What You Should Do If Your Child With A Stinging Insect Allergy Wants To Go To Summer Camp

When you have a child that suffers from a stinging insect allergy, your biggest concern on any given day is making sure that they stay as healthy as possible and as far away from stinging insects as they can be. However, your child likely wants to live their life just like every other kid their age. And because of this fact, your child may be begging you to let them sign up for and go to summer camp with their friends. While you want your child to have wonderful experiences and childhood memories to look back on one day, it is understandable that you are concerned, given their stinging insect allergy. Get to know some of the steps that you should take so that your child can go to summer camp but also stay healthy and safe.  

Make Sure Camp Staff Knows About Your Child's Allergy

Due to the fact that you cannot be there with your child while they are away at summer camp, you need to make sure that the camp director as well as the counselors and other staff members are made aware of your child's stinging insect allergy. While your child is at camp, they are in charge of your child's safety and well-being.

Communicate with the camp director before your child even arrives at camp. When you meet their counselors, reiterate the fact that your child has a stinging insect allergy. This will ensure that the information is fresh in their mind and that your child will be safe after you drop them off.

Send Your Child With an Epinephrine Auto-Injector

Camp staff are required to have emergency first aid supplies on hand for all campers and staff members. This includes venom injection treatments as well as epinephrine auto-injectors. To be on the safe side, though, you should also send your child's own personal epinephrine auto-injector with them to camp.

You also want to make sure that your child knows how to self-administer an epinephrine auto-injector injection in case they are alone and are stung by a bee or other insect. These devices are your child's best defense against a sting and can be the difference between a short trip to the infirmary or emergency room and a long hospital stay or worse. It is important that your child and staff members have one on-hand at all times and that they know how to use them.

With these tips in mind, you can be sure that your child with a stinging insect allergy can go to summer camp and enjoy themselves safely. For more information about the allergy, talk with a health professional or visit websites like http://www.oakbrookallergists.com.