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If your child is allergic to milk, he or she will likely outgrow that allergy - but it may take longer than you think.
"We used to say 85 or 90 percent would outgrow [milk allergies] by the time they are 3 or 4 years old," says researcher Scott Sicherer, M.D., at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. But more recent studies, he says, are finding that children may be affected by the allergy longer.
Dr. Sicherer and other researchers followed 244 children ages 3 to 15 months who had been diagnosed with milk allergy and found that only a third of them outgrew the allergy within 30 months.
The diagnosis of milk allergy in the children was verified either by a blood test that measures antibodies known as IgE, which can react to the milk proteins casein or whey; medical history of an allergy; a positive skin test; or a skin rash after drinking milk.
About 2.5 percent of children younger than 3 years are allergic to milk, according to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. Milk allergy usually appears during a child's first year of life.
Milk allergy involves the immune system, which produces antibodies to the offensive milk proteins. Milk allergy is different from lactose intolerance, in which a deficiency in the enzyme lactase makes it difficult to digest lactose, a sugar found in milk.
Milk allergy symptoms include a skin rash that looks similar to mosquito bites, vomiting, and wheezing. Symptoms typically appear within minutes after drinking milk or eating a food that contains a milk product.
For the current study, certain factors predicted which children would quickly outgrow milk allergy. Children with a lower concentration of the reactive antibodies were more likely to outgrow the allergy, as were those who had less severe dermatitis, or inflammation of the skin, and those who had a mild reaction to an allergy skin test, Dr. Sicherer says.
Researchers aren't sure why kids are taking longer to outgrow milk allergy. "Food allergies are becoming more prevalent in general for reasons not clear, and they are becoming more severe," says Jeffrey M. Factor, M.D., at Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford, Conn.
The new study findings may serve as a message to parents not to expect their child to outgrow the milk allergy by the time the child starts school.
"I think it's important not to provide overly optimistic numbers to parents that their child is going to outgrow their milk allergy absolutely by grade school," Dr. Factor says.
Always talk with your health care provider to find out more information.
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A milk allergy is an abnormal response of the body to the proteins found in cow's milk. Milk allergy is most common among infants and young children.
You can find milk and milk products in many foods. Obvious forms are cream, cheese, butter, ice cream, and yogurt, but milk and milk products may also be hidden sources in other commonly eaten foods. The only way to know for sure is to read food labels.
Keep in mind this important information:
- The word nondairy on a product label means it doesn't contain butter, cream, or milk. But the product could include other milk-containing ingredients.
- Kosher food labeled pareve or parve almost always indicates that the food is free of milk and milk products. A "D" on a product label next to the circled K or U means the food contains milk protein. These products should be avoided.
- Processed meats, including hot dogs, sausages, and luncheon meats, frequently contain milk or are processed on milk-containing lines. Carefully read all food labels.
Always talk with your health care provider to find out more information.
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