While peanuts are the most common cause of childhood food allergy, it affects only 3.1 per cent of one-year-olds in Australia. So, when Kirsten first introduced solids to her baby boy, Hunter, she did not expect him to be part of that small yet vulnerable group.
Almost immediately, Hunter broke out in hives – a frightening and unexpected reaction that marked the beginning of their journey with food allergies.
Hunter’s allergic reaction
“We had no history of allergies in our family, so it really came as a shock. Every parent is nervous when introducing allergens like peanuts, but nothing prepares you for seeing your baby have such a reaction,” Kirsten shared.
Fortunately, Hunter and his mum were soon introduced to the work of Professor Kirsten Perrett, a highly sought-after trials expert and food allergy clinician scientist. Over the years, Kirsten has been awarded a Clinician Scientist Fellowship position in 2018 and again in 2024, directly benefiting from the generosity of the RCH Auxiliaries.
This position allowed the renowned clinician to continue her research into improving children’s health and reducing the burden of allergic diseases.
“One important project I’ve been able to focus on, thanks to the Clinician Scientist Fellowship Program, is called ADAPT, which stands for Allergy Development to an Accelerated Pathway to Tolerance,” shared Kirsten.
The ADAPT Oral Immunotherapy Program is piloting a new model of care which offers free, standardised peanut oral immunotherapy treatment for peanut allergic children under 12 months, with Hunter being one of the first children enrolled in this ground- breaking program.
This means children, just like Hunter, have been given very small, carefully measured doses of peanut protein under medical supervision. These doses are given regularly, with each one being increased slowly over a two-year period to help the body become less sensitive to peanuts. The program is currently being rolled out in partnership with 10 paediatric hospitals across the country, including the RCH.
For families living with the daily stress of food allergies, this leading program offers not just medical treatment but a sense of hope.
“We are thankful that we have been given this opportunity to be part of the trial at no cost. It gives us hope that we are actively doing something to manage Hunter’s allergy, which would have lifelong benefits to Hunter,” shared Hunter’s mother.
The chance to be a Clinician Scientist Fellow has been a huge privilege for Kirsten, and she is grateful to the RCH Auxiliaries for enabling this critical research that is having real-life impacts.
“It’s a real privilege to be a Clinician Scientist Fellow. Not only does it support important research, but it also gives us the opportunity to translate scientific discoveries and embed them into practical applications that directly benefit the patients,” Kirsten emphasised.
Hunter and his family