Australasian Journal of Early Childhood Volume 41 Number 4 December 2016 115 Introduction Children’s food allergy has become a global public health issue in recent times. For instance, 20 per cent of Sweden’s school-aged children, 11.7 per cent of Finnish children (under four years of age) (Marklund, Ahlstedt & Nordström, 2006), 5 per cent of United States (US) children (aged birth–17 years) (Jackson, Howie & Akinbami, 2013), and 10 per cent of Australian infants (Osborne et al., 2011) are reported to have food allergy. Furthermore, the attendance of affected children in Australian primary schools is also on the increase, with one in 30 children starting school with a diagnosed nut allergy (Kljakovic et al., 2009). Food allergy, a complex medical condition, has major consequences for children’s safety, health and wellbeing. It is an immune response triggered by the ingestion of proteins in foods such as cow’s milk, peanuts, tree nuts and seafood (A&AA, n.d.) and may result in a severe allergic reaction or ‘anaphylaxis’. Although rare, this can—in some cases—be fatal. While most allergic reactions are non-life-threatening (i.e. mild or moderate), it is difficult to predict when and how an allergic reaction might result in a fatality or near fatality. Moreover, there is no known cure for food allergy, although research on immunotherapy or inducing allergen tolerance, is progressing (e.g. Nurmatov et al., 2012). Therefore, the prevention of risks, early identification of allergic reactions and administration of life-saving medications are paramount in saving lives (A&AA, n.d). Complexities in managing children’s food allergy In Australia, parents and caregivers manage a child’s food allergy by understanding and following the doctor’s written instructions—set out in the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy’s (ASCIA) Action Plan for Anaphylaxis (ASCIA, n.d.)—and by administering adrenaline via an auto-injectable home device (e.g. EpiPen) (A&AA, n.d.). Additionally, they try to prevent a child’s accidental exposure to affected foods by eliminating and avoiding cross-contamination in each meal, when prepared and served. However, with food being integrated into people’s daily lives, to prevent children’s accidental exposure to unsafe foods and keep them safe at all times is challenging, especially in out-of-home contexts, where the risks are unknown, or unpredictable. Therefore, the management of a child’s food allergy is both physically demanding and emotionally exhausting for parents. Consistent with this, research indicated parental burdens that included scrutinising food labels, avoiding cross-contamination of foods in every meal, and restricting or avoiding social activities involving foods—such as eating out in restaurants and travelling—to prevent children’s accidental exposure to unknown risks (e.g. Avery, King, Knight & Hourihane, 2003). Framed within the ‘bio-psychological perspective’ (Engel, 1977), research further highlighted the socio-emotional impacts of food allergy on all people concerned. According Transition to school anxiety for mothers of children with food allergy: Implications for educators Prathyusha Sanagavarapu Maria Said Constance Katelaris Western Sydney University Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia Western Sydney University Campbelltown hospital Brynn Wainstein Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick, Sydney PARENTAL CONCERNS FOR THE safety of their children with food allergy greatly increase once they reach ‘school age’, yet those concerns have not been investigated to date, despite the increasing attendance of children with food allergy in schools in Australia and globally. This pilot study explored 10 affected Australian mothers’ feelings and perspectives of their children’s transition to school. The results from Photo Elicitation Interviews revealed that mothers were anxious, concerned about their children’s safety, and they perceived food allergy risks to be comparatively greater in schools than in prior-to-school settings, especially in the school playground. Mothers had a myriad of concerns relating to trusting and transferring the responsibility for their children’s safety to school staff, as well as to the children themselves. Additionally, they were concerned about other parents’ negative attitudes towards food allergy or affected children and families, and normalising children’s school life with food allergy. Although based on a small sample, the findings have important implications for educators to ease parental anxiety and facilitate their child’s positive start to school.