A seven-year-old girl from Newburgh is the first child in Maine to complete the initial phase of a new treatment that reduces allergic reactions to peanuts.
Dr. Rung-chi Li, an allergist at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, oversaw the treatment. He says it begins with a small dose of oral medication equal to 1% of one peanut. The dose is gradually increased over the course of six months to boost tolerance.
"Then the likelihood you have a severe reaction is very low," says Li. "So basically it's to reduce the anaphylaxis, reduce the severe reaction."
After the first phase, a daily maintenance dose is necessary to maintain tolerance. Li says four other patients are currently receiving the treatment, which is approved for children ages four to 17.
According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, more than 2% of U.S. children have peanut allergies, a number that's been increasing.
