Cow’s milk protein is one of the most common food allergens in babies and toddlers it can be difficult to diagnose.
Cow's milk protein allergy occurs when a baby’s immune system reacts negatively to the proteins in cow’s milk.
If breastfed, the reaction is to the cow’s milk protein ingested by the mother and passed to the child through the breast milk, and if formula-fed, the reaction is to the milk protein in the formula. In both cases, the body’s immune system sees these proteins as foreign and in an effort to protect itself, the body releases natural substances, such as histamines, which cause the allergic symptoms that your baby might be experiencing.
Cow’s milk protein allergy generally occurs for the first time between the third and fifth month of life in affected children, but can also develop later in life.
