Milk allergies affect 2.5 percent of children under 3 years of age. But, with help from a new drug and a sensitizing method, these same children could be milk-allergy free.
Children Vs. Milk
For years, children with severe milk allergies were treated using sensitization. Sensitization means that a child is slowly exposed to more milk products over a period of time. The process was slow and carried risks if the child was exposed to too much milk. Too much milk meant they were more likely to have an allergy attack.
Sensitization And Omalizumab
Seeing that the slowness could be a problem, researchers began testing a new drug called omalizumab along with the sensitization method. The drug, omalizumab, works by blocking IgE, a natural substance that triggers allergy attacks.
Researchers found that children were able to overcome their milk allergies at a faster rate compared to only using the sensitization method.
Hope For The Future
Researchers noted that this drug is new and is currently still being tested. However, the results do look promising. At the end of the original study, nine out of eleven children were able to consume 8-12 oz of dairy products without much complication.
Scientists hope to research more into this area because milk is a great source of calcium for growing children.
If a child is unable to get enough calcium due to a milk allergy, it can affect their health later in life.
Read More:
- New Treatment May Desensitize Kids With Milk Allergies, Study Suggests (ScienceDaily)
- Allergy Drug May Speed Up Kids' Ability to Tolerate Milk (US News and World Report)