Cow's milk allergy in children impacts parental or caregiver calcium intake

Abstract

Food allergies have become a global epidemic, affecting more than 10% of the population and 8% of children worldwide. Eliminating or limiting a food group from the diet can adversely impact micronutrient consumption. Milk allergies can impact the amount of calcium consumed in the diet, serving as a barrier to meeting daily calcium needs. Previous research evaluates the nutritional impact food allergies may have on children diagnosed with food allergies; however, there is a marked gap in literature that investigates the impact that children's allergy may have on their parent or caregiver. We hypothesized that milk elimination in a child's diet resulting from a milk allergy is associated with inadequate calcium intake among parents. Study participants (n=55) lived in the United States and included parents or caregivers of a child with a diagnosed milk allergy (experimental group) and parents of a child without a milk allergy (control group). Calcium intake was estimated by using the validated Calcium Assessment Tool. Results demonstrated that the experimental group consumed significantly less calcium (273 mg/d) than the control group (520 mg/d; P < .01). Notably, both groups consumed inadequate calcium relative to the calcium Recommended Dietary Allowance for adults of 1000 mg/d, although calcium supplementation was not assessed in this study. Key findings from this study indicate widespread inadequate dietary calcium intake and suggest a need for increased calcium consumption in this population.