Kids May 'Learn' to Tolerate Food...(Sicherer and Pistiner warn that these th...),Health

"All of the experts working in this treatment currently believe it is too early to attempt widespread use and that much more needs to be done to see if this is a viable treatment," Sicherer said.

For one thing, there's still a risk of severe allergic reaction prompted by even the tiny amounts used in immunotherapy.

"People have significant reactions trying to do this, including anaphylaxis, and not all can move ahead with dosing," Sicherer said.

Researchers also are not sure how deeply ingrained the tolerance becomes in a child undergoing oral or sublingual immunotherapy.

"Is there ever a time you can stop taking it, or does it only work as long as you're taking your maintenance dose?" Pistiner asked. "Does it give you complete ability to eat that food, or does it only help prevent reactions when trace amounts of the foods are consumed?"

For example, if you're allergic to pine nuts, will immunotherapy allow you to eat pine nuts as you like, or will it only prevent you from having an allergic reaction when you eat a food processed on equipment that also processes pine nuts?

The doctors agree on one other point: This is absolutely not something a person should try at home.

The amounts of food given allergic children are measured out precisely, and delivered under the watchful eyes of doctors ready to step in and treat any side effects or allergic reactions at a moment's notice.

"This is an experimental therapy that should only be undertaken under the direction of a trained allergist," Pistiner said. "Doing this at home is absolutely not safe."

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has more on food allergi
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