Study brings new hope for kids with fish allergies

Children with potentially deadly reactions to fish may soon be able to tuck into seafood after a world-first Melbourne-led trial.

A world-first Melbourne-led study is aiming to get children with potentially deadly fish allergies able to join their family for a classic fish and chip dinner.

The study at Epworth HealthCare is testing whether these highly allergic young people can safely eat flake, following a series of food challenges.

Lead researcher Dr Sam Mehr, from the Epworth’s Centre for Paediatric Allergies, said they started the trial after anecdotal reports from their patients who said they were able to eat flake without getting sick.

“We wanted to test this because fish allergy tends to be lifelong, and we tend to wipe out the whole fish species for them. Their diet can become quite restrictive,” Dr Mehr said.

“These kids often have multiple food allergies. Just to normalise a family meal is important to improve their quality of life.“

Dr Mehr said the theory was there is a different protein structure in bony fish compared to cartilaginous fish, including gummy shark and ray.

They have recruited the first seven of 35 young people for the skin prick test and food challenge.

Isaac, 14, pictured with his sister, Elle, was the first to be enrolled in the trial. Picture: Nicki Connolly

Under medical supervision participants small amounts of flake – starting with an eighth of a teaspoon and doubling the portion every half an hour until they reach a full serve – to gauge their reaction. So far all young people have passed.

Isaac Hardwick, 14, was the first enrolled in the trial. He said it was a daunting process to undergo, given he had been told to avoid eating fish after suffering his first allergic reaction – an episode of an itchy mouth and feeling his throat was closing over – a year ago.

But since passing the food challenge, been eating flake at least twice a week.

“It was scary to go through because I didn’t want to have a reaction, I didn’t want to die,” he said.

“It felt good to eat it again. My favourite is flake crumbed.”

His mum Linda Everett said to have this meal choice back in their lives had been “life changing” for the whole family.

“It’s nice bonding for all of us again to eat flake together, and Isaac isn’t missing out,” she said. “When you’re limited anyway, because of other food allergies, to get this back is wow.”

The Epworth team are now working with researchers at James Cook University in Townsville, to analyse the blood samples of study participants and devise a blood test for kids with fish allergy that could tell them if they’re safe to eat flake, without needing to go through the supervised food challenge.

Young people aged 1-18 years who have had an allergic reaction to bony fish in the past three years are needed for the study.

To take part email [e-mail]