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 .
Latent anaphylactic sensitisation of infants of low birth weight to cows' milk proteins.
Latent systemic anaphylactic sensitisation to cows ' milk was assessed in 61 preterm infants who were r and omly assigned to receive either a special formula for preterm infants based on cows ' milk or banked breast milk or one or other of these as a supplement to maternal milk .  A single sample of venous blood was taken near to the time of discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit , and the histamine release by blood basophils in response to in vitro challenge with cows ' milk and anti-IgE was measured . Compared with the blood from infants fed on human milk , that from infants fed on preterm formula showed a significant increase in histamine release to challenge with cows ' milk , the response being greater in blood from infants of lower birth weight and gestational age . A smaller but significant increase in blood histamine release with anti-IgE challenge was observed in the group fed on preterm formula . Infants of low birth weight fed on preterm formula based on cows ' milk may develop latent systemic sensitisation more rapidly than infants born at term . The clinical importance of this requires further investigation
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 .