July 31st 2024.
Babies who have been diagnosed with peanut allergies in Australia now have the opportunity to participate in a revolutionary treatment program. Thanks to the government-funded National Allergy Centre of Excellence (NACE), ten paediatric hospitals across five states will be offering a nationwide peanut oral immunotherapy program. This program aims to help babies safely build a tolerance to this allergen, rather than completely eliminating it from their diets.
NACE director Kirsten Perrett explains, "Under this Australia-wide model, a food allergy test will be conducted at the end of the treatment to determine if remission has been achieved. The children will then be closely monitored for at least 12 months to assess the effectiveness and potential long-term outcomes of the program." The ultimate goal of this program is to change the course of allergic disease in Australia, so that more children can attend school without the fear of a life-threatening peanut reaction.
To be eligible for this free program, children under 12 months old who have been diagnosed with a peanut allergy and are under the care of an allergist at one of the participating hospitals can enroll. They will receive an anaphylaxis action plan, an adrenaline injector, and a comprehensive education pack. Additionally, families will have access to an allergist on-call for any concerns or questions.
If you believe your baby is suitable for this program, you can discuss a referral to an allergist at a participating hospital with your GP. It is estimated that 3.1% of 12-month-olds in Australia have a peanut allergy, and unfortunately, two-thirds of these children remain allergic by the age of 10, according to research conducted by the MCRI.
Assistant Health Minister Ged Kearney believes that this program could be a "game changer" in the fight against the most common food allergy among school-aged children in Australia. The hospitals involved in this world-first program include 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, and in New South Wales, the Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, John Hunter Children's Hospital Newcastle, Campbelltown Hospital, and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
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