Australia announced the world's first nationwide program to treat peanut allergies in babies yesterday. The approach, based on encouraging results from clinical trials, seeks to build tolerance through small-dose exposure in early development.
The free program applies to parents of babies under age 1 diagnosed with a peanut allergy at one of 10 participating hospitals. Babies will be provided a daily, individualized dose of peanut powder, with the dosage increasing until the child reaches their maximum tolerance level. After two years, the child will be given a food allergy test to measure reactivity. The program builds on existing research suggesting positive results from oral immunotherapy to treat peanut allergies; in the US, such dosing is available through specialized healthcare settings.
Australia—considered the allergy capital of the world—has a relatively high incidence of peanut allergies, with 3% of its population diagnosed by age 1. Only 20% of those diagnosed will outgrow a peanut allergy by the time they are teenagers.
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