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60k kids have avoided peanut allergies due to 2015 advice, study finds

(www.cbsnews.com)
349 points zdw | 3 comments | 21 Oct 25 03:53 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source
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JCM9 ◴[21 Oct 25 21:23 UTC] No.45661908[source]▶
A lot of science supports the idea that helicopter hyper-parenting is hurting kids by having them grow up in an environment that’s too sterile. Let your kids go outside and roll around in the mud a bit. God forbid they lick the floor. Science says it’s good for them!
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eweise ◴[21 Oct 25 21:37 UTC] No.45662043[source]▶
Can't remember a single kid with a peanut allergy growing up in the 70s.
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jpollock ◴[21 Oct 25 21:40 UTC] No.45662068[source]▶
I had friends with nut allergies in the 80s.

Before the epipen, I imagine the mortality rate would be pretty high, and it didn't arrive on the market until 1983.

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1. tnias23 ◴[22 Oct 25 02:49 UTC] No.45664397[source]▶
Prior to the EpiPen, people carried the Ana-Kit. It became commercially available in 1963 and was a little kit containing a syringe pre-loaded with epinephrine, antihistamine tablet(s?), and a tourniquet.

People in anaphylactic shock sometimes (often?) need more than one dose, and antihistamine should be taken asap. The epinephrine just bridges the gap until the antihistamine kicks in.

I liked the Ana-kit because the syringe had 2 doses in it (you turned the plunger 90° for the second dose) and the antihistamine. It was much cheaper, and it was pretty easy—- just pull off the needle cap, stick your thigh to the hilt, and press the plunger.

Despite the relative ease of autoinjectors like EpiPen, I was pretty upset when Ana-kit was discontinued and I had to start carrying EpiPens. That’s why I always get the generic 2-pack prescribed and keep it in a ziplock bag with a couple Benadryls.

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2. shemtay ◴[22 Oct 25 17:21 UTC] No.45672271[source]▶
why the tourniquet?
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3. jdeibele ◴[22 Oct 25 17:50 UTC] No.45672687[source]▶
I was curious about that myself.

"To slow absorption of injected antigens (e.g., insect stings), a tourniquet may be placed proximal to the injection site. "

https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2003/1001/p1325.html

The article says that tourniquets are no longer recommended. It doesn't seem like a tourniquet would be of any help if you ingested something but reasonable for insect stings. Anyone who has taken a first aid course gets warned multiple times about the danger of leaving a tourniquet on too long but maybe random people aren't aware of it.