The Career Consequences of Raising a Child With Allergies

Raising a kid with a serious food allergy requires a commitment to prevention and treatment, in ever-shifting proportions. Depending on the allergy and the kid, some parents have an easier time than others. In a recent survey, about 9 percent of parents of kids with food allergies say it’s affecting their careers—yet another reason to resent peanuts.

The rate of children with food allergies increased 18 percent from 1997 to 2007, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found. While parents pay a lot for medicines and special foods, the single biggest expense is “opportunity costs,” claims a new report in JAMA Pediatrics. These are the often overlooked job-related costs, such as having to give up a job or chose a career that allows them to take care of their child, according to the researchers.