PLEASE NOTE THAT PEANUT ANAPHYLACTICS SHOULD NOT TRY THIS.

Both my sons are allergic to peanut and I was worried that, with the rate their allergy levels were increasing, at least one of them was headed for anaphylaxis. On Friday we tried the "Nutella challenge". I don't know if Nutella is available in the US but you may have something similar, it is a choc-hazelnut spread. We have several brands but need to buy the original because it contains a lot of peanut oil; some cheap imitations do not.

In the Nutella challenge. the boys tried tiny amounts of Nutella and increased to eating a whole Nutella sandwich... IN A HOSPITAL AND SUPERVISED BY AN ALLERGIST just in case of anaphylaxis. Thankfully, they had no reaction. Now they need to eat Nutella every day at home to desensitize to peanut. Their levels will be retested in July 2006, and if they are low enough, we can try peanut butter desensitization. They will then need to continue eating peanut forever - which sounds odd for peanut allergy people - but this is how to keep desensitized. And it's more convenient that avoiding peanuts, and a helluva lot healthier than anaphylaxis.

Until 5-10 years ago doctors thought peanut allergy was permanent and didn't even try desensitzation. Now it can be done. Hope this helps some of you.