{"id":224,"date":"2024-04-14T16:32:07","date_gmt":"2024-04-14T20:32:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/project.journalism.torontomu.ca\/jn8201w2024\/?p=224"},"modified":"2024-04-14T16:32:08","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T20:32:08","slug":"new-research-guidelines-can-help-kids-build-resistance-to-food-allergies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/project.journalism.torontomu.ca\/jn8201w2024\/2024\/04\/14\/new-research-guidelines-can-help-kids-build-resistance-to-food-allergies\/","title":{"rendered":"New Research Guidelines Can Help Kids Build Resistance to Food Allergies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Marina Black<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Courtesy of Pixabay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On Apr. 8, researchers from McMaster University published the first-ever guidelines to help prepare families who plan to build their child’s tolerance to common food allergens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology<\/a> published international guidelines outlining a standardized process for families who are considering oral immunotherapy (OIT). This therapy involves gradually giving patients small amounts of an allergen, such as peanuts, and increasing the dose over time to help them build up tolerance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These new guidelines will help families understand the benefits and risks involved in this therapy. \u201cThis is a landmark paper in our field because it has never been done before and this process has never been standardized,\u201d says the paper\u2019s lead author, Douglas Mack to Brighter World<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the benefits of OIT include reducing a child\u2019s risk of reacting or having a severe reaction to accidental exposure to a food allergen, increasing a child\u2019s allergen threshold required to elicit a reaction and improving the quality of life for children and their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Food Allergy Canada<\/a> says food allergies impact three million Canadians, including almost 500,000 children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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