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 .
Whey hydrolysate compared with cow's milk‐based formula for weaning at about 6 months of age in high allergy‐risk infants: effects on atopic disease and sensitization
Ninety-one high atopy-risk infants were prospect ively followed up to 18 months of age with regard to the development of allergic/atopic manifestations and sensitization . They were r and omized into one of two feeding groups , i.e. , a hydrolyzed , ultrafiltered cow 's milk whey formula , Profylac ( n = 32 ) , or an ordinary cow 's milk formula ( n = 39 ) , for 12 months , started after exclusive breast-feeding for 0 - 9 ( median 6.0 ) months . Lactating mothers avoided milk , egg , and fish , as did the infants up to 12 months of age . Twenty of the 91 infants were breast-fed exclusively for more than 9 months and regarded as a control group . All infants were followed-up by question naires , physical examinations , skin prick tests  , and determination of serum total IgE and cow ' milk-specific IgE. The frequency of allergic/atopic disease was similar in the three groups . However , all three infants who developed cow 's milk allergy with skin symptoms belonged to the cow 's milk formula group . The skin prick test with whey hydrolysate was negative in all , while with cow 's milk it was positive in eight infants . Growth was similar in the three groups . The study comprises too few infants to allow us to make statistically based statements . However , the difficulties encountered and the limited effects obtained by the use of whey hydrolysate at weaning at about 6 months of age made us conclude that we can spare high atopy-risk families this extra burden
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 .