Oral immunotherapy used as early intervention to curb peanut allergies in babies
The oral immunotherapy study exposes kids to a peanut product in a safe way.
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A new study is helping kids become less sensitive to peanut allergies – the most common food allergy in their age group.
Peanut allergies can cause the immune system to overreact to proteins in peanuts. If severe enough, the body can go into shock.
The oral immunotherapy study exposes kids to a peanut product in a safe way.
"We get very tiny amounts slowly built up into their system and we need to do it in our offices," said Dr. Sandra Hong, the study's lead researcher.
Of all the kids who participated in the study, 91% were able to tolerate large amounts of peanuts without a severe reaction. Others were able to be exposed to multiple peanuts at a time.
Researchers believe this means children might not have to worry about accidental exposures from food products they don't expect to contain peanuts or trace amounts of peanuts.
"…They'll be able to tolerate small amounts of contamination," said Hong.
