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Observational Study
. 2021 Jan;51(1):99-107.
doi: 10.1111/cea.13761. Epub 2020 Oct 25.

Possible association between early formula and reduced risk of cow's milk allergy: The Japan Environment and Children's Study

Junichiro Tezuka  1 , Masafumi Sanefuji  2   3 , Takahito Ninomiya  4 , Takahiro Kawahara  3 , Hiroshi Matsuzaki  4 , Yuri Sonoda  2   3 , Masanobu Ogawa  2 , Masayuki Shimono  5 , Reiko Suga  6 , Satoshi Honjo  4 , Koichi Kusuhara  5 , Shouichi Ohga  2   3 ; Japan Environment, Children’s Study (JECS) Group
Affiliations
Observational Study

Possible association between early formula and reduced risk of cow's milk allergy: The Japan Environment and Children's Study

Junichiro Tezuka et al. Clin Exp Allergy. 2021 Jan.

Abstract

Background: Despite evidence for the protective effects of early regular exposure to peanut and egg proteins against allergies, the optimal timing of cow's milk (CM) protein exposure is unknown.

Objective: We aimed to determine when during the first year of life CM-based formula consumption becomes associated with lower CM allergy (CMA) risk.

Methods: We used the data set of the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS), a nationwide birth cohort involving over 100 000 mother-child pairs. CMA was defined as an allergic reaction to a CM product in an individual not consuming CM products at the time of evaluation, combined with physician-diagnosed food allergy. For each exposure, we identified when formula milk was commenced, and its consumption status during 0-3, 3-6 and 6-12 months old.

Results: The prevalence of CMA was 0.23% and 1.03% at 6 and 12 months old, respectively. Multivariable regression analyses revealed that introducing regular consumption of formula within the first 3 months of age was associated with lower risk of CMA at 12 months. Regular consumption at 3-6 months was strongly associated with a reduction in 12-month CMA (adjusted relative risks [95% confidence intervals]: 0.22 [0.12-0.35]), whereas no association was observed at 0-3 months (1.07 [0.90-1.27]).

Conclusion and clinical relevance: Regular exposure to formula milk at age 3 months or older is associated with lower CMA at 12 months old, suggesting that the effect of very early CM exposure on CMA may disappear if the exposure is brief. At present, however, the results of this observational study should not be used for formula recommendation and randomized controlled trials are required to confirm this association.

Keywords: epidemiology; food allergy; pediatrics.

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Conflict of interest statement

M. Sanefuji and SO report the receipt of a grant and director's fees, respectively, from Morinaga Houshikai, independent of this work. The other authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart for participant selection
Figure 2
Figure 2
Patterns of formula feeding and the prevalence of cow's milk allergy. Grey and white boxes denote consumption and non‐consumption, respectively, of formula milk during each period. The number in the grey boxes represents the percentage of concurrent use of breastmilk in formula‐fed children. For each pattern, the prevalence of children with cow's milk allergy (CMA) at 6 and 12 months old is provided. The prevalence in greyed areas is zero or nearly zero as expected from the definition of CMA, which required no consumption of CM products including formula at the evaluation times
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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