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If you are or you know someone living with Childhood food allergy click on the link on this reel to learn more about support through a new revolutionary app being created by an allergy Mum and a digital health expert which will be paired with four weeks of support from the nest for your childās food allergies. ļæ¼
Watch the reel or Learn more here - https://forms.gle/c3pbBnytHXLgWRGC9
17/12/2025
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17/12/2025
ā¦.but for allergy families, they often do.
Whether youāre:
š Hosting kids with food allergies
š Attending parties with an allergic child
A little planning and the right conversations can make these events safer and more enjoyable.
Iāve shared practical, real-life tips in todayās video ā the things that actually help families feel calmer during party season.
š¬ Comment QUICK and Iāll send you my baby and child-specific allergy reaction guide to keep on your phone.
12/12/2025
Have you heard the advice to rub peanut butter or egg on your babyās skin before feeding it to ātestā for allergies?
Itās common advice. Itās well-meaning. But itās wrong, and potentially harmful.
In this episode of NestPod, I explain why rubbing food on your babyās skin isnāt just unhelpful, it can actually increase their risk of developing a food allergy. As a paediatric nurse and allergy specialist with 10+ years of experience, I break down:
š§“ What actually happens when food touches inflamed or broken skin
š§ Why this method doesnāt tell you if a baby is allergic
š« How it can lead to sensitisation, not prevention
ā What to do instead when introducing allergy foods safely
š¬ And why your babyās immune system learns best through their tummy, not their skin
If youāre starting solids soon, or feel completely unsure about how to safely introduce peanut, egg, or other allergens, this is a must-listen.
10/12/2025
1ļøā£ Remove the food
Take it away, wipe your childās hands + face, and clear any crumbs or spills. This stops further exposure and prevents little hands from spreading it around.
2ļøā£ Take photos + videos
This helps SO much. Rashes and swelling can fade by the time you see a doctor, photos give clinicians a clear picture of what happened.
3ļøā£ See your GP, and donāt leave without a plan
Ask exactly how to reintroduce the food (if safe) or when to avoid it, and request a referral to a paediatric immunologist if needed. You deserve specific guidance, not vague instructions.
š Want a clearer, baby-specific breakdown of allergy symptoms? Go here https://thenestcpr.systeme.io/reaction-guide for my Quick-Reference Allergy Kit, created for babies & toddlers (because symptoms look different in little ones).
š§ listen to our latest podcast on why itās not a good idea to wipe Food products on your baby skin to test for food allergies. I go into a deep dive on this subject and I think youāll find it really interesting!ļæ¼
Childhood food allergy has changed so much over the last 30 years.
This is just a visual representation not a perfect scientific graph but an easy way to show parents that the rise in food allergy is real, and youāre not imagining it.
Each nut represents roughly 1 child in 100.
In the 1990s, only around 1ā2% of children were diagnosed with food allergy.
Today, in some countries (including Australia), itās closer to 10% of babies.
No, this isnāt a precise year-by-year measurement, there is no single global dataset that captures 30 years perfectly.
But the trend is absolutely clear:
šŖŗ more babies being diagnosed
šŖŗ more families navigating allergy
šŖŗ more fear and confusion for parents
And thatās exactly why I do what I do, to help parents feel calm, informed and confident, not overwhelmed.
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In 17 years of paediatric nursing, Heidi Young has treated children with all kinds of injuries and illnesses. She has also seen parents come through the doors of the Childrenās Hospital, upset in the knowledge that they didnāt know what to do for their child when it mattered most.
She says āWhen I became a mother, I finally understood how all those parents really felt. As a Paediatric nurse, I rest easy in the knowledge that I know exactly how to help my boys, should the dreaded situation arise.ā
āEvery parent, expectant parent and carer should be armed with the knowledge, and the confidence and security that come with it. I deal with parents every single day that, when it mattered most, did not have the immediate skills to act quicklyā
CPR and Allergy advice is something that I have been passionate about for a long time now, and it is time to share my knowledge.
Over at The Nest, they teach a range of classes taught by experienced nurses with a focus on hands-on learning and real-life scenarios. Classes are tailored to suit participants and address the specific needs of children aged 0-18 years.
Heidi also offers appointments for allergy advice for parents and children living with food allergy. As a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Allergy at the Childrenās Hospital, Heidi seeās first hand the amount of worry, fear & questions allergy parents have in between their appointments which can be minimum 1-3 years apart. If there is a delay in parents getting the right advice, it can dramatically effect the childrenās outcome in regards to their allergies.
In conjunction with this, anaphylaxis training is another class that Heidi loves to teach and offers inside The Nest, Kids CPR & Allergy.
Heidi has a Diploma in Higher Education (Paed Nursing) and is the Clinical Nurse Specialist in Allergy as part of the Immunology team at Sydney Childrenās Hospital, and has held various roles in paediatric hospitals Across Australia and the UK.
Heidi lives with her partner Ross and their two sons. When sheās not teaching, youāll find her at the gym, in a Sydney coffee shop, drinking tea with her besties in the gournmet bakeries in England on her yearly visits home or hill walking in Highlands of Scotland.
