According to a Swedish study, only 3% of all students who according to their own words were allergic to milk actually suffered from a milk protein allergy.
The study, published in Acta Paediatrica earlier this month, looked at nearly 2000 children between 11 and 12 years. 14.5% stated they were allergic to milk, and 75% of those children hence avoided dairy products partially the remaining 25% completely. Amongst those were significantly more girls, children of parents who were diagnosed with eczema themselves, allergic disposition and food intolerance within the parents.
During the study, only 3% of all children were actually diagnosed with an acute allergy against milk proteins. Nearly a quarter of the children had outgrown and longer suffered from a milk allergy and were able to drink 100 ml of milk without suffering from any symptoms. The most common finding was a probable lactose intolerance. The study also showed that the children who suffered from an acute or an out-grown milk allergy had a significantly lower BMI.
The number that caught my attention the most was that only 9% of all children had ever consulted a dietitian and only 2% of the children had undergone an oral challenge.
So, what should you conclude from these findings? Well, the same as the researchers did: don’t just trust a feeling or a suspicion, but if you worry your child suffers from a milk allergy, have them tested, and do so repeatedly over the years to follow up. It might just be that this way you can avoid unnecessary diets and the negative effects this can have on your child’s nutrition and growth.
Posted on December 09, 2015 by Luitgard Holzleg
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