Food Allergy Living Blog

Happy Feeding Tube Awareness Week!

2012-02-07T17:57:45+00:00

Did you know that Feeding Tube Awareness Week is happening right now? It is! This year Feeding Tube Awareness Week falls on February 5-11. You can help the Oley Foundation and Feeding Tube Awareness Foundation (FTAF) spread the word.

We know, many children who benefit from Neocate products have to use a feeding tube to get their nutrition. If you’re new to tube feeding and are looking for folks who share similar stories, try the Oley Foundation’s support community or the FTAF’s inspiring stories. You can also visit the Oley Foundation’s facebook page and FTAF’s facebook page.

The FTAF launched Feeding Tube Awareness Week last year with great success! Both organizations’ websites have some great tips for how you can help spread the word. Ideas include contacting local media outlets as well as using social media platforms. This is a great opportunity to help raise awareness of feeding tubes in your community to promote greater acceptance and understanding.

To someone who isn’t familiar with feeding tubes, they can be strange and confusing. On one hand, parents can have a tough time adjusting to tube feeding. On another, people in the community don’t always know how to react to feeding tubes. You can help inform others about how many precious little ones’ lives have been improved and saved with the help of feeding tubes.

Is there something you’ve done to help promote feeding tube awareness?

- Rob

[Image name: Feeding Tube Awareness Week - Image link: http://www.oley.org/Tube_Feeding_Awareness_2012.htm]

[Image name: Feeding Tube Awareness Logo - Image link: http://www.feedingtubeawareness.org/raising-awareness.html]

Cross Contamination: Safety Tips for Those with Food Allergies

2012-02-02T19:52:36+00:00

Cross contamination is a big concern among food allergy sufferers. According to Kids with Food Allergies, cross contamination can be defined as “a food being inadvertently contaminated with food proteins other than those listed on the food label during the course of its being prepared, stored or served”.

During Manufacturing and Production:

One way that cross contamination may occur is during the manufacturing of a food. For example, when a safe food is manufactured on the same equipment as an unsafe food, there is a chance for trace amounts of the unsafe food to end up in the safe food. For those with food allergies, even trace amounts of an allergen can lead to serious allergic reactions.

Although the Food Allergen Labeling and consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA) requires manufacturers to clearly list the top 8 all ergens on the food label, this rule does not account for cross contamination. Sometimes you will see “may contain (allergen)” or “made in a facility that also produces (allergen)” on a label but the manufacturers are not required to list this information. If you have any doubts, call the manufacturers and ask about the possibility of cross contamination. If your child’s allergies are severe and the manufacturer can’t guarantee it is safe, its probably not worth the risk.

By the way, this is why we are proud to say that Neocate is the only amino acid-based infant formula prepared in a 100% milk-free manufacturing site, eliminating the risk for cross contamination!

At Home:

Cross contamination can also happen in your home. Kids with Food Allergies provides some helpful tips on minimizing this risk: http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/resourcespre.php?id=65.

Eating Out:

Eating out can be intimidating for those with food allergies because you have less control over how foods are handled and efforts to minimize cross contamination. For helpful tips, check out this article from Food Allergy Gourmet.

Food Safety for Everyone:

The risk of cross contamination is not limited to allergy sufferers. Cross contamination of bacteria from foods (such as raw meat, seafood and eggs) is a concern for everyone. To keep you and your loved ones safe, follow these tips from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Have any of your children experienced an allergic reaction as a result of cross contamination? Any advice to offer other parents?

-Mallory

Neocate Guía Infantil Para Padres e Instrucciones de Mezclado - Edición en Español!

2012-01-31T18:11:24+00:00

Estamosorgullosos de ofrecer a la Guía de Padres infantil Neocate - Español como unaguía de recursos para padres cuyos hijos han sido recomendados para usar Neocate para el tratamiento dietéticode las alergias e intolerancias alimentarias.

Entendemos queel tratamiento dietético de las alergias alimentarias pueden variar entre los niños. Por lo tanto, se recomienda encarecidamente que esta guía se utiliza en la consulta con un profesional de la salud.

Además, recibimos muchas preguntas sobre cómo mezclar infantil Neocate DHA ARA. Además de la Guía de Padres infantil Neocate - Español, hemos creado un vídeo Cómo Mezclar Neocate para nuestro canal de YouTube NeocateUS!

Esperamos que encuentreútileste video! Incluso parainstrucciones más detalladas, o si tiene alguna pregunta adicional, por favor póngase en contacto con nuestros especialistas en nutrición en nutritionservices@nutricia.com o 1-800-NEOCATE.

¿Usted encuentra estos recursos útiles? ¿Qué otros tipos de recursos y de vídeos que te gustaría ver?

(English Tranlsation Below)

Neocate Infant Parent Guide & Mixing Instructions – Spanish Edition!

We are proud to offer the Neocate Infant Parent Guide – Español as a resource guide for parents whose child has been recommended to use Neocate for the dietary management of food allergies and intolerances.

We understand that the dietary management of food allergies can differ between children. As such, it is strongly recommended that this guide be used in consultation with a healthcare professional.

Also, we receive lots of questions about how to properly mix Neocate Infant DHA ARA. In addition to the Neocate Infant Parent Guide – Español, we created a How to Mix Neocate video for our NeocateUS YouTube channel!

We hope you find this video useful! For even more detailed instructions, or for any additional questions, please contact our Nutrition Specialists at nutritionservices@nutricia.com or 1-800-NEOCATE.

Do you find these resources helpful? What other kinds of resources and videos would you like to see?

-Sarah

Flavoring Elemental formulas

2012-01-26T20:12:12+00:00

We often get questions from parents about flavoring elemental formulas, such as Neocate Junior, Unflavored. Before I dive into this, I want to be clear; when I refer to flavoring a formula I am referring to formulas for children ages 1 and over. We do not recommend flavoring Infant formulas. If you are considering adding flavor to your infant’s elemental formula, speak with your doctor or dietitian to ensure it is allowed.

As you may know, an elemental formula can have a distinct and unique taste that some children may not care for. What makes it harder is that the children are often so restricted in their diets that the families have a hard time finding something that they can use to enhance the flavor of the formula.

Here at Nutricia North America, we are always striving to offer children and families living with food allergies a wide variety of flavor options to help with formula intake. We have a Neocate Recipe Book that uses Neocate and other flavorings to make tasty treats. We also provide Flavor Packets that are safe for children with food allergies. Our flavors include: Cherry Vanilla, Lemon Lime, and Grapefruit**.

Additionally, we have 7 different Neocate flavors available, including new Neocate Jr with Prebioticsthat is Vanilla flavored and Neocate Jr Chocolate (no milk of course!), Tropical, Orange-Pineapple, Grape, Tropical Fruit flavors.

Another option as discussed in a 2009 Today’s Dietitian Journal article, suggests vanilla extract or strawberry syrup to flavor hypoallergenic formulas*.

Adding flavoring components to the Neocate products will not affect the formula negatively. Just be aware what you are adding and speak to your healthcare team to ensure it will be appropriate for your little one.

What do you use to flavor your elemental formulas? Have you had success?

Christine

*Always contact the manufacturer to ensure it is appropriate for your child.

**Note the Lemon Lime and Grapefruit flavors contain citric acid.

Even More Neocate Recycling

2012-01-24T22:06:34+00:00

Over the past few weeks, we’ve provided you with tips for recycling or reusing your metal Neocate cans. But what about the accessories: the lids and the scoops?

In our recent recycling blog, we mentioned that the lids from Neocate (and Duocal!) cans can be recycled. This might vary, though, based on where you live. To be sure you can recycle the lids, check with your local municipality or curbside recycling pickup company. The key thing to look for is whether they accept number 4 plastics – the lids we use on our cans are number 4. As more localities continue to accept a bigger variety of plastics, we hope many of our customers can recycle their Neocate lids! You may also be able to find a nearby drop-off location by using the search feature on Earth911 with the term “#4 Rigid Plastic” and your city or zip code.

But what about the scoops that come with our products? Great news: if your municipality or recycling pickup company takes number 5 plastics, you can recycle the scoops as well! Number 5 plastics are also used in yogurt cups, other food tubs, plastic flower pots, and disposable razors. Even better news: for those customers who live in an area where number 5 products are not collected from the community, you have another option with Preserve®’s Gimme 5 program. You may be able to locate a local drop-off site where number 5 plastics are collected for Preserve. If that doesn’t work, Preserve will even accept number 5 plastics by mail and turn them into consumer products. Now THAT’S recycling!

Do you have any crafty ideas for reusing or repurposing the lids or scoops from your Nutricia products?

- Rob

Taking a Leap to Try New Food

2012-01-19T17:33:45+00:00

As we enter the new year, which just so happens to be a leap year, it’s a great time to take a “leap” (pun intended) and resolve to add new foods to your little one’s diet.

When your child has multiple food allergies, you have to work within the range of safe foods so as always, if you are unsure if a certain food is safe or not, always consult with your child’s healthcare professional first.

Be persistent!

One important thing to remember is that if you don’t succeed with a certain food, don’t give up on it or assume that your child doesn’t like it. A certain degree of “neophobia”, or fear of new foods, is normal for toddlers and young children. According to Angela Haas, a speech language pathologist and feeding therapist with over 18 years of experience, children may need up to 20 exposures to a new food before they will accept it. So, if the first try fails, continue to present the food occasionally in a non-forceful manner and eventually, you might be surprised to find that your child accepts and even enjoys it.

Give choices!

Another tip for introducing new foods is to always provide choices so your child feels in control of what they are eating. Instead of saying “You are going to try sweet potatoes today!” ask “Would you like to try sweet potatoes or squash today?”

You may choose to present a small amount of several different foods (only those which are allergy-safe of course). Include a few familiar, preferred foods and a few new ones that they can choose from. Again, this makes them feel in control of what they are eating and less resistant to try new things. You may think that children would be overwhelmed by multiple foods at one time but a recent article reports that on average, children prefer a plate with 7 different items and six different colors (while adults prefer a plate with 3 different items and 3 different colors)[1].

Baby steps!

With toddlers and young children, its important not to pressure them to eat a certain food. Give them the option to say “no, thank you” (but not, “eww gross”) if they aren’t ready to try it. Depending on how resistant the child is to new foods, there are different levels for gradually getting them to accept them. You can start by presenting a new food, along with other familiar foods. They don’t have to eat it but they have to allow it to remain on the plate throughout the meal. Continue to present a new food along with familiar foods and allow your child to get acquainted with it. This might mean smelling it, touching it, playing with it and once they are ready, tasting it. We’ve always heard “don’t play with your food!” but for very young children at this stage, the goal is get them comfortable and familiar with a new food, however that may be.

For more tips on expanding your child’s diet, here are some resources which might be helpful:

Please remember that these are general guidelines for expanding your child’s diet. Always ensure that you only introduce foods that are safe for your child’s specific food allergies and when unsure, consult with a healthcare professional.

What challenges do you have with expanding your child’s diet? Any tips for other parents?

-Mallory

[1] Zampollo F, Kniffin KM, Wansink B, Shimizu M. Food plating preferences of children: the importance of presentation on desire for diversity. Acta Paediatr. 2012 Jan;101(1):61-6.

Photo: Flickr user

Clinical Nutrition Week 2012

2012-01-17T21:15:10+00:00

This weekend, January 21^st– 24^th, we will be exhibiting at the 35^thannual Clinical Nutrition Week 2012 (CNW 12) in Orlando, Florida.

CNW, hosted by the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N.), is a three-and-a-half day conference with educational workshops for physicians, dietitians, nurses, pharmacists, educators and researchers who practice in the area of clinical nutrition.

Every year we look forward to coming face-to-face with the physicians, dietitians, nurses, pharmacists and researchers and helping them improve patient care. This is our time to demonstrate how we are advancing the science and practice of nutrition support therapy through our Neocate products and services.

This year we are especially excited to promote our newest product — Neocate® Junior with Prebiotics, Vanilla! As we’ve mentioned before on the blog Neocate® Junior with Prebiotics, Vanilla is the first and only flavored amino acid-based medical food with soluble prebiotic fiber for children with GI conditions.

We’ll be sure to keep you posted on all of the fun and exciting things we hope to learn this weekend! And, if you’re interested in learning more about A.S.P.E.N. and the CNW conference, check out their website and for the latest news updates, announcements and events Like them on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/nutritioncare.org) and follow them on Twitter (@ASPENWEB).

Exciting New Tool - Online Diary

2012-01-12T20:03:36+00:00

As most of you know, we redesigned our Neocate.com website in May of 2011. In case you haven’t paid us a visit, come on by. We added a few new online tools to help provide support and guidance to you and your family. Our new Parent’s Toolbox and Reference Library includes a symptoms guide, glossary and a symptom checker which have all gotten great reviews – thank you for the feedback!

Our website is always a work in progress and we will continue to work on providing new tools and resources. Our newest online tool that we are excited to share with you is the online diary!

The online diary is a perfect tool to use when you are trying to determine the right formula for your child, starting on solids or reintroducing foods into your little ones diet.

It is tough to remember or keep track of all the small (or big) symptoms or behaviors that may occur throughout the day and even more difficult trying to relate those symptoms back to a food if you’re not recording it somewhere. Keeping a daily diary of what your child eats and drinks – and any symptoms you see afterward – gives your child’s doctors vital information. It can help them identify what might be triggering any symptoms. This online diary makes keeping track of everything a snap.

Over the past few weeks, under the guidance of my little ones physician, I have started adding solids into my 6 month olds diet. Since starting, I've noticed a little rash around his mouth and chin. With the dry winter weather just starting and the drool from new teeth coming in I couldn't figure out if the new foods I was introducing was causing the rash or not.

So I started using the online diary to record everything that we did. When he took a bottle, when he ate solids, what he ate, when he was out in the cold, when the rash appeared, the severity of the rash, etc. With the help of the online diary I was then able to begin to see a pattern of when the rash was appearing - right after we fed him, every night. Could he really be allergic to peas? I still had my doubts but relieved to have a record of what was occurring to share with my doctor. Now we both had a clear understanding of what was going on and therefore were able to best determine the root of the problem.

I hope all of you find the online diary to be as resourceful as I do. Do you have any other ideas of useful tools you'd like to see on Neocate.com?

-Sarah

Neocate Recipe Booklet

2012-01-10T18:09:57+00:00

Based on feedback and ideas that we hear from you, we try to find ways to provide options for those little ones using our Neocate products. We've developed a collection of delicious and delightful recipes using our Neocate products that are now available to view online! We hope your little ones find these recipes enjoyable and allows for a little variety in their diets. Here is a favorite included in the book:

Apple Delight

Ingredients

1/2 apple, peeled, diced and cooked until soft
2 pitted-prunes diced and cooked (boiled in water) until soft
2 fl oz water
4 scoops Neocate Infant DHA/ARA powder
A pinch of cinnamon

Directions

Add water to apple and prunes and blend to desired consistency
Add the Neocate Infant DHA/ARA powder and stir
Sprinkle with cinnamon (optional)
Serve immediately or store in a refrigerator for up to 24 hours

Makes 1 serving

Calories Protein Fat Carbohydrate

156 3 g 4 g 30 g

Do you have any of your own recipes using Neocate - we'd love to hear about them!

-Sarah

Consult your healthcare professional to determine if these recipes, ingredients and consistencies are appropriate for your child. Nutritional values are approximate and will vary based on brands, quantities and substitutions.

Live Chat with Nutricia Online!

2012-01-05T20:47:09+00:00

As you know at Nutricia we love to hear from our customers and we’ve made it easy to contact us via e-mail or phone. But today we’re excited to announce a new way for you connect with us – live online chat!

Our chat allows you to speak with either our Nutrition Specialists or Customer Service representatives. We are here to help answer any questions you have about our products, your child’s nutrition, placing orders, managing your account, and product pricing. Our teams are available from 8:30am-5:00pm EST Monday through Friday to answer your questions.

To get started click the "Buy Neocate" link on the Neocate.com homepage. Once you’re there you’ll see our Live Chat option on the lower left corner of the screen. Once you click on it, we’ll ask for some basic contact information and which department you’d like to speak to and in a few moments you’ll be connected with one of our representatives.

Our goal is to be here for you so that purchasing Neocate for your little one is as easy as possible. If you’ve given our live chat a try, let us know what you think on our Facebook page or below in the comments section!

We look forward to speaking with you soon.

-Christine