Features - Cow's Milk Allergy

In some children the ingestion of milk can trigger the body into launching an inappropriate immune response to the proteins in milk resulting in an allergic reaction: the Cow Milk Allergy. Cow milk allergy (CMA) is as an immunologically mediated adverse reaction to one or more cow's milk proteins. Milk allergy is the most common food allergy, affecting somewhere between 2% and 3% of infants. Around 0.5% of exclusively breast fed infants react to cow's milk protein in human milk.

Cow milk allergy generally affects children less than three years: the mean age of onset is reported as between 3 months and 5 months. Children with immediate reaction following milk ingestion usually present earlier. Recent evidence shows that cow's milk sensitive enteropathy (CMSE) may persist or manifest itself initially in children of school age.

The principle symptoms of Cow Milk Allergy are gastrointestinal, dermatological and respiratory, and are associated with skin rash, wheezing, vomiting, diarrhoea, constipation and distress.The symptoms may occur within a few minutes after exposure (immediate reactions) or after 1 hour and in some cases after several days (delayed reactions).

For other useful information, visit Act Against Allergy, a global interactive communication program designed to increase the awareness of childhood milk allergy:

Symptoms of Cow Milk Allergy
Diagnosis of Cow Milk Allergy
Treatment of Cow Milk Allergy

Useful tool: Clinical Diary, Ask the Expert

Page updated: 10 December 2008