The efficiency of the symptom-based score in infants diagnosed with cow's milk protein and hen's egg allergy

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Allergy and Immunology
• Clinical Nutrition
• Diagnostic Tool Evaluation

Background:

• Cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) and hen's egg allergy (HEA) are common in infants.
• Accurate assessment of symptom severity and treatment response is crucial for managing these allergies.
• The Symptom-Based Score (SBS) is a tool designed to quantify symptoms related to cow's milk.
• Evaluating the efficiency of SBS in managing both CMPA and HEA is important for clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of the Symptom-Based Score (SBS) in monitoring treatment response in infants diagnosed with cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) and/or hen's egg allergy (HEA).
• To determine if SBS can reliably track symptom changes during an elimination diet for these common food allergies.

Main Methods:

• A single-center study enrolled 112 infants diagnosed with CMPA, HEA, or both.
• The Symptom-Based Score (SBS) was administered at baseline and after one month of an elimination diet.
• Statistical analysis compared SBS changes between different allergy groups (CMPA, HEA, CMPHEA).

Main Results:

• The Symptom-Based Score (SBS) showed a significant decrease in most patients after the elimination diet (≥50% decrease in 83.7% with CMPA, 84.6% with HEA, and 87.5% with CMPHEA).
• The combined CMPHEA group exhibited a higher mean SBS decrease (11.3±4.7) compared to CMPA (8.8±3.7) and HEA (8.0±4.0) groups.
• Initial symptom scores were lower in the HEA group compared to other groups.

Conclusions:

• The Symptom-Based Score (SBS) is a valuable tool for monitoring the effectiveness of elimination diets in infants with CMPA and HEA.
• SBS can aid clinicians in assessing symptom resolution and guiding management strategies for pediatric food allergies.
• The study supports the utility of SBS in clinical settings for managing infants with CMPA and HEA.