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SYDNEY: Hypoallergenic formula does not reduce a baby's risk of developing allergies, new research has shown.
Hypoallergenic formula has been recommended in public health guidelines, set out by the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, for babies with a family history of allergic diseases.
The formula is manufactured by partially hydrolysing - the decomposition of a chemical compound by a reaction with water - the milk to break down the proteins in the whey, creating smaller peptides. The theory is that exposure to the smaller peptides will moderate the child's immune response toward a less allergic profile.
However, researchers have found that there are no benefits in using the hypoallergenic formula to prevent allergies in children, compared to the conventional cow's milk or soy milk formulae.
"We don't believe that these formulas are necessarily bad, but they don't achieve the stated aim - to prevent allergic diseases in children," said Adrian Lowe from the University of Melbourne, lead author of the paper published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Which formula is best?
A group of 620 children, all of whom had a family history of allergic diseases, were recruited before they were born. After breastfeeding had ceased, the infants were either given cow's milk, soy milk or hypoallergenic formula (manufactured by Nestlé).
The children were tested for allergies at six, 12 and 24 months, using skin prick tests for cows' milk, peanuts, hen's eggs, house dust mites, rye grass and cat hair allergen extracts. The researchers conducted follow-up interviews with the parents when the children were six or seven and found that 53% of the children drinking the hypoallergenic formula had developed allergic symptoms.
The study also demonstrated that 49% of the children drinking cow's milk formula and 54% of those drinking soy formula developed allergic symptoms.
"There was no evidence that children who were given the partially hydrolysed whey formula, or the soy formula, were at an increased risk of allergic diseases. Nor was there any evidence of increased rates of skin prick test reactions or adverse events," said Lowe.
Allergies appear early in life
Eczema and food allergies are common allergic diseases that manifest within the first two years of life. Lowe said that children start to "out grow" or go into remission for these conditions and there are very few new onset cases after two years of age.
"Why some children develop allergies in early life and others don't is a very complex issue, and the clearest risk factor is a family history of these conditions," he said.
Independent expert Jennie Brand-Miller from the University of Sydney said this is a 'landmark' study with a clear and helpful outcome. "There is no advantage to using a formula other than cow's milk for reducing the risk of allergenicity," she said. "Past advice was based more on theoretical reasoning than on good solid evidence from randomised controlled trials."
