A third of babies with peanut allergy grow out of it by 1 year old — SkimNews
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- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute led a national program in Australia offering free oral immunotherapy to babies under 12 months diagnosed with peanut allergy, requiring an oral food challenge before treatment begins.
- Tim Brettig at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute reported that 35% of 778 infants previously diagnosed with peanut allergy showed no reaction during a controlled oral food challenge, despite prior allergic symptoms and positive test results.
- Oral food challenge protocol involved administering up to 2500 milligrams of peanut flour under medical supervision, a dose above the expected reaction threshold for allergic infants.
- John Ziegler at the University of New South Wales emphasized that confirming peanut allergy with oral food challenges before treatment is critical, as misdiagnosis leads to unnecessary interventions and restrictions.
- Australia’s public health policy since 2024 has covered free peanut oral immunotherapy for infants under 12 months, delivered through 10 public children’s hospitals nationwide.
Why it matters: Thirty-five percent of infants thought to have peanut allergies did not react upon retesting, meaning many may avoid lifelong dietary restrictions and unnecessary treatment. This shifts clinical practice: skipping confirmatory food challenges risks mislabeling children, increasing healthcare costs and anxiety, while early reintroduction could reduce long-term allergy risk.
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