Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy Diagnosis and the Importance of Family History.

Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy (CMPA) is a condition we see frequently here at the clinic. It can very often be the primary condition in other digestive disorders. However getting a diagnosis of CMPA can be difficult due to the varying symptoms experienced.

Family history is an important factor in the diagnosis of CMPA and must not be overlooked. The results of a 2013 study done in Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital demonstrates the importance of a family history of allergy in the diagnosis of CMPA. The medical notes of 437 children with a confirmed diagnosis of a food protein allergy were looked at. The majority of the children (67.7%) had an atopic family history. In another study done in 2012 and published in The Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, a family history of allergy was identified in 82.8% of children with CMPA. Interestingly, the most common type of allergic symptoms in a family member (parents and siblings) were allergic rhinitis (53.8%), food allergy (41.9%), atopic eczema (20.4%) and asthma and respiratory problems (10.8%).

While a family history of allergy is important, it’s also worth remembering that a lack of family history of allergy does not exclude the possibility of the baby becoming allergic.

For more information on CMPA see this Article on the BLOG.