REVIEW ER 'S CONCLUSIONS There is no evidence to support feeding with a hydrolysed formula for the prevention of allergy in preference to exclusive breast feeding .
In high risk infants who are unable to be completely breast fed , there is evidence that prolonged feeding with a hydrolysed compared to a cow 's milk formula reduces infant and childhood allergy and infant CMA .
BACKGROUND Allergies and food reactions are common and may be associated with foods including adapted cow 's milk formulas .
Formulas containing hydrolysed proteins have been used to treat infants with allergy or food intolerance , and have been advocated for prevention of allergy and food intolerance in infants .
OBJECTIVES To determine whether use of hydrolysed formulas for infant feeding prevents allergy and food intolerance .
If hydrolysed formulas are effective , to determine what type of hydrolysed formula is most effective including extensively and partially hydrolysed formulas .
To determine which infants benefit including infants at low or high risk of allergy and infants receiving early , short term or prolonged formula feeding .
Effects of brief early exposure to partially hydrolyzed and whole cow milk proteins.
Clinical experience ( " the dangerous bottle " ) and experimental evidence indicate that the early life of an infant is particularly important for the development of the immune responses to food antigens . However , the clinical and immunologic consequences of a brief exposure to , or avoidance of , food antigens during the neonatal period in human infants are poorly understood and documented . We present the preliminary results of a prospect i ve controlled study of 256 normal breast-fed infants r and omly assigned to receive ( blind ) either an adapted formula ( Nidina ) or a partially hydrolyzed formula ( Nidal HA ) as a supplement to breast-feeding for a few days when necessary , and to be examined at days 5 , 90 , 150 , and 365 . The results indicated that ( 1 ) the prevalence of clinical symptoms and of total and specific IgE responses was not statistically different in the two groups of infants and ( 2 ) infants fed a hydrolyzed formula had median titers of specific IgG lower than those fed an adapted formula ; the difference was significant for alpha-lactalbumin at day 90 ( p < 0.005 ) and for alpha-lactalbumin ( p < 0.05 ) , casein ( p < 0.05 ) , and hydrolyzed formula ( p < 0.01 ) at day 150 . Humoral immune responses of breast-fed infants to food antigens thus appear to be modulated by early , short-term exposure to them
REVIEW ER 'S CONCLUSIONS There is no evidence to support feeding with a hydrolysed formula for the prevention of allergy in preference to exclusive breast feeding .
In high risk infants who are unable to be completely breast fed , there is evidence that prolonged feeding with a hydrolysed compared to a cow 's milk formula reduces infant and childhood allergy and infant CMA .
BACKGROUND Allergies and food reactions are common and may be associated with foods including adapted cow 's milk formulas .
Formulas containing hydrolysed proteins have been used to treat infants with allergy or food intolerance , and have been advocated for prevention of allergy and food intolerance in infants .
OBJECTIVES To determine whether use of hydrolysed formulas for infant feeding prevents allergy and food intolerance .
If hydrolysed formulas are effective , to determine what type of hydrolysed formula is most effective including extensively and partially hydrolysed formulas .
To determine which infants benefit including infants at low or high risk of allergy and infants receiving early , short term or prolonged formula feeding .