Australia launches world-first treatment model for babies with peanut allergies

CANBERRA, July 31 (Xinhua) — Australia has launched a world-first oral immunotherapy (OIT) program for babies with peanut allergies.
Under the ADAPT OIT program, children younger than 12 months who are allergic to peanuts will be given daily doses of peanut powder to build up a tolerance to the allergen in the hope of overcoming the life-threatening condition.
Ten public pediatric hospitals across five states have partnered with the government-funded National Allergy Centre of Excellence (NACE) to deliver the treatment. It is the first nationwide OIT program for peanut allergies offered in mainstream care anywhere in the world.
Ged Kearney, the assistant minister for health, said in a statement on Wednesday that the program could be a game changer for Australians with peanut allergies.
“Today’s announcement is a big step forward towards combating life-threatening peanut allergies in babies,” she said.
The free program will be offered to eligible babies who are receiving care from allergists at the 10 participating hospitals.
Babies in the program will first undertake food tests to confirm their peanut allergy before starting a dose of peanut powder.
After one month of taking a daily prescribed dose at home, they will return to hospital to increase the dose.
The process will continue for two years, after which another food test will be conducted to determine if they are in remission.
The results of the program will be analyzed by the NACE. If successful, the program could then be adopted by more hospitals and private health clinics.
Australian children have the highest prevalence of food allergies in the world. According to the Melbourne’s Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI), one in 10 Australian babies and one in 20 primary school-aged children have a food allergy.
Admission to Australian hospitals due to anaphylaxis — a severe allergic reaction — has increased by 350 percent over the last 20 years, with peanuts the most common cause. ■