Micronutrient Status and Nutritional Intake in 0- to 2-Year-old Children Consuming a Cows' Milk Exclusion Diet

Objectives: To study micronutrient status and nutritional intake from complementary feeding in children on a cows’ milk exclusion (CME) diet. Methods: Fifty-seven children with cows’ milk allergy, younger than 2 years, were included in a cross-sectional study. Blood was analyzed for micronutrient status. Complementary feeding was defined as all solids and liquids except of breast milk, and assessed by 3-day food diary. The results were analyzed according to 3 feeding patterns: mainly breast-fed (mBF), partially breast-fed, and no breast milk group (nBM). Results: The children had a median age of 9 months and micronutrient status was within normal range for total homocysteine (p-tHcy), s-B12, s-folate, b-Hb, s-ferritin, s-zinc, and s-25(OH)D. There were no significant differences between feedings groups, except for B12-biomarkers. The mBF had higher p-tHcy (P 6.5 μmol/L combined with s-B12