Peanut Oral Immunotherapy (OIT)

Peanut OralImmunotherapy is a form of preventive and anti-inflammatory treatment of allergy to substances such as pollens, house dust mites, fungi, and stinging insect venom. Immunotherapy involves giving gradually increasing doses of the substance, or allergen, to which the person is allergic. The incremental increases of the allergen cause the immune system to become less sensitive to the substance, perhaps by causing production of a particular "blocking" antibody, which reduces the symptoms of allergy when the substance is encountered in the future." rel="tooltip">Immunotherapy(OIT)

Peanut oral immunotherapy (OIT) with peanut allergen powder-dnfp (Palforzia^®) is an FDA-approved treatment for childrenages 4 to 17 years可以帮助降低风险和severity of allergic reactions to peanuts, includinganaphylaxis. The therapy consists of daily exposure to peanut protein powder in increasingly larger doses over a six-month period to help your child develop tolerance, followed by daily maintenance doses to maintain effectiveness.Please note:Peanut OIT isnot a curefor peanutAllergies are inappropriate or exaggerated reactions of the immune system to substances that, in the majority of people, cause no symptoms. Symptoms of the allergic diseases may be caused by exposure of the skin to a chemical, of the respiratory system to particles of dust or pollen (or other substances), or of the stomach and intestines to a particular food." rel="tooltip">allergy. Treatment requires a commitment to a daily therapy that has likely side effects – such as allergic reactions – that can become less severe over time. Your childmuststill avoid eating peanuts and carry twoEpinephrine is a naturally occurring hormone, also called adrenaline. It is one of two chemicals (the other is norepinephrine) released by the adrenal gland. Epinephrine increases the speed and force of heart beats and thereby the work that can be done by the heart. It dilates the airways to improve breathing and narrows blood vessels in the skin and intestine so that an increased flow of blood reaches the muscles and allows them to cope with the demands of exercise. Epinephrine has been produced synthetically as a drug since 1900. It remains the drug of choice for treatment of anaphylaxis." rel="tooltip">肾上腺素auto-injectors in case of an accidental exposure.If the therapy is stopped, the benefits will gradually wear off.Who Peanut OIT Is ForChildren ages 4 to 17 years with a confirmed diagnosis of peanut allergy are good candidates for peanut OIT.Who Peanut OIT Isn’t For

• Children with uncontrolledAsthma is a chronic, inflammatory lung disease characterized by recurrent breathing problems. People with asthma have acute episodes where the air passages in their lungs get narrower, and breathing becomes more difficult. Sometimes episodes of asthma are triggered by allergens, although infection, exercise, cold air and other factors are also important triggers." rel="tooltip">asthmaor certain stomach conditions, including eosinophilic esophagitis (Inflammation is the redness, swelling, heat and pain in a tissue due to chemical or physical injury, or to infection. It is a characteristic of allergic reactions in the nose, lungs, and skin." rel="tooltip">inflammationof the esophagus) or other eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases
• Children who are unwilling or unable to receive injectable epinephrine
• Children with a medical or physical condition, or who are taking a medication, that reduces their ability to survive a severe allergic reaction
• Children who cannot commit to taking daily treatments for the rest of their lives or whose caregivers cannot commit to administering daily treatments

To find out if peanut OIT is right for your child, please see ourPeanut Allergy Treatment Shared Decision-Making Tooland consult your allergist. The cost of peanut OIT is often covered or partially covered by health insurance. Work with your allergist to determine the cost based on your insurance coverage.

Note that there are also non-FDA-approved peanut OIT products that your allergist might use for treatment. You can discuss those options with your allergist to get more details.