Cow's milk allergy not uncommon in India

Monday, 19 October 2009 13:27

Children presenting to hospital in India between June 2004 and December 2007 with chronic diarrhoea were studied to determine outcome following treatment for cow’s milk allergy. Diagnosis of cow’s milk protein allergy was based on characteristic intestinal biopsy, and confirmed by positive milk challenge. The authors concluded cow’s milk allergy is not uncommon in a developing country such as India, and recommend milk allergy challenge as an option when children present with chronic diarrhoea.

All children improved on a milk-free diet. When done within 6 months of follow-up, milk challenge was positive in all cases. After a longer period of time (median 15 months), milk was successfully restarted in more than half of the cases, while the remaining participants either remained on the milk-free diet or were lost to follow-up.

Reference: Poddar  et al. 2009. Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Oct 9.