This is not because the pharmaceutical companies tell them to say that, but rather because two auto-injectors are truly a must-have for kids with food allergies and other severe allergies which could make the difference between life and death. In fact, a study done a few years ago found that of the 150-200 deaths caused by anaphylaxis each year, a delayed or inadequate dose of epinephrine is most often to blame!
Before I get into why it’s important, let me introduce myself. My name is Iris Shamus, and I’m the founder of a company called AllerMates. More importantly, I’m the mother of a son with multiple, life threatening food allergies whose diagnosis inspired me to create our line of medical alert bracelets, charms, medicine cases and more. Our mission at AllerMates is to provide parents simple, friendly and reliable resources to help kids understand allergies and other health concerns, so naturally, epinephrine news is a hot topic of conversation within our team!
If you’re wondering why two shot of epinephrine are needed for kids with food allergies, here are four situations to consider:
- Emergencies involving our children always cause panic, no matter how calm we try to be. Don’t find yourself in a situation where you miss your target (your child’s outer thigh) due to being nervous, and don’t have a backup injector. This is especially true if the allergic reaction happens when your child is in the care of someone else, like another family member or babysitter who may be less experienced with handling kids with food allergies.
- With anything in life, there’s always a possibility your auto-injector won’t work due to some sort of malfunction. Be prepared in the event yours happens to be one of the very few.
- There’s a chance symptoms may return after a first dose of epinephrine, meaning your child will need more. This is called biphasic anaphylaxis, and it happens in up to 20% of episodes.
- The amazing effects of epinephrine may wear off after just 10-20 minutes following injection. If your hospital isn’t within that short of a driving time, make sure you have a backup while you’re seeking medical care. (Please note: It is recommended to call 911 and take an ambulance to the hospital)
All the best,
Iris
P.S. If epinephrine and anaphylaxis are two important topics for you, sign up to receive our AllerMates newsletter. Every month, we’ll send the latest news, product updates and allergy-friendly product reviews directly to your inbox!
Iris Shamus Wife, mother to three awesome kids and founder/CEO of AllerMates. Based in New York, Iris and her team create helpful content, answer emails, ship their products and obsess every day about keeping kids safe.