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| | | ![]() Formula Feeds Do Not Increase Subsequent Risk Of Allergy In Children LONDON, ENGLAND -- July 22, 1998 -- Cows' milk formula fed to babies in the first few days of life does not increase their risk of allergy in later life, finds research in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. Controversy has raged over the issue for some time. Current practice favours a strict diet of breastfeeding to prevent the development of eczema and rhinitis. Over 1,500 new-born babies were fed either a formula feed containing cows' milk protein or a placebo that contained no protein during the first three days of life. All the babies were then breastfed. They were assessed by researchers from The Netherlands when a year old and again when they were two years old, to detect any allergic reactions, such as wheezing, eczema and rhinitis. The researchers found virtually no difference between the two groups at the first assessment, with babies fed cows' milk seven per cent more likely to develop allergic reactions. But by the second assessment, babies fed cows’ milk were six per cent less likely to develop allergic reactions. Babies whose parents were allergic were twice as likely to have allergic reactions themselves, but these findings were not affected by the feeds they had received. The authors say that their findings should reassure mothers who cannot fully breast feed their newborns. Related Links: Archives of Disease in Childhood
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