Skin patch may help children with peanut allergies

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Children with peanut allergies could soon eat peanuts in small doses.

The National Institutes of Health released a new study about a skin patch. The wearable patch delivers small doses of peanut protein through the child's skin. It trains the immune system to tolerate small amounts of peanuts.

Research shows children between the ages of 4 and 11 were able to eat at least 10 times more peanut protein after treatment. However, children older than 12 didn't see much of an effect from the patches.

The Food and Drug Administration has not approved the skin patch.

The peanut patch trial was conducted at five research sites: Arkansas Children's Hospital, the National Jewish Health Center in Denver, Johns Hopkins University, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine.

The newly published results were from the first year of the trial, but the researchers will continue monitoring the participants for a total of two and a half years