It is a reaction of the body to a protein present in cow's milk, due to an exaggerated response of the baby's immune system which recognizes it as foreign. It is one of the first adverse reactions that we suffer since after breast milk, it is the first food that receives the baby.
It manifests with hives, rash, itching, swelling (angioedema), vomiting, diarrhea, reflux, malabsorption and weight loss.
The diagnosis is clinical by medical questioning and family history. It is confirmed by a skin and blood test or fecal test.
In some cases, a milk exposure test is performed to check if it is really the cause of the health problem. The treatment is based on the elimination of cow's milk, replacing it with breastfeeding or other milk without the protein.
It is advisable to delay supplementary feeding until the 6th month and avoid some food allergens (eggs, fish) until the first year of age. The pediatrician and/or allergist will be responsible for providing the guidelines to follow regarding the baby's diet.- E. Escribano, J. M. Sarria. Manual de Diagnóstico y Terapéutica en Pediatría. Reacciones adversas a proteínas de leche de vaca. Publimed. Quinta edición. 889-894.
- A. M. Plaza. Alergia a proteínas de leche de vaca. Protoc diagn ter pediatr 2013;(1):51-61.
- UpToDate [Internet]. Waltham. 2017. Milk allergy: Clinical features and diagnosis; [citado el 12 de julio de 2017]. Disponible en: http://www.uptodate.com/contents/milk-allergy-clinical-features-and-diagnosis?source=search_result&search=alergia+proteina+vaca&selectedTitle=1~150
- AEP [Internet]. Madrid. 2017. Alergia a la leche y anafilaxia; [citado el 18 de julio de 2017]. Disponible en: http://enfamilia.aeped.es/temas-salud/alergia-leche-anafilaxia
