Risk factors for cow's milk protein allergy in infants: a multicenter survey

Abstract:

Objective To investigate the risk factors for cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) among infants through a multicenter clinical study. Methods A total of 1 829 infants, aged 1-12 months, who attended the outpatient service of the pediatric department in six hospitals in Shenzhen, China from June 2016 to May 2017 were enrolled as subjects. A questionnaire survey was performed to screen out suspected cases of CMPA. Food avoidance and oral food challenge tests were used to make a confirmed diagnosis of CMPA CMPA. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the risk factors for CMPA. Results Among the 1 829 infants, 82 (4.48%) were diagnosed with CMPA. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that maternal food allergy (OR=4.91, 95% CI:2.24-10.76, P < 0.05), antibiotic exposure during pregnancy (OR=3.18, 95% CI:1.32-7.65, P < 0.05), and the introduction of complementary food at an age of < 4 months (OR=3.55, 95% CI:1.52-8.27, P < 0.05) were risk factors for CMPA, while exclusive breastfeeding (OR=0.21, 95% CI:0.08-0.58, P < 0.05) and the introduction of complementary food at an age of > 6 months (OR=0.38, 95% CI:0.17-0.86, P < 0.05) were protective factors. Conclusions The introduction of complementary food at an age of < 4 months, maternal food allergy, and antibiotic exposure during pregnancy are risk factors for CMPA in infants.