Milk Allergy Statistics:
A milk allergy is a food allergy, an adverse immune reaction to one or more of the constituents of milk from any animal (most commonly alpha S1-casein, a protein in cow's milk). Allergy to cow’s milk is the most common food allergy in infants and young children. Studies in several countries around the world show a prevalence of milk allergy in children in the first year of life of around 2% to 5%. Many children lose their hypersensitivity to milk by age 3, but some children remain allergic for a lifetime.
Milk Allergy Symptoms:
Often, children with a milk allergy will have a "slow" reaction, which means symptoms will develop over time—perhaps within several hours to days later. Symptoms associated with a slow reaction are: abdominal cramps, loose stool, diarrhea, skin rash, intermittent coughing, runny nose or sinus infection, failure to thrive.
Milk Allergy Management and Treatment:
Milk is a fairly easy ingredient to substitute in recipes. Most recipes calling for milk can be just as successful by substituting the equivalent in water, juice, or soy or rice milk. If your infant is allergic to milk, talk to your pediatrician about which formula to use. Often, an extensively hydrolyzed elemental formula or a casein-hydrolysate formula is recommended for milk allergy in infants, as the proteins in these formulas have been extensively broken down. Alternatively, your infant’s doctor may recommend a soy-based formula.