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Hydrolysed infant formula prevents childhood allergies in high risk children

November 20, 2003

Although breast-feeding is recommended to mothers as being the healthiest way to feed babies, it is not always possible. New evidence from a Cochrane review concludes that where exclusive breast-feeding is not possible for an infant, hydrolysed protein formulae in high-risk infants help prevent childhood allergies.

Many young children who develop allergies don't have a family history of allergy. But, if a parent, brother or sister suffers from an allergy, a baby has a 1 in 3 risk of becoming allergic. The risk becomes as high as 2 in 3 if both parents suffer from allergic symptoms, such as asthma and hay fever. For those high-risk infants who cannot be exclusively breast-fed, specially adapted (hydrolysed) formulae, which were first developed to treat allergies, can be used to reduce this risk of developing allergic symptoms

In this new study , the results of eighteen separate pieces of research were brought together in a systematic review to determine whether hydrolysed protein formula had any positive effects compared to cow's milk or soy milk formulae. The hydrolysed formulae were shown to significantly lower the risk of allergies, including food allergy, asthma and eczema.

One of the authors of the Cochrane review, Dr John Sinn, said:
"By bringing together the worlwide evidence, we have shown how to
reduce the risk of developing childhood allergies among babies with a
family predisposition to allergies who cannot be exclusively breast
fed. If they drink hydrolysed formula milk, instead of cow's milk or soy infant formulae, their chances of becoming allergic will be reduced."

John Wiley & Sons