1 in 10 babies born today will have a food allergy

PAINT & DONATE!

Today I found out my son is probably the one in ten. 

Four years ago my daughter was also displaying allergic symptoms, including hives, severe eczema, dry skin, sleepless nights, crying spells and digestive discomfort. 

She was diagnosed with serious food allergies, which may cause anaphylaxis, at just eight months old. 

So it came as no shock my son's reaction to the introduction of solid food at six months was due to food allergy. 

Luckily this time I was prepared. I knew the signs of allergy and took steps to eliminate the foods most likely to be allergenic such as cow's milk and wheat, which are commonly found in jars of food for babies over the age of six months.

Research into allergic disease continues but remains inconclusive. The best advice to parents of allergic children are the three As - Awareness, Avoidance and Action. 

Charity lobby group Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia's (A&AA) 1 in 10 Campaign is in its second year and will again help raise awareness and funds into allergic disease and hopefully uncover why allergy is skyrocketing, especially in children. 

The campaign, supported by Blue Wiggle Anthony Field and comedian Peter Hellier, among other celebrity ambassadors, asks people to paint one fingernail (or one fingernail a different colour to the rest) during Food Allergy Awareness Week (May 13 - 19th, 2013) to represent the children who have food allergies and to donate at foodallergyaware.com.au. 

The most common food allergies:
Cow's milk
Egg
Peanut/tree nut 
Sesame
Soy
Wheat
Fish, shellfish 

The most common reactions to food allergies:
Tingling or itching in the mouth
Hives, itching or eczema
Swelling of the lips, face, tongue and throat, or other parts of the body
Wheezing, nasal congestion or trouble breathing
Abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting
Dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting

For more information visit allergyfacts.org.au. 

these precious moments

Technology, and more specifically social media, almost robbed us of one of life's precious moments just the other day. It all happened so innocently too. It was a Sunday morning so we weren't in a hurry to be anywhere or do anything important. My daughter was sitting playing with some toys and my five-month-old son was getting acquainted with his new jump activity centre.

Now until today the activity centre was just something we thought he'd grow into as his enthusiasm for it wasn't mind blowing. Then, without warning, he seemed to really get the hang of this Jump n Gym, because he was bouncing from one foot to the other, giggling like it was the most fun he'd ever had in his entire life.

So I jumped up, rushed for my iPhone, which unsurprisingly was right beside me, admittedly hiding under a cushion, and captured the whole jovial experience on film. Of course, I then hit 'share', as you do, so my plethora of Facebook 'friends' could also enjoy to their heart's content.

Now this is where it gets a bit scary. So if you're a social media junkie, you might want to stop reading now and live in blissful denial. You see, at the same time my son was discovering the true joy of jumping, my husband was glued to his mobile phone, on Facebook as it turns out (unsurprisingly).

So when he sees his son pop up in his news feed, he's delighted and hits play. He even discusses with me how clever our son is and perhaps even advanced for his age (LOL), not for one moment taking his eyes of his phone.

It took a few seconds for me to realise the moment was happening in real time, right in front of his eyes. "Babe, he's doing it now,"I say half laughing, half absolutely horrified! He looks over at his son, still happily jumping from foot to foot, "Oh, yeah," responds my bemused husband.

It was a funny moment, yes. But it highlighted the fact that our gadgets get in the way of quality family time. Has anything similar ever happened to you? Do you think social media is stealing precious moments from your life?

The art of giving.

There's a U2 lyric that comes to mind whenever I contemplate philanthropy, 'why is it that the first to take is the last to give, every time...'

Isn't that the truth. But why is it that some people give more of themselves than others?

Australia's biggest study into this very topic by the Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies (Queensland University of Technology) has found that life changing events were the catalyst for 40 per cent of people who set up charitable causes.

Lead researcher Dr. Wendy Scaife says, "we found also that seasoned business folk or the middle aged or older were asking the questions, what now?

"We've raised our children, they're independent, we've got a capacity to give - should we?"

The study also found that people wanted to add meaning to their lives, outside of just making money. "People want their life experience to have meaning to others so they channel not just money but energy and contacts into something that's important to the community and themselves."

When it comes down to the bare bones of philanthropy - doesn't it just make us feel good? And isn't that reason enough to reach out to others? So where does that leave the takers...are they all miserable?

The sneezy season.

It's official, we're all getting sick.
If one of us gets sick during the sneezy season it spreads through our house like wildfire.
My daughter and I had our flu shot one week ago, so I was feeling quite smug that we hadn't yet caught the dreaded cold and we were immune to this year's flu.
Unfortunately today my daughter has a sky high temperature, a cough and a sore throat.
The poor thing ate ice-cream for dinner - not that she was complaining.
The thing I dislike most about this time of year is not the bugs that float around but the people. You know the ones who play the martyr by 'getting on with it' and as a result graciously share their disease.
Our doctor said this is one of the worst flu seasons she's seen, but where is the hyperbole in the media? No front page story about the dangers of flu season? No continuous television reports on the perils of this season's super flu?
I for one am glad we've been vaccinated against the flu - it's one less thing to worry about while walking the sneezy streets this winter.

Treading water.

Queenslanders are in the midst of the worst flood disaster since 1974. The images we keep seeing are unbelievable but while many of us look on with horror some are in the middle of their worst nightmare.

I cried when I heard about the four-year-old boy who was swept away in flood waters while his family was being rescued. And my heart broke when I learned that a women and her baby perished while trapped in their car as a torrent of water filled Toowoomba's CBD.

How could this happen without warning?

My heart goes out to all those who are affected by this tragic natural disaster.

Let's all give what we can to help those who've lost their loved ones, their homes and all their possessions.

You can make a donation at the Queensland Government's Flood Relief website. Or today only you can go to the Cudo website and they'll match your donation dollar for dollar.