Eating gradually increasing amounts of peanuts appears to be a safe and effective therapy for preschoolers with nut allergies, according to a new study from BC researchers. The process, known as oral immunotherapy, allows children to build up tolerance by eating peanuts every day. Researchers from the University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital followed 270 Canadian children who received the therapy for 19 months, and their data was published this week in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice. “We found that it was very safe. Only 0.4 per cent of the preschoolers … experienced a severe reaction, and out of 40,000 or so doses of peanuts that were administered, only 12 required epinephrine,” senior researcher Dr. Edmond Chan said. CBC
