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 .
The effect of maternal avoidance of eggs, cow's milk, and fish during lactation on the development of IgE, IgG, and IgA antibodies in infants.
Serum levels of IgE , IgE antibodies to egg white ( EW ) and cow 's milk ( CM )  , IgG , and IgA antibodies to ovalbumin ( OA ) and beta-lactoglobulin ( BLG ) were measured in a group of 115 infants with a family history of atopy/allergy at birth and at 3 , 6 , 9 , 12 , and 18 months of age . The mothers of 65 infants  avoided eggs , CM , and fish during the first 3 months of lactation ( maternal antigen avoidance diet , D group ) , whereas the remaining 50 mothers  had no diet restrictions ( no maternal antigen avoidance diet , ND group ) . CM was introduced after 6 months of age and EW after 9 months . The only statistically significant difference between the D and ND group infants was a lower rate of specimens with IgE antibodies to EW and /or CM in the infants at 3 months of age ( p = 0.008 ) . IgE antibodies to EW and /or CM appeared in 62 infants during the study period and often during complete breast-feeding . In 40 of the infants , IgE antibodies appeared before the introduction of EW and CM into the diet . The IgE concentrations of the D and the ND group infants were similar . Cord-blood IgE was a poor predictor of atopy/allergy ; for example , only seven of 103 infants with double heredity for atopy/allergy had values above the 90th percentile of our normal reference . The concentrations of IgG antibodies to OA and BLG were similar in the two groups . The levels decreased significantly ( p less than 0.001 ) from birth to 6 months of age , indicating a passive placental transfer . ( ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS
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 .