Babies, Parenting, Child Health, Infant Nutrition

Child Nutrition - Milk and Egg Allergies Harder To Outgrow

12.17.2007 | 1:12:49 am | Posted by mummums

By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kid’s Nutrition Specialist

For generations, physicians and parents alike believed most infant and early childhood allergies would be outgrown within the first few years of life. However, new research from the John Hopkins Children's Center has revealed that milk and egg allergies are actually more difficult to outgrow than previously believed.

In what is the largest study to date to examine early childhood milk and egg allergies, researchers tracked 800 kids with milk allergies and 900 kids with egg allergies for 13 years. The tracking revealed that milk and egg allergies lasted well into school years and in some cases beyond. Previous studies suggested 3/5 of children outgrow their allergies by 3 years of age. John Hopkins researchers, however, found only 1/5 of children outgrew their allergy by 4 years of age and 39% outgrew their allergy by age 8. On a positive note, 78% of the children studied were allergy free by age 16.

The findings add merit to what pediatricians have been saying lately; food allergies have become more aggressive and unpredictable compared with the cases of food allergies seen 20 years ago. No one can really pinpoint the reason for the drastic change in the evolution of food allergies. What we do know now is that blood tests may provide a measure for the severity and duration of childhood food allergies. A child’s blood levels of egg and milk antibodies, the chemicals produced by the body in response to an allergen, may predict allergy behaviors. The higher the level of antibodies, the longer the allergy will be present.

Symptoms of a milk allergy can be synonymous with lactose intolerance. However, a milk allergy is indicated by the presence of antibodies in the blood. An allergy to milk is in response to the proteins found in milk, casein or whey. Casein most predominately causes the allergic reactions because the whey protein is often denatured during pasteurization. If your child is allergic to casein it is important to read food labels as casein is used as a preservative in canned foods and lunchmeats. In addition, you must avoid all dairy foods in your child’s diet including ice cream, yogurt, cheese, and milk-containing products. As Keep Kids Healthy explains, avoidance of all possible allergens in your child’s diet is the best treatment. Egg Allergies also require a great deal of food label scrutiny as egg products are included in many baked goods.

If you suspect your child has a food allergy, you should contact your physician right away. You can also work with a nutrition or registered dietitian to find allergy free foods to ensure proper development for your child. Pediatricians recommend avoiding eggs and dairy products in your infant’s diet for at least the first year of life and some even recommend waiting until 3 years of age to introduce eggs. When introducing solids in your infant’s diet, it is recommended to introduce 1 new food at a time every 3 days to ensure there is no allergic response. Be sure to keep a food journal for your infant so you can be sure which foods cause a reaction in your infant.

Reference:

Johns Hopkins Medicine (2007, December 15). Milk And Egg Allergies Harder To Outgrow.

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