Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2019 May 10;11(5):1051.
doi: 10.3390/nu11051051.

Epidemiology of Cow's Milk Allergy

Julie D Flom  1 , Scott H Sicherer  2
Affiliations
Review

Epidemiology of Cow's Milk Allergy

Julie D Flom et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated cow's milk allergy (CMA) is one of the most common food allergies in infants and young children. CMA can result in anaphylactic reactions, and has long term implications on growth and nutrition. There are several studies in diverse populations assessing the epidemiology of CMA. However, assessment is complicated by the presence of other immune-mediated reactions to cow's milk. These include non-IgE and mixed (IgE and non-IgE) reactions and common non-immune mediated reactions, such as lactose intolerance. Estimates of prevalence and population-level patterns are further complicated by the natural history of CMA (given its relatively high rate of resolution) and variation in phenotype (with a large proportion of patients able to tolerate baked cow's milk). Prevalence, natural history, demographic patterns, and long-term outcomes of CMA have been explored in several disparate populations over the past 30 to 40 years, with differences seen based on the method of outcome assessment, study population, time period, and geographic region. The primary aim of this review is to describe the epidemiology of CMA. The review also briefly discusses topics related to prevalence studies and specific implications of CMA, including severity, natural course, nutritional impact, and risk factors.

Keywords: cow’s milk allergy; epidemiology; natural history; prevalence.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

J.D.F. has no conflicts of interest to report. S.H.S. reports royalty payments from UpToDate and from Johns Hopkins University Press; grants to his institution from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, from Food Allergy Research and Education, and from HAL Allergy; and personal fees from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, outside of the submitted work.

References

    1. Savage J., Johns C.B. Food allergy: Epidemiology and natural history. Immunol. Allergy Clin. N. Am. 2015;35:45–59. doi: 10.1016/j.iac.2014.09.004. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Venter C., Arshad S.H. Epidemiology of food allergy. Pediatr. Clin. N. Am. 2011;58:327–349. doi: 10.1016/j.pcl.2011.02.011. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Rona R.J., Keil T., Summers C., Gislason D., Zuidmeer L., Sodergren E., Sigurdardottir S.T., Lindner T., Goldhahn K., Dahlstrom J., et al. The prevalence of food allergy: A meta-analysis. J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 2007;120:638–646. doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2007.05.026. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Lifschitz C., Szajewska H. Cow’s milk allergy: Evidence-based diagnosis and management for the practitioner. Eur. J. Pediatr. 2015;174:141–150. doi: 10.1007/s00431-014-2422-3. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Dunlop J.H., Keet C.A. Epidemiology of food allergy. Immunol. Allergy Clin. N. Am. 2018;38:13–25. doi: 10.1016/j.iac.2017.09.002. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources