When should my child’s condition be reviewed?

All children with CMA should be regularly checked by doctors for their general health, improvement in symptoms and, eventually, to find out if they have grown out of their allergy.

What is the doctor checking for?

Your child’s doctor will be looking out for:

• Growth
• Height
• Ongoing signs and symptoms
• Objective measures of food allergy

Check-ups should occur periodically so that the condition and the clearing of symptoms can be monitored appropriately.

Will my child grow out of cow’s milk allergy?

Many, but not all, children outgrow their food allergies. This depends on the individual child and can vary by type of foods.

Your doctor will re-evaluate your child to check. This process may include several tests, such as skin testing, blood tests, and/or oral food challenges depending on the type of the allergic reaction.

• Types of allergic reactions

  There are two key types of allergic reaction to Cows’ Milk.

  In immediate or “early onset” symptoms, a child may show signs of swelling or display a skin rash.  When this happens, the IgE antibodies which are being produced by the body respond to foreign substances by initiating the release of histamines into the body, which in turn causes the allergic reaction.  The potential for this kind of reaction can be determined through the presence of IgE antibodies in the blood.

  In delayed or “non-IgE” symptoms, a child may suffer eczema, diarrhoea and even poor weight gain over time.  In this instance, there is no relation to IgE antibodies, as they are likely not present, but the reaction is down to “immune cells”.  This type of reaction is very difficult to diagnose.

  Some children may demonstrate both types of symptom.

Don’t worry if your child still shows ‘positive’ reactions in skin or blood tests! It may be that a food challenge under the direction of a paediatric specialist may be necessary to prove that CMA has finally gone away.