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Allergies and anaphylaxis
Call 911
An allergic reaction can come from foods (peanut, egg, milk and others), medicines or stings. Anaphylaxis is serious and can start within minutes.
What to do
- If there are serious signs and epinephrine was prescribed (auto-injector), use it right away in the thigh and call 911.
- Keep the child lying down or in your arms. If breathing is hard, semi-upright. If vomiting, on the side.
- If there's no improvement in 5 to 15 minutes and you have a second epinephrine dose, use it.
- If the reaction is mild (just a few hives), stop the food or medicine and call the pediatrician.
- Write down what the child ate or took and when.
What not to do
- Don't wait to see if it gets better when there are serious signs.
- Don't use an antihistamine (like Benadryl) instead of epinephrine.
- Don't give antihistamines to a baby unless the pediatrician says so.
- Don't stand the child up or make them walk during a serious reaction.
