Allergy | Causes, diagnosis, treatment

Peanut allergy in children is one of the most srious threats to their lives. That’s because in some severe allergy cases, even a tiny amount of peanuts, a trace, incorporated in a food may kill the child who ingests that food. Even getting into contact with peanuts, without eating them may lead to severe allergic reactions.

Good news for allergy kids may be on their way: American doctors and researchers in Duke University in North Carolina conducted two studies aimed at demonstrating that peanut allergic children can develop immunity and a good tolerance, if given very small amounts of peantus on daily basis for a gradual period.

The main study involved 33 children, while the secondary one 24. After the treatment, 29 volunteers from the first study were able to eat peanbuts without any sign of alergic reaction. In the second study, 6 of the children were given peanut powder, while the other six received placebo. This study took 10 months, and the result was that the children in the peanut powder group developed a tolerance allowing them to eat up to 15 peanuts without having allergy signs.

Scientists are positive that a peanut allergy remedy will be developed soon, based on their findings in these studies. They warned the parents not to try this at home, because it is very dangerous and it may lead to anaphylactic shock and to death. This is why it needs to be tried only under strict medical supervision.

If you are the parent of a child who is allergic to peanuts, please do not attempt this treatment on your child. Wait until the doctors develop the treatment and seek for medical advice as always.

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