Food allergy
National ADAPT OIT Program and NACE Evaluation Study
ADAPT is an oral immunotherapy program offered at participating hospitals to eligible babies with peanut allergy.
Peanut is the most common cause of childhood food allergy, affecting 3.1 per cent of one year old’s.
An emerging and transformative treatment option is oral immunotherapy (OIT). To help understand more about OIT, the National Allergy Centre of Excellence (NACE) has partnered with 10 paediatric hospitals across Australia to launch the ADAPT OIT Program.
The ADAPT OIT Program is a free standardised nationwide model of care, available to eligible children under 12 months who have been diagnosed with peanut allergy and are receiving care by an allergist at a participating paediatric hospital.
The ADAPT OIT Program includes a clinical program and evaluation study. The ADAPT OIT clinical program is delivered and funded by participating hospitals and the capacity at each hospital will depend on the demand and available resources. NACE is leading and funding the ADAPT evaluation study. This assesses the clinical program to support continuous improvement to ensure the best possible care is provided and inform future best-practice and policy.
For more information read our ADAPT Program FAQ
ADAPT OIT Program
ADAPT stands for from Allergy Development to an Accelerated Pathway to Tolerance. If families suspect their baby has a peanut allergy, the first step is to visit their GP. The doctor may refer the baby to an allergist at one of the participating hospitals where they can have the allergy confirmed and – if eligible – be introduced to the treatment program. Then, over two-years, the hospital ADAPT teams carefully guide the children through having small and increasing amounts of a peanut powder every day at home. The families have regular check-ups with their ADAPT team in the clinic or via telehealth. At the end of the program, the children avoid peanut for two-months before a food challenge and follow up assessment to test whether they have developed a tolerance to peanut – this is called ‘remission’.
NACE Evaluation Study
The NACE will play a critical role in evaluating the ADAPT OIT Program looking at its safety, effectiveness and acceptability to families, plus changes in quality of life. This will help identify ways to make sure children with peanut allergy have access to the most effective and safe care. Following the Evaluation Study, it is hoped more hospitals and private allergy clinics across Australia introduce the program as a standard model of care for treatment of peanut allergy in young children.
What is OIT?
- OIT is a treatment for food allergies
- OIT is not a cure, but following treatment it may improve the chance of being able to eat a specific food allergen, such as peanut, milk or egg
- Small doses of the allergen are given every day over several months, until a food allergy test is done to see whether the treatment has worked
- Like all treatments, OIT may not be suitable for everyone
Is peanut OIT safe for children?
- Children on OIT can experience some side effects
- Stomach pain or mild to moderate allergic reactions are the most common side effects
- A small number of children might experience an allergic reaction or anaphylaxis and need to use an adrenaline injector (e.g. EpiPen Jr® or Anapen Jr®)
- During OIT, it’s important to follow your child’s ASCIA Anaphylaxis Action Plan and carry an adrenaline injector
ADAPT OIT Program participating hospitals and current status
Waitlists may be implemented at times as a result of increased demand and hospital capacity. This list is intended as a guide only and can change without notice.
Accepting patients
- The Royal Children’s Hospital (VIC)
- Queensland Children’s Hospital (QLD)
- Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (NSW)
- Women’s and Children’s Health Network (SA)
- Perth Children’s Hospital (WA)
- Fiona Stanley Hospital (WA)
Limited capacity
- John Hunter Children’s Hospital Newcastle (NSW)
- Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick (NSW)
- The Children’s Hospital at Westmead (NSW)
No capacity
- Campbelltown Hospital (NSW)
NACE ADAPT Evaluation Study team
- Professor Kirsten Perrett, ADAPT Program Lead and NACE Director
- Dr Tim Brettig, ADAPT Medical Lead
- Danielle West, ADAPT Research Manager
- Helen Czech, ADAPT Nurse Lead
Want to take part in allergy research?
Visit the NACE Allergy Studies Directory for a list of drug, food, insect and respiratory allergy studies currently recruiting or active across Australia.
Share your allergy experience
If you live with – or care for someone with – allergies, join the NACE Consumer Engagement Register to help inform how Australian allergy research is conducted and translated.
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