The infants who respond to the elimination diet are usually those with more prolonged crying crises and often have a familial history of allergy. Most of the time, other signs of cow s milk protein intolerance develop in the following weeks or months. Moreover, in most of the responsive infants, the duration of the effect is not sustained, in spite of an ongoing elimination diet. In any case, true food-protein intolerance can be demonstrated only in a small subgroup of infants with colic. Most of these children develop symptoms while they are receiving only breast milk.
Symptoms remit after feeding with an elemental amino acid-based complete infant formula.
The child, usually a young infant, suddenly becomes pale and cold and sweats. The child usually presents with urticaria or angioedema and goes into shock within minutes after milk ingestion.