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Here are the results of a 1997 published study in New
Zealand -(taken from
the abstract): "The 23 children who received no DPT and polio
immunizations
had no recorded asthma episodes or consultations for asthma or other
allergic illness before age 10 years; in the immunized children, 23.1% had
asthma episodes, 22.5% asthma consultations, and 30.0% consultations for
other allergic illness. Similar differences were observed at ages 5 and
16
years." Epidemiology, Nov 1997, 8(6): 678-80 by T Kemp, N Pearce, P
Fitzharris, J Crane et al.
Even with this small a sample of never vaccinated children,
you would expect some cases, given the high percentages seen in the vaccinated
groups.
Sandy
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/health/801393
'"It is a major problem," said Polk, who is president of the Texas
Association of School Nurses. "We have about 1,300 kids at this school,
and about 60 percent of them have asthma. It can be triggered by the weather or
something they ate at lunch. Stress can do it sometimes. And here in Houston,
we have our ozone problems."'
Jan. 25, 2001, 9:19AM
School nurses see more kids with asthma, allergies
By PAIGE HEWITT
Copyright 2001 Special to the Chronicle
Renee Mai knows worry.
As the mother of a third-grader who suffers from asthma and allergies, Mai
knows that a serious -- even life-threatening -- situation can surface any
time.
It happened at school only two years ago.
"The nurse called and said Morgan might need an ambulance," Mai said.
"But I was real close and by the time I got there, Morgan had broken out
into hives and clawed herself so badly that she was bleeding all over. She had
told the nurse, `I feel like I'm going to die.'"
The culprit: cologne.
Apparently a bottle of cologne in a classmate's backpack had spilled, and the
fumes had triggered Morgan's allergies.
Mai rushed her daughter to the emergency room, where Morgan recovered fully
after being given medicine and breathing treatments.
Even though Morgan has since outgrown many of her allergy problems, as do many
youngsters, she remains allergic to dairy products, and she must forego recess
when crews have recently cut the grass.
"She's gotten a lot better, but she still goes through about a box of
Benadryl per semester," her mother said.
Morgan, a student at Yeager Elementary in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, is not alone.
Experts don't know exactly why, but the number of children with asthma and
allergies -- particularly food allergies -- has exploded over recent years.
Asthma, the most common chronic illness among children, has increased by 160
percent in young children since 1980, according to experts.
Some 5 million children are afflicted with asthma, in which the airway walls
clog with excess mucus because the wall muscles swell. The condition can be
fatal.
And asthma is the No. 1 reason children miss school.
More than 8 million absences nationally are attributed to asthma each
year. Increasingly, schools -- and
especially school nurses -- have to deal with the problem.
Carlene Polk, the nurse at Elsik 9th Grade Center in the Alief ISD, has seen the increase.
"I've been a nurse for 20 years and a school nurse for 13 years,"
said Polk, a registered nurse. "The problems with allergies and asthma
have gotten a lot worse."
Polk spends more than half of every work day responding to frightened children
who have chest pains from allergies.
"It is a major problem," said Polk, who is president of the Texas
Association of School Nurses. "We have about 1,300 kids at this school,
and about 60 percent of them have asthma. It can be triggered by the weather or
something they ate at lunch. Stress can do it sometimes. And here in Houston,
we have our ozone problems.
"One morning I had a student who had a reaction to Ritalin. I gave him his
medicine and he went back to class. Fifteen or 20 minutes later, he came back
with chest pains and swelling. His pulse was 100-plus and his lips were turning
red. It freaked me out. But thank God I had oxygen.
"There are just a whole lot of things that can trigger it. I get here
about 6:30 every morning, and let me tell you, I stay busy all day long. I see
about 125 kids a day, and most of them for allergy or asthma problems."
While some youngsters have reactions to pollen, mold, cleaning chemicals,
pesticides, new carpet, animal dander and dust, most allergic reactions can be
attributed to foods.
Topping the food list are peanuts, tree nuts (such as walnuts and pecans),
fish, shellfish, eggs, milk, soy and wheat.
Schools deal with the matter in various ways.
Because an allergy to peanut products can trigger a fatal anaphylactic attack,
many elementary schools designate peanut-free tables for children who bring
those products for lunch.
Many schools now ban homemade goodies and prohibit classroom pets, as well as
prohibit outdoor recess on days where ozone levels are high.
Schools make sure teachers know which children suffer from asthma and
allergies, and nurses inform teachers on how to recognize and respond to
symptoms.
Although serious cases call for the use of a breathing machine and medicine or
emergency medical care, most youngsters are fine after using hand-held asthma
inhalers.
But the inhalers, particularly in a setting with older children, also can
present a problem, Polk said.
"Most schools won't allow kids to carry their inhaler, because some of
them let other kids use it," she said. "They think they're going to
get high off of it. But a lot of parents complain that their kids should be
allowed to carry the inhalers. I think they should be allowed to, because you
might not be accessible when the child needs it. It can be very frightening for
them.
"Plus, they can lose a lot of class time when they have to go back and
forth to the clinic. The main key is trying to keep them healthy and in class
so they can be productive."
In a 1999 study of about 400 elementary, middle and high schools around the
country, 41 percent of the campuses prohibited students from carrying asthma
inhalers; 75 percent prohibited students from carrying emergency allergy
medicine.
The study also indicated that, although most of the administrators at those
schools were aware that asthma can kill, more than 40 percent did not know that
students with food allergies can have life-threatening reactions by simply
touching a contaminated surface.
There are many theories about why so many more children, as well as adults, are
battling asthma and allergies.
Heredity plays a role.
A child with one parent who suffers from allergies has a 50 percent chance of
developing the problem; the chances climb to 75 percent if both parents have
allergies.
But experts say genetics can't account for the entire increase over recent
years. Pollution also has been blamed.
Another theory is that the immune system overreacts to allergens because
society is living a cleaner lifestyle, full of immunizations and antibiotics.
Yet another theory suggests indoor allergens have become a plague because
people spend so much more time indoors.
Nonetheless, one thing remains clear -- school nurses play a significant role
in keeping young asthmatics safe.
"Sometimes I think people think that all we do is put on Band Aids,"
Polk said. "But we do so much more. We are constantly treating children
with asthma. But we also have kids who are on antidepressants or Ritalin. We
have diabetics who crash at school and are at risk of going into a coma. A
school nurse is the first person who helps these children. We have to be ready
all the time."
Breaking News Archives - each day's breaking news from December 1, 2003 (check here for breaking news you might have missed and breaking news that didn't ever hit the "front page")
More News - all the news most recently posted on this website
All the News - a running tab of everything posted on this website since October 29, 2003
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Hot Topics - selected stories, by category
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DISCLAIMER: All information, data, and material contained, presented, or provided here is for general information purposes only and is not to be construed as reflecting the knowledge or opinions of the publisher, and is not to be construed or intended as providing medical or legal advice. The decision whether or not to vaccinate is an important and complex issue and should be made by you, and you alone, in consultation with your health care provider.