The New England Food Allergy Treatment Center utilizes oral immunotherapy to help patients

NEEDHAM, Massachusetts

Updated: 8:30 PM EDT Nov 3, 2022

The New England Food Allergy Treatment Center in Quincy, MA desensitizes patients with peanut, tree nut, milk, egg and sesame allergies using a procedure known as oral immunotherapy, where patients are fed small incremental amounts of food proteins to which they are allergic.

SMALL AMOUNTS OF THE RUDE THEY ARE ALLERGIC TO. >> NICOLE HAS MORE ON HOW IT IS OFFERING HOPE TO SOME PATIENTS. >> THIS IS A WALL OF OUR GRADUATES. >> YOU MIGHT CALL THIS THE WALL OF HOPE, OR PERHAPS RELIEF. >> I’VE ALWAYS BEEN VERY NERVOUS TO CHECK EVERYTHING THAT I ATE. >> WE CHECK EVERY SINGLE LABEL, AISLEWAYS HAVE A FEW PANS — A FEW PENS IN MY BAG. >> HE IS ONE IN 13 CHILDREN IN THE U.S. THAT HAS A FOOD ALLERGY, PEANUTS AND TREE NUTS. HE NOW EATS A HANDFUL AND DAY AS THERAPY TO KEEP HIS REACTIONS AT BAY. >> THE CONCEPT IS TO OFFER SOMETHING TO FOOD ALLERGIC CHILDREN BESIDES FOOD AVOIDANCE. WHAT WE OFFER HERE IS A CHANCE FOR CHILDREN OR ADULTS TO BECOME LESS SENSITIVE TO THE FOOD THEY ARE ALLERGIC TO. >> THIS IS THE THE NEW ENGLAND FOOD ALLERGY TREATMENT CENTER. FOR MANY, THEY EXTEND BEYOND INCONVENIENCE, THEY ARE LIFE-CHANGING AND SOMETIMES LIFE-THREATENING. >> LITTLE THINGS IN LIFE THAT YOU DON’T THINK OF, THAT YOUR CHILD IS PUT THROUGH — PUT IN A TABLE WITH NOT FREE CHILDREN, AND TWO OR THREE OF THEM GO AND ARE NOT WORRIED ABOUT THE ACCIDENTAL INGESTION. >> NOT EVERY FOOD, WE DO MILK, EGG, PEANUT, TREE NUTS, WE ALSO DO SESAME, CHICKPEA AND SUNFLOWER SEED. >> THE PROCESS WORKS BY VERY SLOWLY EXPOSING THEM TO THE VERY THING THAT THEIR BODIES ARE FIGHTING AGAINST. >> DAY ONE IS YOUR ESCALATION DAY, WE WILL SEE WHAT IS OUR STARTING POINT. EVERY HALF-HOUR WE START WITH A TINY, MINUSCULE AMOUNT. A PEANUT HAS 250 MILLIGRAMS OF PROTEIN KNOWN — OF PROTEIN IN IT. WE WILL START WITH ONE POINT ONE MILLIGRAM OF PROTEIN. EVERY DAY THEY WILL COME IN AND WEEK OF THE DOSE. >> IT ISN’T A CURE, IT’S MORE LIKE A DAILY PILL, BUT THIS PILL IS THE ALLERGEN. NOT THE MILK OR SEED. >> EACH BOTTLE HAS ITS OWN SPECIFIC CONCENTRATION. >> EVAN AND HIS MOM SAY IT IS WORKING FOR HIM. >> IT WAS SOMETIMES STRESSFUL AT HOME OR WHEN WE WENT TO RESTAURANT, AND IT HAS BEEN VERY WONDERFUL TO SAY, WE CAN RELAX A LITTLE BIT. NOW HE EATS WALNUTS AND PEANUTS EVERY DAY. >> WE MET HER ON HER FIRST VISIT TO THE CLINIC, SHE HOPES TO FOLLOW AND EVAN’S FOOTSTEPS. >> I HOPE THAT I GET RID OF MY ALLERGY FOR GOOD. >> THAT IS ALSO MY HOPE FOR YOU, BUT WOULD BE THE FIRST THING YOU ATE? >> PROBABLY CHOCOLATE. >> CHOCOLATE. >> THE CENTER SAYS IT CAN TAKE SEVERAL MONTHS TO MORE THAN A YEAR FOR THE THEAPY TO SHOW OPTIMAL OF — OPTIMAL RESULTS. >> THAT’S CHRO