Oral Immunotherapy

At the FARE Leaders Summit in Chicago, Dr. Sicherer, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, was a guest speaker.  He talked about several studies that they are working on.  I know there has been a lot of talk about oral immunotherapy (OIT) on the boards and in the media.  I am not posting this blog to encourage or discourage you.  I am also not an expert on this.  I just want to pass along some of the information that he discussed.  You ultimately have to do what is
best for you and your family.

OIT is not a cure for food allergies.  At this time there is no cure.  While the studies look
promising, OIT is not FDA approved and Dr. Sicherer recommends waiting.  For some reason, allergist can still offer it.  It is also good to know that not every child is a good candidate for this type of treatment.  It depends on their allergy test results.  If your child tests high for his or her allergen then they should not be a candidate for this type of treatment. 

OIT is still very much in the experimental phases.  The hopes are that a child going through OIT can be desensitized enough that they can tolerate their former allergens.  If successful then the child would have to continue eating the required amounts of the allergen every day or they may become sensitized once again.  It is also important to note that you also need to keep the Epipen with you even if the treatment is successful.

For myself and my child, I think all of these studies and research are great and it makes me very excited for my son's future, but I also need more research before I will allow my son to participate in this type of treatment.  Thus far, I have done pretty well in not exposing him to his allergens.  So I still hold out hope that he will grow out of them one day.  I am scared to expose him in this way in fear that I would only make his allergen worse.  If one day this treatment gets FDA approved and my son's numbers go down then you can bet that I will sign him up.  But until then, I will keep reading and following along.

Here are some articles regarding Oral Immunotherapy:

Web definitions of OIT

Oral Immunotherapy for Food Allergy: Not Ready for Prime Time

The Allergy Buster
Can a Radical New Treatment Save Children With Severe Food Allergies?