Peanuts are known to cause one of the most severe reactions in children with food allergies. Current estimates show between 2 percent and 5 percent of school-age children in the U.S. have a peanut allergy, while food allergies among children have been shown to increase for decades.
Now, a promising new treatment that gradually introduces some children to store-bought peanut butter in a controlled medical setting could help treat peanut allergies, according to a recent study published in NEJM Evidence.
“Children with high-threshold peanut allergy couldn’t participate in previous food allergy treatment trials, leaving them without opportunities to explore treatment options,” said Jeanne Marrazzo, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director in a press release. “[The] report focuses on this population and shows that a very safe and accessible form of therapy could be liberating for many of these children and their families.”
Childhood Peanut Allergies
A food allergy is caused by a person’s immune system thinking that an allergen, typically a food protein, is a threat and attacks it, resulting in an allergic reaction. Among the most severe of food allergies are those involving peanuts, many of which can cause anaphylactic shock, possibly leading to hospitalization or even death.
