Peanut Allergies: Research Shows ‘Oral Immunotherapy’ is Safe for Preschoolers

Dr Edmond Chan

writer

Dr Edmond Chan

Pediatric Allergist; Head & Clinical Associate Professor, Division of Allergy & Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine; Investigator, BC Children's Hospital

Dr Edmond Chan

“We don’t have to live in fear anymore.”

That’s the common refrain from hundreds of parents of preschoolers with peanut allergy that my colleagues and I have successfully treated with peanut “oral immunotherapy” over the past two years.

Oral immunotherapy (OIT) is a treatment in which a patient consumes small amounts of an allergenic food, such as peanut, with the dose gradually increased to a target maximum (or maintenance) amount. The goal for most parents is to achieve desensitization — so their child can ingest more of the food without triggering a dangerous reaction, protecting them against accidental exposure.

PASSWORD RESET

Forgot your password or password not working? Please enter your email address. You will receive an email with the link to set a new password.

Icon 2

NEXT LIVE Webcast

:
Days
:
Hours
:
Minutes
Seconds
Dr Gabby Mahoney

Dr Gabby Mahoney

Allergen Introduction – Practical Tips for GPs

Dr Terri Foran

Dr Terri Foran

Oral Contraception Update

A/Prof Karam Kostner

A/Prof Karam Kostner

What do we do With High Triglycerides?

Prof Andrew Sindone

Prof Andrew Sindone

An Update on Heart Failure in Primary Care

Join us for the next free webcast for GPs and healthcare professionals

High quality lectures delivered by leading independent experts

Share this

Share this

Dr Edmond Chan

writer

Dr Edmond Chan

Pediatric Allergist; Head & Clinical Associate Professor, Division of Allergy & Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine; Investigator, BC Children's Hospital

Test your knowledge

Recent articles

Latest GP poll

The government told the public that the average GP is earning $280k per year. Do you think this figure is:

Very overestimated

0%

Moderately/slightly overestimated

0%

Quite accurate

0%

Moderately/slightly underestimated

0%

Very underestimated

0%

Recent podcasts

Listen to expert interviews.
Click to open in a new tab

Find your area of interest

Once you confirm you’ve read this article you can complete a Patient Case Review to earn 0.5 hours CPD in the Reviewing Performance (RP) category.

Select ‘Confirm & learn‘ when you have read this article in its entirety and you will be taken to begin your Patient Case Review.

Save 50% on all seminars. Hurry, sale ends Dec 31!

You're invited to attend the Women's & Children's Health Update 2026, Australia's most popular seminar for GPs and healthcare professionals. Secure your seat by midnight Dec 31 and save!