Treatment for peanut allergy is safest when started early for infants as per study

A research undertaken by UBC researchers in 2019 found that preschoolers can safely overcome peanut allergies with a treatment called oral immunotherapy Recent research has shown that theearlier preschoolers start this treatment the betterThis realworld study recently published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology In Practice focused on infants younger than 12 months old and reveals that not only is oral immunotherapy effective against peanut allergies its even safer for this age group than it is for toddlers and older preschoolersThis treatment is affordable very safe and highly effective particularly if we can get the treatment going before the infant is 12 months old said Dr Edmond Chan the studys senior author who is also a clinical professor and head of allergy and immunology in UBCs department of pediatrics at the BC Childrens Hospital Research InstituteThe study looked specifically at outcomes for a group of 69 infants among a larger study group of 452 children aged five and underOral immunotherapy is a treatment protocol in which a patient consumes small amounts of the allergenic foodin this case peanut flourwith the dose gradually increased to a determined maximum amount The aim is to desensitize the child until they can have a full serving of peanut protein without triggering a dangerous reaction To sustain their immunity the child must continue to eat peanut products on a regular basis long termFor this study children visited a pediatric allergist in a community or hospital clinic approximately every two weeks to receive their peanut dose Parents gave the same daily dose at home between clinic visits After eight to 11 clinic visits the children had built up to a maintenance dose of 300 milligrams of peanut protein or the equivalent of about 13 grams of peanutsClinicians recorded any symptoms or reactions and advised parents how to manage reactions at homeFortytwo infants completed the buildup period plus one year of maintenance dosing At the end of it none of them had more than a mild reaction to a 4000gram dose of peanut protein compared to 77 per cent of the children aged one to five who completed the protocolSeven infants dropped out along the way Four experienced reactions beyond mild but none required epinephrine injections Another 20 did not have their peanut tolerance assessed at the end either by choice or because of long wait listsEven before beginning the treatment infants were shown to be at less risk than toddlers and preschoolers In initial testing only 339 per cent of infants had a reaction beyond mild in comparison to 537 per cent of onetofive year oldsDespite infants showing the best safety we were still very satisfied with the safety of this treatment for older preschoolers The risk of a severe reaction is much lower than it is for schoolage kids Dr Chan noted Many of the interventions we use in medicine such as medications or surgical procedures carry a small amount of risk that is outweighed by the benefit If this treatment is performed by welltrained allergists and clinicians then Im really comfortable with the risk Its actually very safeAs for effectiveness the treatment worked equally well for both age groups After a year of one peanut per day approximately 80 per cent of the children had developed a tolerance for 4000 milligrams of peanut protein in one sittingthe equivalent of roughly 15 whole peanutsThe first step in trying to prevent peanut allergies among atrisk children is to introduce them to ageappropriate peanutcontaining foods such as peanut butter or peanut flour at around six months of age If the infant still develops a peanut allergy Dr Chans research suggests that oral immunotherapy can be an effective alternative to avoiding allergens for a lifetime Trying to avoid allergens altogether carries different risks such as poor quality of life social isolation and anxietyAlso ReadInternational Yoga Day Five essential stretches you can do at workThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever