Help educate and empower families to address food allergies

Food Allergy Prevalence

Impact of Food Allergies

The allergic march

Infants with cow’s milk allergy (CMA) are 2 to 4x more likely to have other allergic manifestations—atopic dermatitis, asthma, and rhinitis—in the future.⁸ This time-based progression of allergic manifestations is called the allergic march. It typically begins with food allergy and/or atopic dermatitis in infancy, progresses to aeroallergen sensitization in pre-elementary ages, and culminates in allergic rhinitis and/or chronic asthma later in life.⁹

Because allergic reactions can be caused by an overreactive immune system response, management approaches that help regulate this response can help avoid an infant’s progression along the allergic march.

See how formulas modulate immune system response ↓

Allergy progressions over time^10-13

Allergy tolerance

In the past, it was generally accepted that avoiding or delaying infants’ introduction to common allergenic foods was the most effective way of avoiding food allergies.

However, newer studies suggest—and global guidelines reinforce — that introducing certain foods into an infant’s diet between the ages of 4 and 6 months (and regular exposure thereafter) can actually help build and maintain tolerance.^6,14,15

Cow’s Milk Allergy

An immune system response

Cow’s milk allergy (CMA) is an immune system response to proteins in cow’s milk. Upon exposure to the proteins, histamine and other immune compounds are released, causing allergic inflammation.

CMA reactions are classified as rapid onset, occurring within an hour of milk ingestion, or slow onset, where reactions take hours or even days to present.¹⁶

Recognizing Cow’s Milk Allergy

A diagnostic challenge

The presence of cow’s milk allergy (CMA) typically appears within the first few months of life and usually before six months.¹⁶ Identification involves several steps, usually beginning with the patient history and physical exam. It is important to understand the timeline of suspected reactions. Encourage parents to keep a feeding log for 1 to 2 weeks, tracking the type of feeding, stool behavior, and when the possible indicators occur.¹⁶

If CMA is suspected, allergist-administered serum and skin prick tests may be helpful; however, these tests may elicit false positives. The next diagnostic step is often an elimination diet, followed by an oral food challenge in a medical setting.¹⁶

Severe CMA

Severe allergies create an excessive and ongoing inflammatory immune system response. Infants with severe CMA are at greater risk of anaphylaxis, which requires emergency attention.¹⁷ See a hypoallergenic formula for severe CMA. ↓

Managing Cow’s Milk Allergy

Modifying proteins to impact allergic response

Infants with cow’s milk allergy (CMA) cannot easily digest the milk’s proteins. In hypoallergenic formulas, cow’s milk proteins are broken down extensively through hydrolysis—and the degree of allergenicity determines the allergic response. For severe CMA, amino acids are used as the protein source.