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 .
Improved general health status in an unselected infant population following an allergen-reduced dietary intervention programme: the ZUFF-STUDY-PROGRAMME
Part II: infant growth and health status to age 6 months
Summary Aim of the study . An allergen-reduced dietary intervention programme with strict dietary requirements was implemented over the first four months of life in an unselected population -based infant cohort and compared to a non-intervention cohort ( the ZUFF study ) . Recommendations for the dietary programme in the intervention cohort were extended , but not strictly implemented , until the end of month six . The intervention was based on breastfeeding , a moderate whey hydrolysate formula ( pHF ) , and delayed introduction of weaning foods with a high allergenicity . This study was a prospect i ve , controlled , and unblinded study , the first to assess the effects of an allergen-reduced , pHF-based early nutritional programme in a broad unselected infant population . Because overall healthy development of the infant is a major objective of any nutritional programme , the study evaluated the effects of the dietary intervention on infant growth and general health status rather than specific allergic manifestations . Part I of this paper gave results for nutritional behaviour only , and Part II gives results for growth and general health status during the intervention period through the sixth month of life . Methods . Assignment of study infants was to demographically comparable intervention ( Z ) or control ( FF ) cohorts according to place of birth . In the intervention cohort ( Z=564 ) , the recommended dietary regimen was breastfeeding and – if exclusive breastfeeding was not possible – supplementation with a moderately hydrolysed , allergen-reduced infant formula ( pHF ) . Weaning foods were delayed until four months of age or later in case of weaning foods with high allergenicity . In the control cohort ( FF=566 ) , there was no specific intervention . Imbalances between cohorts in confounding ( adjuvant ) factors that could influence health related outcomes were integrated as covariates into the logistic regression of the main analyses . Growth parameters included weight , length , head circumference , BMI , and Z scores ( SDS ) . General health status was assessed by clinical ly significant findings in gastrointestinal , respiratory , or skin symptoms . Results . Growth at 6 weeks and at 3 and 6 months was similar for Z and FF . Significantly fewer Z than FF infants had clinical ly noteworthy health findings at 3 months ( Z=27 % versus FF=37 % , odds ratio=0.63 , CI=0.48–0.82 ) and 6 months ( Z=33 % versus FF=49 % , odds ratio=0.51 , CI=0.40–0.66 ) . This corresponds to a 30 % reduction in overall health concerns at 6 months for the intervention cohort . At 3 and 6 months , differences between cohorts in most measures of general health status were strongly influenced by a lower incidence of skin symptoms in the Z cohort . Within FF , there were fewer exclusively breastfed ( eBF ) infants with health problems at 3 months compared with those who were partially ( pBF ) or non-breastfed ( nBF ) ( eBF=31 % , pBF=40 % , nBF=39 % , p<0.05 ) . In contrast , in the Z intervention cohort , the number of infants with health concerns was similar for exclusively breastfed infants and for those in whom mother 's milk was supplemented or replaced by pHF ( eBF=29 % , pBF=25 % , nBF=26 % , ns ) . In a sub analysis of overall health findings in infants without a family risk of allergies , there were again significantly fewer Z than FF infants with any health or any skin problem . Conclusion .An allergen-reduced dietary recommendation that includes a moderate whey hydrolysate infant formula ( pHF ) has no negative effects on growth parameters up to 6 months of life in an infant population unselected for atopic risk . The dietary intervention produced improvements in general health status when compared with a control cohort that received infant formula with unhydrolysed proteins ( IF ) , and high allergenic weaning foods at an earlier age . The difference between cohorts was principally due to fewer adverse skin findings . In infants following our allergen-reduced feeding recommendation , 3-month general health status was comparable between those who were exclusively breastfed and those in whom breastfeeding was supplemented or replaced by pHF . Our results demonstrate that a pHF feeding recommendation during the first 4 to 6 months of life – when exclusive breestfeeding is not possible – is a safe and feasible regimen not only in high-allergic risk population s but in general unselected infant population . The general use of pHF formula in non- or partly breastfed infants could therefore be considered an important contribution to optimised infant nutrition
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 .