Cow milk allergy (CMA) is an immune system response to one or more cow milk proteins.
Milk allergy affects between 2% and 7% of infants, and generally affects children less than three years of age (the mean age of onset reported has been between 3 months and 5 months). Around 0.5% of exclusively breast fed infants also react to the cow milk protein found in human milk.
Symptoms that can be associated with milk allergy are skin rash, wheezing, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation and distress.
Currently the only treatment for cow milk allergy is total avoidance of cow's milk proteins.
Neocate can be recommended as a beneficial and efficacious formula in the dietary management of infants with severe cow milk allergy.
Neocate is an amino acid-based formula (amino acids are the building blocks of protein) and therefore, is easy for infants and children to digest. Neocate has been proven to provide rapid relief of gastrointestinal symptoms (diarrhea and vomiting) within 3-days and relief of all symptoms including skin rash within 14-days. Infants presenting with failure to thrive caused by food protein intolerance were able to achieve normal growth while using Neocate.
Amino acid-based formulas are proven safe for use in severely allergic infants even in children with persistent symptoms on extensively hydrolyzed protein formulas.
Many studies* have established the hypoallergenicity of Neocate, used in infants and children with cow milk allergy, and have determined it a safe and efficacious product to use in this condition.
* The guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics (1990) for establishing the hypoallergenicity of infant formula were followed: 28 children (aged 11 months to 12 years) with documented hypersensitivity to cow milk were enrolled into the study. Each underwent skin prick testing with Neocate and hydrolysate formulas, and double blind, placebo controlled food challenges (DBPCFC) to whole cow milk. No child reacted to the Neocate and therefore the formula met the degree of certainty required by the AAP committee and was conferred hypoallergenic status. It was deemed safe for use by children with cow milk allergy and other food allergies.