallace DV, Lieberman PL, Gregory SM. “Contemporary issues in anaphylaxis and the evolution of epinephrine autoinjectors.” Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2017;119(4):333-338.
[2] Pistiner M, Mendez-Reyes JE, Eftekhari S, et al. “Caregiver-Reported Presentation of Severe Food-Induced Allergic Reactions in Infants and Toddlers.” J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2021;9(1):311-320.e2.
[3] Simons FE, Sampson HA. “Anaphylaxis: unique aspects of clinical diagnosis and management in infants (birth to age 2 years).” J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2015;135(5):1125-1131.
