Casein allergy

Casein allergy or milk allergy is a fairly common phenomenon. With this type of allergy, the human immune system perceives harmless milk protein as a foreign substance and attacks them. In this case, specific antibodies are formed, which are called immunoglobulins E. The amount of harmful chemicals in the body increases - histamines. The result of these processes is the presence of specific skin reactions, problems with the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, stomach and intestines.

[ 1 ], [ 2 ], [ 3 ]

Casein allergy in a child

Most often, infants suffer from casein allergy, which is why they need to eat formula and breast milk substitutes until they are six months old.

However, this deviation in babies can be cured. In case of following dietary recommendations with refusal of products containing milk, and, accordingly, casein, by the age of two years (sometimes a little later, for example, by school age) in eighty percent of babies allergic reactions will simply disappear.

Somewhere around fifteen percent of children retain a persistent allergy to casein, which accompanies them until adulthood. Often this is facilitated by bronchial asthma, chronic rhinitis (runny nose), and other allergic diseases.

[ 4 ]

Causes of casein allergy

The causes of dairy allergies are as follows:

• when casein acts as an allergen (casein allergy). Casein is a protein that forms a sediment that looks like a curdled clot;
• when the allergy is caused by whey proteins.

There are people whose body does not accept only one type of protein, there are those who cannot tolerate several at once or none of them. When proteins enter the body, the immune system begins to produce antibodies, which activates inflammatory cells.

Milk from different animal species has a similar set of protein molecules (for example, cow's milk and goat's milk), so if you have a milk intolerance to one of these products, allergic reactions will occur when consuming any of them.

Food allergies are inherited. If one of the parents suffered from casein allergy, the child's predisposition to this disease will be much higher than other children.

There are frequent cases when allergic reactions from breast milk are actually caused by cow's milk that the mother consumed during pregnancy. This is caused by the ability of casein to penetrate the walls of the placental barrier and reach the fetus's bloodstream.

A child may develop a casein allergy if the mother follows an incorrect diet during breastfeeding. Milk intolerance may be caused by nuts, shrimp, chocolate, and other similar products.

Therefore, during the lactation period, a nursing mother should have fairly strict dietary restrictions.

[ 5 ]

Symptoms of Casein Allergy

In adults, casein allergy usually manifests itself with the following symptoms:

• urticaria;
• itching;
• skin rashes;
• difficulty breathing;
• swelling of the mucous membranes;

Symptoms of casein allergy in children are somewhat more widespread:

• the presence of loose stools, sometimes even with blood;
• after feeding, the child often burps what he has eaten;
• irritations and rashes appear on the skin;
• the child's behavior changes: crying, tantrums, because his tummy hurts, he doesn't want to play;
• the baby's weight changes: the child either does not gain weight as expected, or even begins to lose weight;
• the child suffers from gases;
• breathing becomes difficult, mucus appears in the oropharynx and nasopharynx;
• the child begins to lag behind in growth and development due to dehydration, lack of nutrients and energy.

[ 6 ]

Diagnostics

It is possible to identify that allergic reactions are caused by milk and, as a consequence, it is an allergy to casein using the exclusion method. At this time, the patient first excludes all dairy products, after which they are introduced into the diet one by one and the body's reaction is observed. When symptoms appear, then the diagnosis of an allergy to casein is made.

Casein allergy is diagnosed in infants in the same way. If the presence of immunoglobulins E is determined in the blood, the diagnosis will be more accurate.

[ 7 ], [ 8 ]

Treatment of casein allergy

If a person has encountered an allergy to casein in childhood, then there is a high chance of getting rid of it by the age of two - maximum by school age. To do this, you need to follow a special diet. For adults, experts believe that the best solution is to refuse to consume dairy products and replace them with plant-based analogues.

There is one interesting experiment, when a group of people suffering from casein allergy was treated with… milk. The idea was for the patient to drink milk, gradually increasing the dose, and tolerate allergic reactions. As a result, patients who previously had difficulty drinking even a glass of milk were able to drink about half a liter without any problems. Blood tests also confirmed the results and that the patients' condition had improved.

In order to avoid casein allergy in infants, a nursing mother should adjust her diet. If even this measure does not help, then the child needs to choose one of the special dairy-free hypoallergenic formulas.

There is currently no specific treatment to completely eliminate this problem. Antihistamines can help relieve symptoms and relieve itching. Corticosteroids can help ensure that the casein allergy does not develop further.

[ 9 ], [ 10 ]

Prevention

The only way to prevent casein allergy, as well as to treat casein allergy today is to exclude milk proteins from your diet.

[ 11 ], [ 12 ], [ 13 ], [ 14 ]