But she has since discovered that even though the school Ian attends has properly addressed the allergy issue (Ian's food allergies have been added to his medical file and his classroom has been declared a "nut-free zone"), there are frequently times when he feels left out and deprived of many things he loves.

"The saddest part is when the class wins a pizza or ice-cream party and he's the only one to miss out," Bolton says. "I do bring in soy ice cream in those situations, when I know about them in advance, which isn't always the
case. It breaks my heart."

Bolton is certainly not alone. The incidence of food allergies in school-age children has increased significantly over the past decade, with far-reaching implications for all involved -- from allergic students and their parents to teachers, school nurses and even non-allergic classmates.

"It is everyone's problem," says Anne Muñoz-Furlong of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN). "If a child has a reaction in the classroom, everyone is affected." So when it comes to keeping food-allergic children safe, are schools making the grade?

"We're not at A-plus but we're certainly doing better than ten or even five years ago," says Muñoz-Furlong. "Awareness is much better now and more schools are on board today than ever before."

Chalk it up to necessity: Approximately 12 million Americans, including 3 million children, have food allergies.