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Adverse reactions to milk in infants
Bente Kvenshagen1, Ragnhild Halvorsen, Morten Jacobsen
1Oestfold Hospital Trust, Department of Pediatrics, Fredrikstad, Norway. bent-kv@online.no
Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|February 8, 2008
Summary
Adverse reactions to cow's milk typically manifest before six months, primarily as pain, gastrointestinal, or respiratory issues, rarely atopic dermatitis. Most reactions are non-immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated, with half of infants tolerating milk by one year.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Allergy and Immunology
- Neonatology
Background:
- Cow's milk allergy (CMA) is a common concern in infants.
- Understanding the timing and nature of adverse milk reactions is crucial for diagnosis and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the age of onset for adverse milk reactions in premature and term infants.
- To characterize the types of symptoms, IgE-mediated vs. non-IgE-mediated reactions, and tolerance rates at one year.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 608 infants (193 premature, 416 term) was followed.
- Symptomatic infants underwent clinical evaluation.
- Diagnosis of CMA was based on history, IgE testing, or elimination/challenge tests.
Main Results:
- 4.9% of infants (27/555) were diagnosed with adverse reactions to cow's milk.
- All symptoms appeared before six months of age.
- Common symptoms included pain behavior, gastrointestinal, and respiratory issues; atopic dermatitis was rare. Non-IgE-mediated reactions were most frequent. Tolerance was achieved by 13 infants at one year.
Conclusions:
- Adverse milk reactions emerge early in infancy, predominantly presenting as non-IgE-mediated symptoms.
- Symptoms and onset age were consistent between premature and term infants.
- Approximately half of affected infants achieved tolerance to cow's milk by one year of age.
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