Oral immunotherapy may help reduce risk for severely allergic children.
A severe food allergy can turn childhood into a fearful ordeal of constant vigilance against potentially fatal exposure—and take a significant financial and emotional toll on families.
Dr. Robert S. Call
With research suggesting these allergies are on the rise, however, a still-experimental process may offer hope. Dr. Robert S. Call, a Richmond allergist and clinical immunologist, explains that oral immunotherapy (OIT) seeks to desensitize children with severe food allergies by gradually increasing exposure to the allergen over many weeks until a maintenance dose is reached. Because even trace amounts of the allergen can provoke a response in severely allergic children, the primary goal of the therapy, explains Call, is that “it allows you to have accidental exposure and not react.”
The process, however, is lengthy and not without risk; one study looking at children enrolled in OIT for peanut allergies found that more than half suffered “adverse events” requiring treatment ranging from antihistamines to emergency-room care. “The risk of having these reactions is pretty high during the desensitization process,” says Call. Researchers continue to explore strategies to improve the process, however, and follow-up studies do suggest improved qualify of life following OIT, Call says, showing that there is promise in this therapy. “It looks like it’s being successful in the majority of patients.”
This article originally appeared in our December 2018 issue.
