I use massage oil on my skin containing peanut oil, will this hurt a child who is allergic to peanuts?

Question

I am a preschool teacher who just got a new child in my care with a peanut allergy. I was shocked to discover this morning that a new massage oil I bought contains peanut oil as it's first ingrediant. Will apllying this hours before I start work potentially cause a reaction in this little boy? Do I need to start asking parents what products they use on themselves and their children before entering the preschool? What about sunscreens? I am having a hard time finding information on this subject. There is a lot of information about allergies and digesting peanuts but what about topical application of peanut oil on another person? Please help!

Thanks! :)

Answer 1

Most likely the oil will cause some type of reaction. The best thing to do since allergies are becoming more of a concern is not to give the child anything or rub anything on them. I have chronic severe allergies, asthma and anxiety. I am allergic to everything and I have had around 10 life threatening attacks. If I am around someone who has lets say a lotion with bananas in it, I will have a reaction. Of course, I have to take meds everyday just to get by. I would suggest a survey for the parents to fill out and then make a classroom chart with the children's names and their likes/dislikes. Also, there are still a lot of things people do not know about allergies. If one of the children break out, feels feverish, nauseated and this has happened after eating or being exposed to certain smells, I would recommend sending them home immediately. The severity of my allergies did not peak until I was 27, so there are no factors on age or how long it will take before an attack will become out of control.