Australia has launched a groundbreaking national program to treat peanut allergies in children, a first of its kind worldwide. This initiative will offer potentially life-saving treatment to infants with severe peanut allergies by providing them with daily doses of peanut powder for a period of two years. The goal of this treatment is to gradually increase their tolerance to peanuts under medical supervision.
The treatment protocol involves slowly increasing the doses of peanut powder, with close monitoring at ten pediatric hospitals across the country. This program is the first to be implemented on a national scale outside of a clinical trial, as stated by Kirsten Perrett, head of oral immunotherapy at the National Allergy Centre of Excellence.
At the end of the two-year treatment period, a food allergy test will assess whether the child has achieved remission. The program aims to significantly reduce the risk of life-threatening allergic reactions, allowing children to go to school without the constant fear of severe peanut reactions. The initiative reflects a major shift from the previous standard of strictly avoiding peanuts.
Australia has some of the highest rates of food allergies globally, with about three percent of children affected by peanut allergies by age one. Of these, only 20 percent will outgrow the allergy by adolescence. The introduction of this program offers a new avenue for families previously advised only to avoid peanuts altogether.
The program has been met with enthusiasm from families like that of nine-month-old Hunter Chatwin, who is participating in the initiative to improve his future ability to safely consume peanuts.
The treatment is provided free of charge at public hospitals, marking a significant advancement in allergy care. If successful, the program may expand to reach more remote and regional areas, addressing the growing prevalence of allergic diseases projected to impact 7.7 million Australians by 2050.
