[firemonkey]

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/...&src=nlpatient


Nov. 28, 2006 -- Children with food allergies are told to avoid problem foods at all costs, but a novel experimental treatment is taking the opposite approach.

In a two-year pilot study conducted by researchers at Duke University and the University of Arkansas, eggs were very gradually introduced into the diets of kids who were highly allergic to them in an effort to desensitize the children.

A similar study is under way involving children with peanut allergies, which more often trigger potentially life-threatening allergic reactions.

Early findings suggest that this gradual challenge approach increases tolerance to problem foods, senior researcher A. Wesley Burks, MD, tells WebMD. Burks is a professor of pediatrics at Duke University Medical Center.

Researchers hope desensitization will help protect food allergy suffers from serious reactions brought on by accidental ingestion of problem foods.

It may even cure people of their food allergies, although it is too soon to tell, Burks adds.

In the peanut study (currently unpublished), children were initially given the equivalent of 1/3,000 of a peanut. Most were eating a peanut a day within six months with little reaction.

"Some children who had allergic reactions to literally a thousandth of a peanut at the beginning of the study had no reaction later on when challenged with 15 peanuts," says Burks.

Don't Try This at Home

While very promising, the desensitization approach to treating food allergies is also highly experimental and should never be attempted without close medical supervision.

Children in the egg and peanut trials were watched closely, and many did experience mild allergic reactions to the food challenges early on, Burks says.

"This is definitely not something that would be safe to try at home without medical supervision," he warns.

Tolerating Eggs

A detailed analysis of the experiences of seven children participating in the egg trial was published online last week in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Those children ranged in age from 1 to 7, and all had a history of allergic reactions to eggs or egg products -- breaking out in hives, wheezing, and/or vomiting.

None of the children had experienced a previous life-threatening allergic (or anaphylactic) reaction, but their parents received the emergency treatment epinephrine to keep on hand as a precaution.

Previous attempts to immunize against food allergies by giving shots containing allergens have been unsuccessful.

So the researchers gave the egg orally, in the form of powdered egg mixed in food.

The first dose was the equivalent of less than one-thousandth of an egg, followed by very small increases given in a clinic in order to determine each child's tolerance.

Then dosages were gradually increased to a maintenance treatment of about one-tenth of an egg daily, which the children continued to receive for the length of the study.

Over time, the children showed an increase in tolerance to eggs and a decrease in the severity of their allergic reactions, Burks says.

At the end of the two-year study, most of the children could tolerate two scrambled eggs with no adverse reactions.

12 Million Allergic Americans

As many as 12 million Americans have food allergies, says Ann Munoz-Furlong, chief executive officer and founder of The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. Roughly 8% of children under the age of 3 are allergic to some food, she says.

Most children outgrow their food allergies, but there is currently no way to tell which ones will and which ones won't, she tells WebMD.

"That is just one of the things we don't know," she says. "We don't know why one twin might have a food allergy while the other doesn't; and we can't predict who will have [life-threatening] anaphylactic reactions."

Munoz-Furlong says the food challenge seems to be succeeding where shots failed in desensitizing the body to allergic foods.

"This is by far the most exciting research we have seen for food allergies, and we will continue watching it very carefully," she says. "It is a fairly low-tech approach that looks promising."

Until better treatments are available, Munoz-Furlong says everyone needs to be sensitive to the impact of food allergies, even if they are not personally touched by them.

She adds that the holidays can be an especially difficult time for food allergy sufferers and their families because problem foods are often hidden in baked goods or other party foods.

Just a few foods are involved in nine out of 10 allergic reactions: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat, and soy.

"If you don't have a food allergy, be mindful that someone you know might," Munoz-Furlong says.

"Crushed nuts in a piecrust might be difficult to spot, and it could cause a reaction," she says. "Make sure to let people know."

SOURCES: Buchanan, A. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Nov. 21, 2006; online edition. A. Wesley Burks, MD, department of pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C. Ann Munoz-Furlong, CEO and founder, Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network.

[Curious]

While very promising, the desensitization approach to treating food allergies is also highly experimental and should never be attempted without close medical supervision.

very interesting. my second to the oldest daughter had a severe allergy to red dyes. ( whish seems to be in everything) for years she was on a very resricted diet. when i switched ped's he had us try tiny amounts. we slowly re-entered it in to her diet with no ill effects. all was done under the close watch of her ped.

[Dmom3005]

THis is interesting. But the thing that disturbs me on it. Is that
in the schools were they have gone completely peanut free becuase
of the peanut allergies. I can just hear the parents now.

THey say that you need to try to reintroduce the child to peanuts,
so I want to know if the child is being subjected to peanuts.

I had parents in my son's elementary when they first banned the
things, wanting me to fight for peanut butter to be okayed.

So they would have grounds now they would think.

Donna

[Curious]

hi donna

my daughters elementary school tried to go peanut free. it just didn't work. we all stuck to it when it came to snacks in the classrooms for birthdays and holidays, but what kids brought to lunch..that didn't work.

when my daughter with the allergy has snacks...i made sure she got hers from home. even if i was told it wasn't in there...no way was i going to risk her getting ill.

how do schools do it?

[CoolAngel26]

I had a family member who was allergic to corn syrup and milk when he was a kid,but,he outgrew it by the time he was in 2nd grade,I think...

[Dmom3005]

Okay I'm going to try again. I posted a long post and my protector
didn't like it. So its gone. heehee.

But it was very interesting, see the first child in our elementary that
had this allergy wasn't just allergic to eating it, he had a allergy to
touch too. Not sure if this is normal. But our kids couldn't have it
anywhere, it couldn't be on the seats of the rooms, in the gym,
or even on the stairs, anywhere the child might go. So it had to be
a complete no peanut thing. So when it came to ball games for
our 5th and 6th grade kids, we had a different situation, we had to
request that all kids coming into our building not bring peanuts into
our building either. And that they honor our request to not bring,
it into the locker rooms, or to not bring in candy bars or anything
else with peanuts or the oils. The really interesting thing though
was that when we went to other schools in our own district. We
didn't have the right really to request that they not have peanut
candy either, or that they have the same rules as us. But because
it was such a big issue for our one child, who happened to not
be of the age, or have a brother or sister who was of the age that
he would be in these schools during the games. It would matter.

But the schools pto's who did the concession stands chose to honor
the child by being peanut free in their concession stands because of
our student. It really told our kids and our parents who had fought
the issue how important it was to the other parents in the other schools
too.

And it was a really awesome way to show how much others cared.

And now all 5 of our elementaries, which as of November 1st, its now
4 elementaries, because 2 of them were joined together because of
consolidation.

And they are now asking what will happen when one of these kids
goes to the jr/sr high.

Donna

[Dmom3005]

I had a friend who requested that I fight for all the kids of the school,
against the peanut issue as a advocate. I looked at her and said.

You are asking the wrong parent to do that. because for one thing,
the child has a right to a education. For another, if this child isn't
allowed to go to this school safely. How can I ask for a Aide for Derrick,
how can I request that they do the things they need to, so that
Derrick is safe after or during a seizure.

I had to pick up the phone and place a call, to my supervisor at
In*Source so they could tell her that it was against the law to
discrimnate against the child with a peanut allergy.

Donna

[Curious]

that is awesome donna!

i hope the PTO tht the district belongs to has a newsletter. maybe they could fw it to other districts on how they got the parent's involved.

it is sad...but all we got here was...nobody is going to tell me what i can't put in my own kids lunch.

[Dmom3005]

Honestly we had a principal that was pro special needs kids.

And some kids that were also pro special needs kids. They
were also some of the same kids that took great care of
my son. Who is now 15 and a 9th grader in High School.

He is very lucky to have so many fond memories.

Donna

[lyndarva]

This is interesting and I have read of this study. It is supposed to be done only under strict physician guidance and observation.

I have over 25 food allergies - tested - not to mention other allergens. I have repeatedly been told that the more you are exposed to an allergen or food item, the more you are likely to have a reaction, and a worse reaction. I used to use garlic in everything and I have a "deadly" reaction to that now.

I know there are some alternative medicine doctors and chiropractors that swear they can get rid of allergies, but I just can't buy into it -- I would love to.