Cow’s milk allergy in children: 9 years experience of Dr. Behcet Uz Children’s hospital, Izmir

Abstract

Objective: Cow’s milk allergy is the most frequent food allergy in childhood. Delayed diagnosis may cause a number of systemic dysfunctions, while incorrect diagnosis may result in deficient nutrition of the mother and the child. As in other types of allergies, food allergy is also a growing problem in recent years. Our aim was to determine the characteristics of our patients allergic to cow’s milk, and see if there was an increasing trend. Material and Methods: The study was of retrospective and cross-sectional design. Patient data were collected from Pediatric Allergy Department patient files. Cases of food allergy were reviewed and patients fulfilling the criteria of cow’s milk allergy were included in the study. Results: A total of 105 cases with cow’s milk allergy out of 264 food allergies who were followed up between 2003-2011 were investigated. Most of the patients were under 2 years of age (78.1%), were males (62.9%) and presented with a history of allergy (79.1%). IgE mediated cases constituted the majority (75.2%). More than half of the patients admitted in 2010 and 2011. This was mostly due to the increased number of patients less than twelve months of age (p=0.015). Most frequently involved system was skin (67.5%) and multisystem involvement was 15.7% Conclusion: A detailed history is the key element of diagnosing cow’s milk allergy. There is a considerable number of cases within the first year of life which may present with different signs and symptoms. Although not a life threatening situation, correct diagnosis is vital as nutrition is a key component in the development and growth of child.