Treating Cow Milk Allergy with Amino Acid-based Hypoallergenic Formula
Not all infants with
cow milk allergy respond to
protein hydrolysate formulas. Formulas based on pure
synthetic amino acids are always effective.
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. The
amino acid-based formula is easy for children to digest and will always alleviate cow milk allergy symptoms.
| |
Whole Protein | Amino Acids |
play a key role in the dietary management of infants with a variety of diseases. They
provide complete nutritional support for infants with cow milk allergy and Multiple Food Protein Intolerance (MFPI) and have a distinct advantage over hydrolysate-based formulas: they are proven to be safe for use in severely allergic infants who cannot tolerate soy formulas or protein hydrolysates.
Some studies have investigated infants with suspected cow milk allergy and persistent symptoms on extensively
hydrolysed protein formulas that were given an
Amino Acid-based Formula.
The infants stabilised on AAF resulting in resolution of symptoms and weight gain: Amino Acid-based Formula proved to be a safe and effective treatment in allergy to extensively hydrolysed protein formulas.
Amino Acid-based Formula compared to Extensive Hydrolysate Formula is preferred as it cleary and definively excludes cow milk allergy in non-responders. | |
Amino Acid-based Formula | Extensive Hydrolysed Formula |
| 100% Free amino acids | Commonly derived from cow's milk |
| No residual long chain peptides of high molecular weight | Contain residual long chain peptides of high molecular weight |
| No interaction with immune system | Documented interaction with immune system |
| No allergic Inflammation | Leads to allergic inlammation in 10-20% of food allergic infants |
Symptoms of
food allergy in all children remitted within 2 weeks of starting Amino Acid-based Formula.Infants presenting with failure to thrive caused by food
protein hypersensitivity were able to achieve
normal growth during Amino Acid-based Formula feeding.
Another experiment studied the effectiveness of an Amino Acid-based Formula in infants with continued symptoms suggestive of formula protein intolerance whilst they were receiving
casein hydrolysate formula (cHF). The infants described in this article did not respond to cHF, and required an AAF to resolve their symptoms
In terms of a diagnostic exclusion diet, amino acid formulas are favoured over
extensively hydrolysed formulas as they clearly and definitively exclude CMA in non-responders.