Mom Demands School Go Peanut-Free For Allergic Child

[MADem]

465. That link doesn't work.

This breakthrough is VERY recent--just in the last two months or so are allergists starting to use this method as the "go to" choice, the "standard of care." Before that, yes, it was "experimental," at least in some areas of the country-- not just the incremental challenge method, but also the method where they actually give the kid an immunosupppressant and challenge them more vigorously (with lots of peanut, not micrograms)--that method is still under study (it came out of Duke University).

But the "bit-by-bit" method is now out there, because it works and it's easy to do.

Here's a link to the Duke studies: http://www.dukechildrens.org/services/duke_food_allergy_initiative

They are so confident in the micro-dose protocol that they're varying the theme and have begun a trial so that parents can do it at home--this one (a "patch" study) is interesting, requires only 13 doctor visits over the course of a year, and wouldn't require daily challenges in a doctor's office:

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20130430/New-patch-therapy-A-breakthrough-for-peanut-allergy-sufferers.aspx


A parent's story (from 2011)--from "severe peanut allergy" to "eating 10 peanuts a day" in thirteen weeks. http://justalittlepeanut.blogspot.com/2011/03/breakthrough-treatment-for-peanut.html

They've been working this issue for a long time--they were doing studies in Australia five years ago. The science is there. An effective "cure" (in reality, an established and maintained tolerance) can happen.


If it were up to me, and I had a kid in this situation, I'd run-not-walk. It's just crazy to be spending a lifetime reading labels, like they're "always" accurate (helloooo recalls!), being hypervigiliant, querying waiters and cooks (particularly in major chain restaurants where most of the food is frozen, anyway) who don't frigging know, demanding "special treatment" that one cannot depend upon (and making the kid feel like a dork in the process), and constantly worrying whenever the kid is out of one's sight. The inconvenience of any course of treatment is worth it, not just for parental peace of mind, but so the kid can be "normal" and not be the singled-out "peanut kid" in the class. If it were me,, I would find the nearest hospital, find the allergy - immunology department in that hospital, and find out if the doctors there can treat the kid (and I'm sure they could). The sooner, the better, IMO. To me, it's a no-brainer.