AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS Feeding with a soy formula can not be recommended for prevention of allergy or food intolerance in infants at high risk of allergy or food intolerance .
BACKGROUND Allergies and food reactions in infants and children are common and may be associated with a variety of foods including adapted cow 's milk formula .
Soy based formulas have been used to treat infants with allergy or food intolerance .
However , it is unclear whether they can help prevent allergy and food intolerance in infants without clinical evidence of allergy or food intolerance .
OBJECTIVES To determine the effect of feeding adapted soy formula compared to human milk , cow 's milk formula or a hydrolysed protein formula on preventing allergy or food intolerance in infants without clinical evidence of allergy or food intolerance .
Cumulative incidence of atopic disorders in high risk infants fed whey hydrolysate, soy, and conventional cow milk formulas.
A recent increase in the prevalence of atopic disorders and the enormous costs of management of atopic patients have prompted attempts at prevention . We have examined the effect of exclusive breast feeding and of feeding different infant formulas on incidence of atopic disease in a prospect i ve r and omized controlled study . Seventy-two infants were recruited into each of the following groups : cow milk whey hydrolysate formula ( NAN/HA ) conventional cow milk formula ( Similac ) , soy-based formula ( Isomil ) , and exclusive breast feeding for greater than 4 months .  The cumulative incidence of atopic eczema , recurrent wheezing , rhinitis , gastrointestinal symptoms , and colic were noted . Skin prick tests and radioallergosorbent tests for IgE antibodies to milk and soy were performed . At 12 and 18 months of age , the incidence of atopic eczema as also that of all atopic symptoms was significantly lower and similar in the breast-fed and whey hydrolysate groups , compared with the cow milk and soy formula groups . IgE antibodies were detected more often in the cow milk and soy formula groups , especially the former . Among symptomatic infants , fewer skin positive prick tests were seen in the soy group compared with the cow milk group . Our observations show that among infants at high risk of developing atopic disease because of positive family history , exclusive breast feeding or whey hydrolysate formula is associated with a lower incidence and thus a delay in the occurrence of allergic disorders compared with groups fed conventional cow milk or soy formulas
AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS Feeding with a soy formula can not be recommended for prevention of allergy or food intolerance in infants at high risk of allergy or food intolerance .
BACKGROUND Allergies and food reactions in infants and children are common and may be associated with a variety of foods including adapted cow 's milk formula .
Soy based formulas have been used to treat infants with allergy or food intolerance .
However , it is unclear whether they can help prevent allergy and food intolerance in infants without clinical evidence of allergy or food intolerance .
OBJECTIVES To determine the effect of feeding adapted soy formula compared to human milk , cow 's milk formula or a hydrolysed protein formula on preventing allergy or food intolerance in infants without clinical evidence of allergy or food intolerance .