Cows Milk Allergy - powered by Nutricia Neocate

Eosinophilic oesophagitis is an allergic condition of the oesophagus and is increasing common. Food allergy is the principal cause of EoE and it often goes hand in hand with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.

Symptoms often start in infancy but EoE can also affect toddlers. These symptoms are very similar to those of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease:

• feeding difficulties
• nausea after the meals
• regurgitation and vomiting
• abdominal pain and diarrhoea
• difficulties swallowing
• growth failure
• faecal impaction (particularly in older children).

Studies have shown that a high success rate can be achieved by nutritional therapy (removal of allergens). There are two ways of dietary management:

• An elemental diet, where all sources of whole proteins are removed from the diet. This means that your doctor will prescribe an amino acid-based formula.
• An elimination diet means that you have to completely remove all foods tested positive through allergy tests or that you have to avoid  one of more of the top 8 food allergens seen in children (cows' milk, soya beans, hens' eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and fish/shellfish). To make sure your child is given all the nutrition it needs, amino acid-based formulas can be prescribed by the doctor to supplement the restricted diet.

Nutritional therapy should be under the direction and supervision of a qualified doctor or dietitian.