All children who followed the treatment were able to eat three and a half peanuts without an allergic reaction, and most were able to eat up to 25 peanuts, says Caroline Nilsson, associate professor at Karolinska Institutet and chief physician at Sachsska Children's and Youth Hospital.
She is one of the researchers behind the study, which included 75 children between the ages of one and three. All had a confirmed peanut allergy when the study began.
50 of the children were randomly assigned to active treatment, where they were allowed to eat peanut puffs, a type of cornbread with peanuts, daily, while 25 children avoided peanuts completely.
Starting in hospital
Treatment was initiated in hospital and the first dose was very low, equivalent to about half a peanut. The parents then continued to give the children peanut puffs at home daily. Every four to six weeks, the dose was increased until the children reached a dose equivalent to about one and a half peanuts per day.
After three years of peanut puffs, 82 percent of the children were able to eat at least three and a half peanuts without an allergic reaction. The corresponding figure in the control group was 12 percent.
Although children may not be able to eat unlimited amounts of peanuts, the treatment means they don't have to worry about accidentally ingesting small amounts.
Don't try it yourself.
Caroline Nilsson emphasizes that this is not something you should try yourself at home.
It can lead to serious allergic reactions that require treatment, such as an adrenaline injection, so it should not be done on your own.
Overall, the side effects among the children who received peanut puffs were mild. Caroline Nilsson believes this may be due to the slow escalation and the fact that the children were young when they started.
Unfortunately, for adults it is more difficult.
Unfortunately, studies in adults with peanut allergy show that it doesn't work as well, says Caroline Nilsson.
For those who have children with peanut allergies, the advice is to contact a doctor and ask for a referral to specialist care to talk about oral immunotherapy, as it is called.
For other children, it is good to introduce peanuts early, along with other foods, and to give peanuts regularly.
Oral immunotherapy for peanut allergy was given high priority in the National Board of Health and Welfare's allergy guidelines published in April. The study is published in the journal The Lancet Regional Health – Europe .
Facts: Peanut allergy
Allergic reactions to eating nuts or peanuts often occur within minutes. Airborne peanut allergies are uncommon. Studies have shown that they do not lead to serious reactions.
Common symptoms if you have a peanut allergy:
Itching and swelling of the lips, tongue and throat.
Your skin becomes swollen, especially around your eyes.
You get hives that itch intensely.
You will have difficulty breathing.
You get stomach pain, diarrhea, and vomiting.
You can get very serious symptoms, but only if you have eaten the peanuts yourself. Some people can get an allergic shock, but this is rare. It is a serious reaction that comes on quickly and can be life-threatening. You may become unconscious and have difficulty breathing.
If you have had a severe reaction to nuts or peanuts, you may need to have emergency medication on hand. These are usually adrenaline pens. It is also common to be prescribed antihistamines and asthma medications.
Source: 1177
