Holidays | Health & Wellness | Children's Health

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Food allergies don’t have to dampen the spirit of the holidays

With the holidays around the corner, most parents are looking forward to their child’s Thanksgiving feast, school Christmas parties and family meals. But for me and many others whose children have food allergies, it can be a scary and stressful time of year. Most holiday foods contain at least one of the top eight allergens – milk, eggs, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, tree nuts and peanuts. For example, Elliekate, my 3-year-old daughter, has a severe food allergy to eggs, tree nuts, peanuts and sesame. She cannot have the traditional recipes for most all holiday foods including sweet potato casserole, stuffing or pie.

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How an overlooked Eating Disorder can surface at the Holidays

Because the holidays offer more opportunity for family time, this can be when parents start to notice unhealthy eating habits in their children.

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Food-Allergy-Friendly Recipe: Sweet Potato Apple Casserole

We’re sharing directions for Sweet Potato Apple Casserole. In the United States 90% of all food allergic reactions are caused by just eight foods: peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish. This week we’re sharing directions for an entire food-allergy-friendly holiday meal. You’ll want to try them all!

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Food-Allergy-Friendly Recipe: Holiday Berry Sauce

Even if your kids don’t have food allergies, it’s likely that this holiday season you’ll be cooking for one of your kids’ cousins or friends who is allergic to one of the top eight food-allergy triggers (milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat).

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Food-Allergy-Friendly Recipe: Herbed Prime Rib Roast

Recent research shows that 1 in every 13 children in the United States has a food allergy, that’s approximately 2 children in every classroom. The following recipe is free of peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish. This week, we’re sharing recipes for an entire food-allergy-friendly holiday meal. You’ll want to try them all!

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Food-Allergy-Friendly Recipe: Chocolate Cake

We’re sharing recipes for an entire food-allergy-friendly holiday meal. You’ll want to try them all! The following Chocolate Cake is allergy-friendly recipe and is free of peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish. It's also gluten and dairy free.

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Surviving the holidays: How to support your kid's healthier nutrition habits year-round

The festivities and treats of the holiday season can make it difficult for your child to maintain healthy eating habits that he or she might have established earlier in the year. On average, people gain 1-3 pounds during the six weeks from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day.

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Seven simple tips for safe trick-or-treating

The spookiest day of the year is quickly sneaking up on us. So you're probably already on your way to being knee deep in pumpkins, costumes, candy and creating great Halloween memories for your child.

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7 tips for buying safe toys this holiday season

Toys can be hazardous, resulting in hundreds of thousands of injuries each year for children age 14 or younger. As holiday time approaches, make informed decisions about toy purchases by keeping our tips in mind.

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8 Safety tips for kids and holiday decorations

The glitter, glow and frenzied fun of the holidays makes it the most festive time of the year. But the sparkle of the season can come with hidden dangers for your children. "With how busy the holidays get, it can be easy to overlook precautions you should take with decorations to keep your kids safe," says Sandeepa Rajadhyaksha, M.D., Associate Medical Director at Children’s Health Pediatric Group. "Taking a moment to assess your surroundings can help you identify any potential hazards and prevent them from harming your children."

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Teal Pumpkin Project: Alternative Halloween treats for kids with allergies, diabetes or other needs

Having a child with a food allergy or diabetes impacts nearly every aspect of life – including how he or she can participate in holidays and related celebrations. Festive autumnal celebrations nearly always include candy and treats, and it can be heartbreaking to tell a child with a food allergy that he or she can’t participate in the merriment of trick-or-treating on Halloween night.

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The new normal: How to holiday after separation

For recently separated or divorced families, the holidays can bring an acute sense of hurtful emotions and anxiety. The tug-of-war over who will get the kids, combined with the frustrations of fluctuating schedules and loss of routine, can lead to an unhealthy environment for children and a potentially profound emotional impact on them later in life.

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Four hidden spots for holiday germs

Presents aren't the only thing in hiding during the holiday season. With more travel, parties, family and shopping, germs hide out and often show up uninvited to spread contagious illnesses that can put a damper on holiday fun.

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Elf on the Shelf: Christmas friend or foe?

The Elf on the Shelf, a toy based on a children's book published in 2005, is a fun and novel idea that many families have eagerly incorporated into their Christmas traditions. When a child names the Elf, it magically comes to life each night between Thanksgiving and Christmas to report back to Santa about the child's behavior. It then returns to the home to a different spot than the night before, but the child must not touch it, or it might lose its magic.