Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy (CMPA)

What Is a Food Allergy?

A food allergy occurs when the immune system, which normally protects the body from harmful substances, mistakenly reacts to certain food proteins.

In people with food allergies, the immune system incorrectly identifies specific food proteins as harmful and triggers an immune response. This reaction can cause a range of symptoms, some of which may be severe and require appropriate medical care.

Today, more than 120 foods are known to be capable of triggering allergic reactions.

Understanding Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy (CMPA)

Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy (CMPA) is one of the most common food allergies in infants and typically develops during the first year of life.

CMPA can occur in breastfed babies when small amounts of cow’s milk proteins consumed by the mother pass into breast milk. It can also affect formula-fed infants who receive formulas containing cow’s milk proteins, or develop when foods containing cow’s milk proteins are introduced during complementary feeding.

What Are the Symptoms?

CMPA can affect several body systems, and symptoms may vary from one child to another.

– Skin Symptoms

• Skin rash
• Hives (urticaria)
• Dry, rough or flaky skin
• Itching

– Digestive Symptoms

• Diarrhoea
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Frequent regurgitation or gastroesophageal reflux

– Respiratory Symptoms

• Noisy breathing
• Persistent cough
• Runny nose

These symptoms are not specific to CMPA and may also occur in other medical conditions. For this reason, the diagnosis should always be made by a healthcare professional.

How Is CMPA Managed?

When Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy is suspected or confirmed, treatment mainly consists of eliminating the cow’s milk proteins responsible for triggering the allergic reaction.

If You Are Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding can usually continue.

Your healthcare professional may recommend that you eliminate cow’s milk proteins from your own diet. In some situations, other potentially allergenic foods may also need to be assessed.

Any dietary changes during breastfeeding should be undertaken under the supervision of a healthcare professional or registered dietitian to ensure your nutritional needs continue to be met.

If Your Baby Is Formula Fed

If your baby is fed with infant formula, several nutritional options may be considered depending on their clinical condition and your healthcare professional’s recommendations, including:

• Extensively hydrolysed formula (eHF).
• Amino acid formula (AAF).
• Other tailored dietary strategies, when appropriate.

Extensively hydrolysed formulas contain cow’s milk proteins that have been broken down into very small peptides, significantly reducing their allergenic potential. They are often recommended as the first-line nutritional management for most infants with CMPA.

Amino acid formulas contain only the individual building blocks of proteins (amino acids) and are generally reserved for infants with more severe allergies or when extensively hydrolysed formulas are not suitable.

Key Takeaway

Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy is relatively common during infancy, but it can usually be managed successfully through early diagnosis and appropriate nutritional care.

If your baby shows symptoms that may suggest a food allergy, consult your healthcare professional for an accurate diagnosis and personalised advice.

 

Reference:

Brill H. Approach to milk protein allergy in infants. Can Fam Physician. 2008 Sep; 54(9): 1258–1264.