Gymnastics Mamas and Latex Allergy

[sparkygirl]

My DD is 3 and has been doing a pre-school dance class it has been a disaster.  We did a trial gymnastics class this past week and she loved it!  She followed directions perfectly and it really gave her an outlet for her energy, I really want her to go ahead and start gynmastics.  On the day of class her behavior was not off the wall and she took a nap and went to bed without issue.  She loved the class and is asking to go back something she does not do with dance.

 

The challenge is that there was a miscommunication most likely because it was a trial class and they didn't really "register" her that when DH took her to the gym for class there were balloons everywhere from the earlier toddler class using a parachute and balloons.  The coach came over to shake DD's hand with a balloon, DH became protective papa bear and was very short with the coach that she couldn't shake DD hand due to the balloon.  DD is anaphylactic to Latex, first reaction at 6 months old.  I've been reading through the posts form gymnastics mamas about latex so I am confidant we can balance her safety and allergy management with gymnastics. 

 

What should a new mom to gymnastics know and where could there be potential problems that we need to find alternative products? 

 

I'm already thinking of talking with the director and providing the gym with ball pit balls or headstrom playgound balls in place of the balloons, both are latex free and meet the same intent as the balloons.  

[Jean in Newcastle]

Um. . . I might be wrong but aren't the mats for gymnastics covered with latex?  And at my dd's gym they go barefoot.  Not to mention the latex in a normal leo.  Balloons would be the least of my worries.  

[itsheresomewhere]

While it is kind of you to provide the balls and such, how will you prevent cross contamination?  I wouldn't be surprised to see the balls being used with balloons during another class.  Will the gym area have to be cleaned before your DD can use it if another class has used balloons before her?  

[Jan in SC]

My ds did competitive gymnastics for a while and I never saw a balloon in his gym. Not all latex is processes the same. He can actually smell it and tell if it will bother him. I don't know much about, but there is a cleansing process that can eliminate some allergens. He is a lot older, though, so I would ask about everything at her gym. We did purchase latex free stretching bands and he took those back and forth each time.

[Forget-Me-Not]

I'm confused about why your husband was short with the coach? It sounds like the coach was not made aware of the problem.

 

I would caution you gently about spending the kind of money that would be involved in providing latex-free equipment for the gym. She's three. While she may love gym for many years to come, there's an equal chance she will be over it in less than a year and want to move on to something else.

[Chris in VA]

Just wanted to give you a head's up that latex allergy can also spawn an allergy to potatoes. Potato starch is in a lot of boxed/canned processed foods.

 

I have a df whose kids are ana for latex and one has the potato allergy--it's fairly unknown, so just pls be careful.

[plansrme]

Have you contacted one of the gym equipment companies to see if there is latex in their products? There are only a couple who make all of the bars, beams, floors, vault tables and mats, and I would think they could tell you.

 

Most everything else, such as stretch bands, grips and practice leos, you could probably find latex-free on your own, but there will not be much you can do about the equipment.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I cannot imagine a gym agreeing to make their entire gym latex free.  It would be cost prohibitive.  Of course personal equipment would something you have control over.  

[sparkygirl]

I met with the Gym owner and director this evening.  They have already started the process of making their gym latex free for my daughter.  They have already checked the equipment and are researching several of the smaller equipment that they utilize.  For right now until they hear back from the manufacturers they won't be using balls, etc. 

 

I always offer to purchase something small for any setting that is safe for my daughter, a set of 10 playground balls, a set of 200 ball pit balls, four new dolls for the church sunday school classroom, a new doctor kit for her pre-school classroom.  My husband and I approach her allergy management as team work, we will provide certain things no questions asked and in return we ask that the location (chuch, pre-school, dance class, gym) make certain changes.  We also know that our daughter can not live in a bubble and that she will come in contact with her allergen despite the best efforts to prevent exposure.

 

The key is that most manufacturers have switched to using synthetic materials which are safe for our daughter.  They will state rubber practice mat once you talk to the manufacturer it is a synthetic rubber.  The same for elastic, newer clothing with elastic is a synthetic rubber.  The key is natural rubber latex.

 

She has outgrown latex fruit syndrome as a baby she could not have kiwi, avocado, banana, etc.  Thank you for the heads up on potato that one is on the fruit syndrome list but we never encountered a problem.