How to Buy a Teddy Bear for a Child With Allergies

Do some personal research: What kind of bear does your child want? Is he set on a panda or a Paddington?

Do some medical sleuthing: How allergic is your child? Have the allergies been identified? (After hay fever, the most common are mold, pollen, animal dander and dust mites).

Choose a bear that matches your child's desires and is also made with hypoallergenic ingredients. Do this by reading labels, asking shop clerks or searching online. Two possibilities are Manhattan Toys' Barton Bear and the Oatmeal Bear sold to benefit AANMA (Allergy and Asthma Network: Mothers of Asthmatics).

Choose a bear that can be washed frequently in hot water - either by machine or hand. If your child is allergic, particularly to dust mites, this is the most important thing to do.