There's good news on the horizon
for people with peanut allergie.
Researchers right here in Indianapolis
have been taking part in a trial
for a patch that could really hp
people with severe allergies.
Yeah, now Rachel Kraus explains
the massive impact it's alreadyd
on a family right here in India.
Like
most moms, Gina Shields is protective
over her daughter Scarlett Whene
was diagnosed through the peanut
allergy as a toddler, that drivo
protect her only grew stronger.e
carry 2 EPI pens all the time.
We read all the labels of everything. Her
family always careful to avoid unknown
foods and keep a close eye on Scarlett,
hoping to fend off a dangerous,
even deadly anaphylactic reacti.
It's pretty scary.
I mean, when we first like,
figured out she was. Allergic i.
It was pretty overwhelming.
She's about 15 months old and it was kind
of a traumatic experience for for us.
And there's just a lot of unknowns like
and you know how how do we keep her safe?
Doctor Kirsten Klepper sees pats
at Riley with severe peanut allergies
just like Scarlet every day.
The biggest question I have
and a lot of researchers right
now have is how to prevent.
This from continuing throughout their
entire life and can we stop it early?
A lot? Early on,
her work as a physician
scientist has connected Dr.
Clutfer with top food allergy
researchers around the country.
When they reached out about
a new peanut allergy patch,
she knew it could make a
massive impact on her patients.
It would be very nice because
right now when we diagnose
someone with peanut allergy,
if they're under the age of fou,
we don't have any treatment opt.
And so right now,
it's prescribing an EPI pen,
warning them about reading labe.
You we never know exactly
how much peanut it's going to
take to produce the reaction,
because every child is a little different.
Conducting trial studies in youg
children here in Indianapolis and in 50
other locations around the world, Dr.
Klepper says Scarlett was a
perfect fit to test this patch.
They'd stick a patch on Scarlets
back with one one thousandth
of a peanut protein inside,
exposing her to low doses of pet
every day for a year. And it he.
It's made a big difference.
And she wasn't alone, Dr.
Clefer says.
Their study found by the end of the year,
67% of the children on the peant
patch were able to tolerate
larger doses of peanut,
surprised and excited that this could be.
A potential treatment in the future Scarlets
progress bringing relief
to the Shields family.
I've heard stories about, you k,
kids that have accidentally had,
like the Chips Ahoy with peanut
butter cups in them and it you ,
it's been fatal.
And it's so to know like that
happened she she'd have this
extra layer of protection.
The results
of the first year of their study
were recently published in the w
England Journal of Medicine andw
the IU School of Medicine is heg
enroll 4 to 7 year olds for anor
trial of the patch, Dr. Clefer .
Is the research they're conductg
now could lead to helping many h
peanut allergies down the road.
This would actually give us
something to help families.
Gina says Scarlet was able to continue
on with the study for another two years.
She says they're grateful for
the difference it's made for
her health and quality of life.
You know, now she's in elementay
school and she's going to camps
in the summer and it's, you kno,
her environment's not as controd
as it was when she was younger.
So we really have to. You know,
it's it's comforting to know wee
a little bit more protection ife
were to accidentally eat a peant
in Indianapolis. Rachel Crown's 13 News.
Yeah, I have a niece that
has a peanut allergy.
So anything like this that can
help her is definitely positive.
Oh, for sure, because it can be scary
if it's an accidental especiall.
Well, you have to be very carefl
that it's if you're really allec
that there's nothing that's
was cooked with or any of cross
contamination that might have jt
a little bit of peanut, right.
You know, you have to be very,
very, very diligent and careful.
So hopefully that will help a lot of folks.
Nice to know that the game chanr
is made here in Indy.