EFFECT OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF EXTENSIVELY HYDROLYZED COW’S MILK PROTEIN- BASED FORMULAE (eHFs) ON TOLERANCE IN CHILDREN WITH COW’S MILK ALLERGY: A PILOT STUDY

Objectives and study: Cow’s milk allergy (CMA) is the most common food allergy in infants. CMA results from an immunological reaction to one or more milk proteins. The first-line treatment for food allergy disorders consists in the elimination of any source of cow’s milk proteins (CMP) from the diet. There are only a few studies that investigated the role of the type of extensively hydrolyzed formula (eHFs) on tolerance in children with CMA. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of different types of hydrolyzed formulae on tolerance in children with CMA at 12 and 24 months from the diagnosis compared to breastfeeding (mothers in diet), as control. Matherials and Methods: In this study, we will compare the tolerance of children with CMA who were breastfed to those who have been feeding with one of following extensively hydrolyzed formulae (extensively casein- or whey- or rice- based hydrolysate formula). We retrospectively reviewed 80 children, aged between 1 and 24 months, who were diagnosed to have cow’s milk allergy (CMA), confirmed by oral challenge in a double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge (DBPCFC). We will compare children (n=60) with a confirmed CMA that were exclusively bottle-fed one of the tested formulae (group 1) to infants (n=20) with a confirmed CMA exclusively breast-fed (group 2). Tolerance to cow’s milk, defined as the absence of any allergy symptoms during the oral DBPCFC challenge in children with a proven CMA, will be retrospectively evaluated at 12 months (T1) and 24 months (T2) from the diagnosis. Results: Conclusions: Actually the avoidance of the suspected allergen is the only one proved therapy in CMA. It would be interesting evaluate with this study if the different protein source in the extensively hydrolyzed formulae could impact on a different timing of the tolerance in children with a proven CMA