2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43
Allergy to milk (cow's milk protein) in children
Content:
- Allergy to cow's milk protein
- Diagnostics
- Treating cow's milk protein allergy
Allergy to cow's milk protein
Allergy to cow protein is one of the most common allergies in infants, on average, cow's milk allergy occurs in 5% of children. A distinction should be made between cow protein allergy and cow protein intolerance. Milk allergy occurs because the immune system treats cow protein as foreign and turns on the body's defenses, and the cause of cow protein intolerance is a problem with the digestion of milk.
In most cases, milk allergy does not pose a threat to life and health, but it can cause a lot of inconvenience, both for the baby and for the parents. In about half of cases, milk allergy occurs in the first year of a baby's life, and, most often, by 3-5 years, it disappears, but sometimes the allergy can remain for life.
Bottle-fed babies are more likely to be allergic to cow protein. If a baby is breastfed, allergies can occur if milk is present in the mother's diet, but the incidence of allergies in breastfed babies is still very low (less than 1% of all reported cases).
Manifestations of milk allergy are very diverse, ranging from rashes on the face, and ending with digestive disorders, but most often allergy symptoms are manifested in a complex. 50% of babies have skin rashes: urticaria, peeling, atopic dermatitis, facial edema. In the other 50% of cases, intestinal disorders are manifested: regurgitation, intestinal colic, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation. Also, children may experience rhinitis, cough, shortness of breath. The first signs of allergy appear a few weeks after the introduction of cow's milk or adapted milk formula into the baby's menu. In this case, one should distinguish between lactase deficiency and allergies, but there are cases of a combination of these diseases.
Diagnostics
For an accurate diagnosis, a thorough examination by a pediatrician is required.
The diagnosis should be made on the basis of a complete history: an assessment of the child's allergy symptoms, the presence of allergies in the parents, the presence of concomitant diseases, and poor weight gain.
After collecting an anamnesis, the doctor prescribes allergy tests to detect immunoglobulin E in the blood for cow protein.
One of the diagnostic steps is the elimination of cow protein from the child's diet. A provocative test is sometimes required for an accurate diagnosis. It should only be carried out under the close supervision of medical personnel.
Treating cow's milk protein allergy
Modern adapted formulas are mainly made on the basis of cow protein - casein. If the baby is allergic to milk or lactase deficiency, then these mixtures are not suitable for them. In this case, mixtures based on protein hydrolysis or those mixtures based on amino acids are selected.
Adapted infant formula based on protein hydrolysis: "Frisopep", "Peptikate", "Alfare", "Nutrilakpeptidi MCT", "NutrilonPepti TCS".
For allergy prevention, if necessary, and there is a risk of developing allergies, you can replace the usual mixture with an adapted mixture with partial protein breakdown: "Nutrilon GA", "Nutrilog GA 2", "NAN GA 1", "NAN GA 2".
In case of lactase allergy, it is advisable to use the following mixtures: "Humana GA 1", "Humana GA 2", "Nutrilak GA", "HiPP GA 1", "HiPP GA 2".
If you are allergic to cow protein, you can use a mixture based on soy protein. The advantage of these mixtures is their relatively low price. The downside is the fact that soy protein is also a potential allergen. If the child is less than 6 months old, then a mixture based on soy protein is contraindicated for him. Allergy to soy protein develops in the form of digestive and gastrointestinal disorders.
Another alternative to cow protein formulas is goat milk based formulas such as NANNY. But not everyone believes that these mixtures are a worthy substitute, as American pediatricians prohibit the use of these mixtures for allergies to cow protein, since these mixtures are based on whole milk.
Fish, nuts and eggs should be excluded from the child's diet if a breastfed baby is allergic to cow protein. Within a month, the child will feel better. If there are no improvements, then it is worth using mixtures based on protein hydrolysis, if they do not help, then the best choice is mixtures based on amino acids.
Most often, there is no need for a lifelong dairy-free diet.
Highly adapted infant formulas, prescribed for the treatment of allergies, are administered for a period of 6-12 months, after which the child is transferred to the usual formula. The change of the mixture should take place under the supervision of a pediatrician. If an allergy manifests itself, then a medicinal mixture is prescribed for another 6 months.
Complementary foods in the presence of an allergy to cow protein are introduced no earlier than six months. At the same time, eggs, cottage cheese, fish are introduced into the baby's diet no earlier than a year.
The author of the article: Sokolova Praskovya Fedorovna | Pediatrician
Education: Diploma in the specialty "General Medicine" received at the Volgograd State Medical University. A specialist certificate was immediately received in 2014.
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