Must-have Accessory For Today’s Kids: The EpiPen

TRENDSPOTTING | by KAVITA VARMA-WHITE

PARENTS ARE FOREVER SEEKING THE LATEST MUST-HAVE ACCESSORY for their young kids. Whether it’s something to push them in (Bugaboo stroller), dress them in (mini Ugg boots) or indulge them with (Nintendo DSi), there is always something that helps in keeping up with the proverbial Joneses.

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Only these days, the Jones kids are deathly allergic to all kinds of food. And so the accessory they carry is the EpiPen, a prescribed life-saving dose of epinephrine that’s small enough to fit in purses and backpacks and easy enough to transport to schools, play dates, sports practices and wherever else they go.

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With about 3 million American children suffering from food allergies, a number that’s increased a significant 18 percent since 1997 (according to a study last year by the Centers for Disease Control), it seems the Joneses have plenty of company.

Allergies to peanuts, milk, eggs and gluten have become so commonplace, it’s no wonder there’s a cult-like following for the EpiPen, which auto injects a pre-measured dose of epinephrine to someone experiencing anaphylaxis, a severe whole-body allergic reaction.

Prescription rates for the EpiPen have dramatically increased in recent years and have spurred a burgeoning market for stylish EpiPen carriers, adorned with robots and strawberries for kids and discreet holsters for self-conscious teens.

The epinephrine in an EpiPen works to reverse the allergic reaction and gives the child a 10- to 15-minute window to get further emergency medical assistance. Not having epinephrine on hand can result in the grimmest of situations: death.

So the next time your kid has a play date, don’t be surprised if your young guest hands you an EpiPen and a list of “accepted” snacks.