Peanut allergies are more than just an inconvenience, it can be deadly. Yet, peanut products are in so many foods that it can be particularly difficult to keep a child with this allergy safe from dangerous, ordinary foods. A recent Australian trial looked into a treatment that would allow children with the allergy to eat peanuts without any symptoms of the allergy. Initial results over a 4-year period indicate that the treatment allows for a more normal life. A child mentioned feels less anxious about eating because she no longer has to read the label on everything she is given. The study involved 62 children with known peanut allergies between 1 and 10 years old. The initial study lasted for 18 months.
The treatment puts the allergy in remission, allowing the person’s system to refrain from reacting to the food. This is done by using probiotics and immunotherapy to adjust the gene network that causes the allergic reaction. Researchers continue to look for relationships and patterns of the communication between different genes that contributes to severe allergic reactions. Researchers are able to see how the genes in children who still have active peanut allergies differ from those who are in remission. They will continue to watch the differences as new children begin taking the treatment to see how the same gene communication changes over the course of the treatment.
To learn more about this potentially life changing finding for those with peanut allergies, you can read the full article at New Hope for Relief from Peanut Allergy in Kids.