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[Hemorrhagic colitis in exclusively breast-fed infants].
S Sorea1, A Dabadie, L Bridoux-Henno
1Département de médecine de l'enfant et de l'adolescent, hôpital Sud, 16, boulevard de Bulgarie, 35056 Rennes cedex, France.
Archives De Pediatrie : Organe Officiel De La Societe Francaise De Pediatrie
|September 16, 2003
Summary
Infants with rectal bleeding while exclusively breast-fed may have food allergies. Excluding cow's milk protein from the mother's diet resolved symptoms in most cases, indicating a simple resolution for infant proctocolitis.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Allergy and Immunology
Background:
- Presents clinical, biological, and endoscopic data of six infants under 3 months old experiencing bloody stools.
- All infants were exclusively breast-fed at the time of symptom onset.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential role of food allergy in exclusively breast-fed infants presenting with rectal bleeding.
- To evaluate the efficacy of dietary interventions in managing infant proctocolitis.
Main Methods:
- Six infants (2 female, 4 male) aged 1-2 months with recurrent rectal bleeding underwent fiberoptic rectosigmoidoscopy.
- Histopathological examination of rectal biopsies was performed.
- Maternal dietary exclusion of cow's milk protein and infant weaning protocols were implemented.
Main Results:
- Rectosigmoidoscopy revealed mucosal congestion, petechiae, and ecchymoses in all cases.
- Histopathology showed eosinophilic infiltrates in 5 out of 5 infants with rectal biopsies.
- Five infants improved after maternal cow's milk protein exclusion; one improved after weaning.
Conclusions:
- Food allergy should be considered in the differential diagnosis of proctocolitis, even in exclusively breast-fed infants.
- Dietary modifications, particularly maternal exclusion of cow's milk protein, are effective in managing this condition.