Children allergic to cow's milk protein: What milk should I eat and when can I eat cow's milk again?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is written by Master, Doctor Nguyen Duy Bo - Clinical Allergist - Respiratory Unit - Clinical Immunology, Vinmec Times City International Hospital.
Cow's milk protein allergy is a condition in which the child's body considers cow's milk a harmful substance and produces an immune response to fight the invasion of cow's milk. From there, harmful signs and symptoms arise.
Manifestations of cow's milk protein allergy are diverse and easily confused with other diseases. Therefore, an accurate diagnosis should be examined and evaluated by an experienced specialist. Young parents should not rush to arbitrarily conclude that their child has a milk allergy, leading to an inappropriate diet, thereby affecting the child's activities and development.

1. Children allergic to cow's milk protein can eat what milk?

Babies who are allergic to cow's milk protein can usually eat breast milk. In the event that breast milk is not available or breast milk is not enough, need additional formula milk, the baby can switch to completely hydrolyzed milk.
Fully hydrolyzed milk is milk that has been processed to break down the proteins present in milk thereby losing its allergenic properties. More than 90% of children allergic to cow's milk protein tolerate fully hydrolyzed milk. In case of intolerance to fully hydrolyzed milk, the child needs to eat milk whose protein has been completely broken down and has completely lost its allergen, which is amino acid milk.
In addition to hydrolyzed milk derived from animal milk protein, children allergic to cow's milk protein can eat fully hydrolyzed milk with protein origin from rice or other protein sources.

2. Can children with cow's milk protein allergy eat other animals' milk or allergy-reduced milk?

The answer is no, because nearly all babies who are allergic to cow's milk will be allergic to other animals' milk such as goat's milk or sheep's milk. This is because goat milk and sheep milk share the same allergens in cow's milk.
Children allergic to cow's milk protein will also be allergic to products made from cow's milk and other animal milks such as yogurt, butter, cheese ...
Similarly, in hydrolyzed milk a Allergen-reducing ingredients or formulas also contain allergens. Therefore, children allergic to cow's milk protein cannot eat partially hydrolyzed milk.
A child who has eaten partially hydrolyzed milk means that the child does not have a milk allergy.

3. Children allergic to cow's milk protein, when can they eat cow's milk again or will they have lifelong allergies?

Allergies in children in general or cow's milk protein allergy in particular change with age. Cow's milk protein allergy usually goes away as the child gets older. The time to stop cow's milk protein allergy varies depending on the allergy type and the individual child. In general, children with a rapid allergy (IgE allergy) to cow's milk will clear their allergy after 5-6 years of age. The delayed allergy group (non-IgE allergy) will tolerate it earlier, about after 2-3 years of age.
Early detection of when children tolerate cow's milk will help them quickly have a normal diet and activities. In particular, helping families and children confidently send their children to kindergarten and school. Therefore, children allergic to cow's milk protein need to be examined and monitored periodically by an allergist. In order to evaluate and find the time when children can tolerate and safely re-feed cow's milk as well as evaluate the child's development, especially the assessment of nutritional efficiency.

4. What needs to be prepared when children with cow's milk protein allergy are going to kindergarten?

First, to prepare children with cow's milk protein allergy to go to kindergarten, you need to prepare psychologically for your child and for your family. It is necessary to remind and create the habit of not arbitrarily eating strange foods, not accepting food from others for children. Always have food ready in your child's bag, so that the child can eat when hungry.
You need to inform the teacher and the school, always work closely between the teacher and the school to get a suitable meal for your child. Make sure the teacher and school know your child has a milk allergy and know what to do if an allergic reaction occurs. Before going to kindergarten, you should go to an allergist to get advice from a doctor and provide an allergy treatment plan to send to the school.
You and the allergist can discuss to consider starting a desensitization treatment to cow's milk, so that the baby soon achieves partial or complete tolerance to cow's milk. From there, if an allergic reaction occurs, it is also milder and less dangerous for the child.
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