A family's challenge to help their 4-year-old twins confront and overcome an allergy to peanuts has led them to a groundbreaking test group at Duke University.

The girls were recently on the Today Show which featured a segment about the Duke study.

Kathryn was 10 months old when she tasted a piece of her brother's peanut butter sandwich. She broke out in hives. Her face began to swell. She turned blue.

Mom and Dad, Tim and Sabrina Saunders of Blairs, recognized the episode as an allergic reaction. They administered Benadryl and rushed her to the emergency room.

Emily, Kathryn's twin, was tested later and was also found to be allergic to peanuts.

They are also allergic to eggs.

"I fed them eggs when they were about 1-year-old and they both broke out," said Sabrina. But there is a chance they will outgrow the egg allergy.

Dealing with food allergies is restrictive on family life.

"We don't eat out," said Sabrina. "At church we provide snacks. Going out of town is difficult. We have to find places to stay where we can cook and eat in.

"It takes me an hour and a half to do the grocery shopping. I have to read everything. This is something that could kill them, not just make them sneeze. We have to look at every single thing they put in their mouth."

Everything has to be cooked from scratch because many pre-packaged foods do not list all the ingredients or may have been produced in a factory that also produced a peanut product.

"We don't eat what they can't eat," said Sabrina.

Sabrina is a stay at home mom. The girls attend Wee Care and Andrew is in the first grade at Southside Elementary School.

Emily likes macaroni and cheese and playing with Barbies.

Kathryn likes something she calls "roleoleoes," baked spaghetti and playing with baby dolls.

Both girls agree that Andrew likes trains and Power Rangers.

"We try to give them as normal a life as possible, but as safe a life as we can," said their father, Tim.

"Peanuts or peanut oil can be in anything. We don't expect them to eat a peanut butter sandwich, but if they eat a brownie and they don't know nuts are in there, it could cause a serious reaction," said Tim.

The twins 7-year-old brother Andrew gave up his peanut butter and jelly sandwiches except at school. He has to wash his hands immediately upon arriving home to make sure peanut residue doesn't hurt the girls.

Also, there is a special stash of treats he is allowed to sample occasionally when not in contact with the girls. Dad monitors the stash.

There was a time when the medical community was not concerned with food allergies. But today, more then 11 million Americans suffer from food allergies and significant among them are allergies to peanuts and tree nuts. More than 1.8 million Americans are in this category.

There are no known cures for food allergies. Avoiding the food allergen is the only way to prevent a reaction.

The Duke study in which the girls participate is led by Dr. Wesley Burks.

Kathryn started the Duke study in April 2007. Emily started in September 2007. They go to Duke every two weeks.

"We thought if anything could be done to help them overcome this allergy, it would be worth it," said Sabrina.

Approximately 30 children allergic to peanuts are given tiny amounts of peanut flour to see if they can build up tolerance. The first dose is the equivalent of about 1/1000th of a peanut. Slowly the youngsters build up to a peanut a day or more.

Some of the children in the study do not receive the peanut flour. They receive placebos, so comparisons can be made.

Every 30 minutes the children's blood pressures are taken, vitals and levels checked to see if they are having a reaction.

The premise is that the body is allergic to peanuts because it has no tolerance and the body attacks. By building up a tolerance slowly with the peanut flour, it is hoped that the body will overcome the allergy.

Kathryn and Emily take a premeasured dose daily at home. After they receive a doze, the Saunders have to watch them closely for two hours to see if there is a reaction.

"It tastes yucky," said Kathryn, but the girls understand why their daily routine is important.

Monitoring the girls' food allergies is a family commitment. Even the grandparents are involved.

The family has had to gauge everything around the twins for the last three and a half years.

"It is important to educate the public about what people with food allergies face, especially children," said Sabrina. "There is an issue being addressed by the study and we are happy to be a part of finding a solution."

The Saunders hope that by educating people about food allergies, it will increase awareness, concern, consideration and courtesy from people who could possibly put children with allergies at risk.