To possibly prevent the development of IgE-mediated cow’s milk allergy (CMA), early, continuous exposure to cow’s milk formula (CMF) from birth should be encouraged, but with consistent exposure, according to a study published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology. In a large birth cohort (N=1,992), Idit Lachover-Roth, MD, and colleagues investigated the link between early, continuous exposure to CMF based on parental preferences and the development of IgE-mediated CMA. Newborns were divided into two groups according to parental feeding preference and followed up every month for a year. The groups were categorized as exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) or at least one daily meal of CMF (with or without breastfeeding). Among total newborns, 53.86% were in the EBF group until age 2 months. IgE-mediated CMA was observed in 0.85%, all from the EBF group. Compared with 0.0% in the other groups, the incidence of IgE-mediated
CMA was 1.58% (relative risk, 29.98; P<0.001) in the EBF group. However, the study authors wrote, exposure to CMF “needs to be consistent because occasional exposure increases the risk [for] developing IgE-mediated CMA.”
