Efficacy of donkey's milk in treating highly problematic cow's milk allergic children: an in vivo and in vitro study.
Successful therapy in cow's milk protein allergy rests on completely eliminating cow's milk proteins from the child's diet: it is thus necessary to provide a replacement food. This prospective study investigated tolerance of donkey's milk in a population of 46 selected children with cow's milk protein allergy, for whom it was not possible to use any cow's milk substitute. Thirty-eight children (82.6%) liked and tolerated donkey's milk at the challenge and for the entire duration of follow-up. Catch-up growth was observed in all subjects with growth deficit during cow's milk proteins challenge. The degree of cross-reactivity of immunoglobulin E (IgE) with donkey's milk proteins was very weak and aspecific. Donkey's milk was found to be a valid alternative to both IgE-mediated and non-IgE-mediated cow's milk proteins allergy, including in terms of palatability and weight-height gain.
Monti
Giovanna
G
Department of Paediatric and Adolescence Science, Regina Margherita Children's Hospital, Turin, Italy.
Bertino
Enrico
E
Muratore
Maria Cristina
MC
Coscia
Alessandra
A
Cresi
Francesco
F
Silvestro
Leandra
L
Fabris
Claudio
C
Fortunato
Donatella
D
Giuffrida
Maria Gabriella
MG
Conti
Amedeo
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018397:Equidae; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007223:Infant; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk / Q000009:adverse effects; D016269:Milk Hypersensitivity / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome