Does your child have a milk allergy

As a mother, it is only natural that you’d want the best for your child. Taking care of your child’s food, milk, comfort and safety becomes your top priority. However, as even the best of mothers will attest, there are times you will find yourself completely helpless when your child continues to fuss and cry persistently.

There are many reasons why your child becomes excessively fussy. One reason could be because he/she has a milk allergy. But isn’t milk supposed to be good? Yes, while milk may seem like the ideal nutritional staple for children because it contains nearly all the basic nutrients that a growing child needs[1], some children develop an allergy to the protein in cow’s milk, which is the basis for most commercial child formulas.

Although a person of any age can have a milk allergy, it’s more common during the first few years of a child’s life. In fact, cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA) is the most common food allergy in children. Approximately 2% to 6% of children are affected by it, with the highest prevalence during the first few years of life[2].

Symptoms of CMPA

Children who develop CMPA may have one or several of the following symptoms:

CMPA is not the only cause of some of the symptoms mentioned above,as these symptoms could be caused by other conditions. Therefore it is important to have a doctor evaluate your child’s condition to confirm whether or not he/she has a milk allergy.

If your child has a suspected milk allergy, he/she should have an individualised medical assessment, treatment plan and follow up. After the doctor has carefully reviewed your child’s medical history, he/she will be able to determine the next course of action.

Your doctor may also refer the child to an allergist who will try to determine the cause of your child’s symptoms by doing a skin test or special blood test.

If your child’s milk allergy is considered as mild, the doctor may recommend that you put your child on a dairy-free diet for about a month before reintroducing him/her to milk once again. This will enable the doctor to determine if your child still has symptoms of milk allergy.

If your child is being fed a milk-based formula, your doctor will probably recommend switching to either soy-based or protein-hydrolysate based formulas.

Soy foods have long been associated with a variety of beneficial effects on nutrition and health[5].

Soy-based formulas have a long history of successful use in the management of digestive and allergic diseases in children, in place of cow’s milk[6].

Modern soy-based formulas are made from highly digestible, high-quality soy protein that meet the nutrient requirements of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and support normal growth and development of children[6][7][8]

Even if you believe that your child has outgrown his/her milk allergy, don’t try to reintroduce milk into your child’s diet on your own. Wait until your doctor confirms it and make sure to follow his/her recommendations as to how to reintroduce dairy foods in your child’s diet.

Ref:[1] Milk – Nutritional Benefits: AskDrSears.com - http://www.askdrsears.com/html/3/t032100.asp
[2] Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy in Children: A Practical Guide - http://www.biomedcentral.com/content/pdf/1824-7288-36-5.pdf
[3] Skripak JM, Matsui EC, Mudd K, et al. The natural history of IgE-mediated cow’s milk allergy. J Allergy Clin Immunol http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000366.htm (accessed January 2011)
[4] Treatment of cow’s milk allergy in infants – Irish Medical Times – http://www.imt.ie/ clinical/2011/02/treatment-of-cows-milk-allergy-in-infants.html
[5] Friedman M & Brandon DL. Nutritional and health benefits of soy proteins. J Agric Food Chem 2001;49:1069-1086.
[6] Cordle CT. Soy formula for managing infant food allergy and intolerance. Agro Food Industry Hi-Tech 2007;18:527-530.
[7] American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition. Soy protein-based formulas: recommendations for use in infant feeding. Pediatrics 1998;101:148-153.