Nutritional status and food intake of children with cow's milk allergy

Abstract

Introduction and objectives: Cow's milk allergy (CMA) is common, especially in children. The treatment is based on the exclusion of milk and dairy products and guidance regarding the exclusion diet. This study aimed to compare the anthropometric measurements and food intake of children with CMA with those of healthy controls, and to evaluate the serum concentrations of Vitamin A and 25(OH)D in children with CMA.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study with 27 children in the CMA group and 30 in the control group. z-Scores of body mass index and height, skinfolds, food intake and serum concentrations of retinol, beta-carotene, lycopene, 25(OH)D, parathyroid hormone and high sensitivity C-reactive protein were evaluated.

Results: Mean age was four years (±1.9). The CMA group evidenced a lower height compared to those from the control group (p=0.0043). The CMA group showed a lower intake of calcium (p=0.0033) and lipids (p=0.0123). Low serum concentrations of retinol, beta-carotene, lycopene, 25(OH)D were found in 25.9%, 59.3%, 48.1% and 70.3% of the CMA group, respectively.

Conclusions: Children with CMA consume smaller amounts of calcium and lipids and have shorter height compared to healthy controls. Insufficient levels of vitamins A and D were frequent in the CMA group, emphasizing the need for nutritional guidance and monitoring.

Keywords: Children; Food intake; Milk allergy; Nutrition status; Vitamin A; Vitamin D.