Peanut allergies are the second-most common allergy in Australia — and for those severely allergic to the legume, mere traces can be fatal.
Now, 10 paediatric hospitals across Australia are introducing a world-first mainstream care model offering “peanut oral immunotherapy program” for babies under the age of one.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: New peanut allergy treatment program launched in Aussie hospitals.
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Parents of children with the allergy work hard to ensure their little ones are not exposed to peanuts, but accidental exposure can be a persistent fear.
“It can be like having a poison in every fridge,” Federal Assistant Health Minister Ged Kearney said.
By the age of 12 months, 3 per cent of Australian children will have a peanut allergy — with only one third of those shedding the allergy by age 10.
Strictly avoiding peanuts is the current strategy for those impacted by the allergy, but the ADAPT OIT Program aims to change that.
Eligible children under 12 months of age will take carefully planned daily dosages of a special peanut powder, with that dosing schedule continued over a two-year period.
“This will be the first peanut allergy treatment program offered in Australian hospitals outside of a clinical trial setting,” Murdoch Children’s Research Institute paediatric allergist, and National Allergy Centre of Excellence director, Kirsten Perrett said.
Nine-month-old Hunter Chatwin is one of the babies enrolled in the program.
“As soon as I found out he had a peanut allergy, my worry was that he’d be exposed while I’m not there and potentially be in a life-or-death situation,” his mother Kirsten Chatwin said.
She realised Hunter had an allergy after she fed him peanut butter when he was six months old.
Babies on the ADAPT OIT Program will all be prescribed an anaphylaxis action plan by the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA).
Their caregivers will also be given an adrenaline injector, a comprehensive education pack, and access to an allergist on-call.
Program medical lead Dr Tim Brettig said oral immunotherapy does not guarantee remission, and may not be a suitable treatment option for everyone.
“OIT treatment takes time and this program requires a long-term commitment from families to give their child daily doses of peanut powder at home along with regular visits to their hospital allergy clinic,” he said.
Chatwin said if Hunter is able to live a “normal life” without fearing exposure to peanuts, “it would just be a massive relief”.
To be eligible for the program, babies must already be receiving care by an allergist at one of the participating hospitals, and be referred to the program by their allergist.
The participating hospitals are The Royal Children’s Hospital in Victoria, Perth Children’s Hospital and Fiona Stanley Hospital in Western Australia, Queensland Children’s Hospital, Women’s and Children’s Health Network in South Australia, Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, John Hunter Children’s Hospital Newcastle, Campbelltown Hospital and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in NSW.
