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Supporting healthy growth in infants with allergies

Food allergies are on the rise

Sampath, V., Abrams, E. M., Adlou, B., Akdis, C., Akdis, M., Brough, H. A., Chan, S., Chatchatee, P., Chinthrajah, R. S., Cocco, R. R., Deschildre, A., Eigenmann, P., Galvan, C., Gupta, R., Hossny, E., Koplin, J. J., Lack, G., Levin, M., Shek, L. P., … Renz, H. (2021). Food allergy across the globe. In Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2021.10.018


, so there’s a growing need to reduce the risk of their development, and diagnose and manage them properly when avoiding them isn’t possible. It is estimated that 0.5% to 3% of one year old babies in developed countries have a cow’s milk allergy (CMA)

Flom, J. D., & Sicherer, S. H. (2019). Epidemiology of cow’s milk allergy. In Nutrients. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11051051


. CMA can impact the healthy growth and development of infants and toddlers

Mehta, H., Groetch, M., & Wang, J. (2013). Growth and nutritional concerns in children with food allergy. In Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology. https://doi.org/10.1097/ACI.0b013e328360949d


. Find out how milk protein hydrolysates can address this issue during this important period in life.

A food allergy is “an adverse health effect arising from a specific immune response that occurs reproducibly on exposure to a given food”

Boyce, J. A., Assa’ad, A., Burks, A. W., Jones, S. M., Sampson, H. A., Wood, R. A., Plaut, M., Cooper, S. F., Fenton, M. J., Arshad, S. H., Bahna, S. L., Beck, L. A., Byrd-Bredbenner, C., Camargo, C. A., Eichenfield, L., Furuta, G. T., Hanifin, J. M., Jones, C., Kraft, M., … Schwaninger, J. M. (2010) Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of food allergy in the United States: Summary of the NIAID-sponsored expert panel report. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2010.10.008


. CMA is one of the most frequently reported food allergies in infants and toddlers

Annesi-Maesano, I., Fleddermann, M., Hornef, M., von Mutius, E., Pabst, O., Schaubeck, M., & Fiocchi, A. (2021). Allergic diseases in infancy: I – Epidemiology and current interpretation. In World Allergy Organization Journal. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.waojou.2021.100591


. Sensitisation of the immune system towards milk protein can trigger adverse symptoms in allergic infants and toddlers upon secondary (repeated) exposure. Most children grow out of their allergy, but until then, our milk protein hydrolysates can help our customers support healthy growth in children that have a CMA.

Partial and extensive hydrolysates

During hydrolysis, milk proteins are broken down into smaller components via an enzymatic reaction. Small peptides or amino acids are derived from intact proteins, which eliminates those proteins regarded as harmful by the immune system of infants suffering from CMA. These ingredients can be produced as partial or extensive hydrolysates, differing in the degree of hydrolysis and therefore peptide length. Extensive hydrolysates can be used in CMA or hypo-allergenic (HA) propositions, whereas partial hydrolysates can be used in HA formulas*. It has been suggested that when added to infant formula, partial hydrolysates may work to lower the risk of sensitisation of the immune system that could lead to allergy development

Vandenplas, Y. (2017). Prevention and management of cow’s milk allergy in non-exclusively breastfed infants. In Nutrients. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9070731


. Extensive hydrolysates, on the other hand, are produced in such a way that they do not cause adverse symptoms when consumed by a child with existing CMA, while still supporting healthy growth.

Reducing the likelihood of allergies later in life

During early life, infants can be susceptible to developing food allergies. Factors influencing this include family history, gender, ethnicity, pre-existing atopic dermatitis and genetic predisposition

Simon, A. K., Hollander, G. A., & McMichael, A. (2015). Evolution of the immune system in humans from infancy to old age. In Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2014.3085


. Because the infant immune system is still immature and unbalanced

Simon, A. K., Hollander, G. A., & McMichael, A. (2015). Evolution of the immune system in humans from infancy to old age. In Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2014.3085


, and the intestinal wall may be more permeable in early life, enhanced exposure to food allergens may occur during this time

Groschwitz, K. R., & Hogan, S. P. (2009). Intestinal barrier function: Molecular regulation and disease pathogenesis. In Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2009.05.038


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In these first years, a familiar pattern of allergy development has been recognized and is referred to as the ’allergic march’. The allergic march hypothesises how different allergies consecutively manifest over time. For example, it has been shown that atopic eczema and food allergy usually manifest during infancy, while asthma incidence peaks around the age of five and rhinitis as late as ten years of age

Barnetson, R. S. C., & Rogers, M. (2002, June 8). Childhood atopic eczema. British Medical Journal. BMJ Publishing Group. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.324.7350.1376


. Because halting this pattern may benefit health later in life, CMA management in the early years is important.

Parental concerns about infant allergies

Our consumer research

Innova Market Insights & RFC, Early Life Nutrition survey, 2020 


reveals why allergies are a major priority for parents.

  • 54% of parents of children < 1 year old are very concerned that their infant might develop an allergy.
  • When it comes to allergy symptoms, parents are most concerned about their child suffering from respiratory issues such as those during asthma or hay fever (29%), as well as diarrhoea (24%).
  • Around 15% of parents believe hydrolysates positively impact (i.e. reduce the likelihood or severity of) allergies.

Related Ingredients

Hydrolysates

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Partner with us to support healthy growth

FrieslandCampina Ingredients is proud to play a global leadership role in the development of milk protein hydrolysates, backed by over 75 years of experience in ingredient manufacturing and research in early life nutrition. Discover how our milk protein hydrolysate solutions can help our customers support healthy growth in children with CMA.

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