Researchers are cautiously optimistic that they may have
found a way for children with nut allergies to reintroduce the popular
legume into their regular diets. Two new American studies, which mirror earlier British
findings, offer hope that kids who are born with allergies to peanuts need not be
denied the tasty goodness of a PB&J sandwich for their whole
lives.
In one study of 33 children, participants were given gradually increasing daily doses of nuts, beginning with
just one-thousandth of a peanut and eventually increasing to 15 nuts. The majority of the
kids have had no allergic reactions to the treatment, with five children being
able to consume nuts at their leisure. However, four kids had to drop out of
the study due to allergic reactions.
Another study of 18 children used a placebo to test the
effectiveness of this treatment. All of the children who had been given a
placebo over the course of 10 months developed allergic reactions to a real
dose of nuts, while all of the kids who had been given the actual therapy were
able to eat 15 peanuts without incident.
Clearly, these are small numbers of children in only two
studies, so researchers plan to test out the treatment on a much grander scale
before making any official assessments. In other words, do not try this at
home.
Photo: New York Times
