Kids May 'Learn' to Tolerate Food Allergens
Sublingual immunotherapy works by placing an extract of the food allergen under the child's tongue. The membranes of the mouth absorb trace amounts of the allergen, absorbing just enough to desensitize the immune system without prompting an allergic reaction.
Oral immunotherapy takes it a step further by having children eat tiny amounts of the allergen. "The approach involves ingesting an extremely small and then gradually increasing amount of the food under medical supervision, with the hope of getting to an amount that is not causing reactions and is more substantial in dose," Sicherer said.
However, both Sicherer and Pistiner warn that these therapies are still in the experimental stage, and many questions remain.
"All of the experts working in this treatment currently believe it is too early to attempt widespread use and that much more needs to be done to see if this is a viable treatment," Sicherer said.
For one thing, there's still a risk of severe allergic reaction prompted by even the tiny amounts used in immunotherapy.
"People have significant reactions trying to do this, including anaphylaxis, and not all can move ahead with dosing," Sicherer said.
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