According to the randomized IMPACT study, children below 4 years of age with peanut allergies appeared to have significantly higher desensitization and remission rates with oral immunotherapy compared to placebo. Additionally, younger age seemed to be a predictor of better outcomes.

Of 146 children, 1 to 3 years of age, 71% of those receiving peanut flour oral immunotherapy became desensitized to a 5,000 mg peanut exposure at 134 weeks, in comparison with 2% of children given a placebo flour (P<0.001), reported researchers. Around 21% of participants receiving oral immunotherapy attained remission, or sustained desensitization, at 160 weeks, compared to 2% of the placebo group (P=0.0021). 

Two factors that predicted greater odds of remission included younger age at screening (odds ratio [OR] 0.93 per month increase) and lower baseline peanut-specific IgE (OR 0.12 per tenfold increase). The findings are published in The Lancet… (Medpage Today)