A follow-up study of nutrient intake, nutritional status, and growth in infants with cow milk allergy fed either a soy formula or an extensively hydrolyzed whey formula

Abstract

Background: Infants with cow milk allergy (CMA) are reported to have reduced growth and special nutritional needs. Objective: The aim of the present study was to compare nutrient intake, nutritional status, and growth in infants with CMA who were fed either a soy formula or an extensively hydrolyzed whey formula. Design: The study group comprised 168 double-blind challenge-proven infants with CMA. Eighty-four of the infants were fed a soy formula (mean starting age: 7.8 mo), and the other 84 infants were fed an extensively hydrolyzed whey formula (mean starting age: 7.5 mo). Results: The length (SD score) of the infants was close to the mean Finnish reference growth by age 2 y in both groups. Weight-for-length measurements continued to reach the 50th percentile by age 4 y in both study groups. The mean nutrient intake followed the recommended intake in both groups, although most of the infants were supplemented with calcium and vitamin D. The observed serum transferrin receptor concentrations indicated a greater iron inadequacy in the tissue of infants in the soy formula group than in the hydrolyzed whey formula group (P = 0.08). However, there were no significant differences between the groups either in the percentages of abnormally low laboratory values (mean cell volume, hemoglobin, zinc, and ferritin) or in the percentages of high alkaline phosphatase activity, which indicates the comparable safety and effectiveness of the formulas studied. Conclusions: Both nutritional status and growth were well within reference values in the 2 groups, and the selection of a formula can largely be made on the basis of infant tolerance to the formulas.