A food allergy treatment is showing promising results for toddlers.
A new study conducted by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases showed that a peanut allergy treatment appears to be safe for children between the ages of 1 and 3.
The treatment is already used on children who are 4 years old and up.
Children were given a powder that contained a dose of peanut flour every day.
In the study, a large majority of children became desensitized to peanuts over time.
They still had a reaction to peanut products, but most were mild to moderate in severity.
A small number of children completely lost their peanut allergies.
The NIAID study also found that the younger the patients were when they started the treatment, the better they were able to tolerate peanuts, and the more likely they were to lose their allergy.
Researchers say this suggests the treatment may be more effective if children start it while their immune systems are developing.
About 2% of children in the U.S. have a peanut allergy.
Doctors warn that adding peanut products to diets of children with known food allergies should only be done under the guidance of a physician.
