Kids may Outgrow Their Dairy Allergies Via Foods With Baked Milk

Introducing increasing amounts of foods that contain baked milk into the diets of children who have milk allergies, helps a majority of them outgrow their allergies, a study conducted at Mount Sinai School of Medicine's Jaffe Food Allergy Institute has found. Researchers studied 88 children, aged 2 to 17 years, who were diagnosed with milk allergy, evaluating their tolerance to foods containing baked milk, such as muffins, waffles and cookies. The high temperatures used in baking cause the proteins in milk to break down, reducing the allergenicity.

At the end of the study period, 47 percent of the children in the experimental group could tolerate unheated milk products, such as skim milk, yogurt and ice cream, compared to only 22 percent in a control group, indicating that controlled, increased exposure to baked milk products accelerates the rate at which children outgrow their milk allergies.

"This study shows that many children with allergies do not need to completely avoid all milk products," said Anna Nowak-Wegrzyn, co-author of the study, and an Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Allergy and Immunology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

"It's also an encouraging sign that through careful medical supervision, children can grow out of their allergies much quicker," added Nowak-Wegrzyn.

The study is detailed in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Source-ANI