Alex has a nut allergy. His throat and tongue swell up and he can't breathe properly.

He stole another kid's peanut butter sandwich at daycare one day and, as it was his second exposure, blew up like a balloon. His daycarer nearly called the ambulance.

I'm allergic to nuts and shellfish so needless to say neither of my boys have now been exposed to shellfish at all. Ned hasn't even tried nuts either, so will have to wait until they're older before taking them to a specialist.

I just avoid everything unless I'm ABSOLUTELY sure it has no nuts. No homemade biscuits or cakes unless I've cooked them myself (especially packet mixes).

Yeast and some preservatives can also cause a rash but it's not NECESSARILY an allergic reaction as such.

Best wishes.