We break down findings from the Katz study on milk allergies for parents, including how early cow’s milk introduction helps reduce babies’ food allergy risk, and how babies with cow’s milk allergy don’t usually have soy allergies.
A study published in 2010 and led by Dr. Yitzhak Katz gathered data on risk factors for cow's milk allergies in babies, and how common cow’s milk allergies are in babies. One of the study’s goals was to find out if early introduction of milk reduced milk allergy risk, and if so, what age of introduction was most protective. The study involved a large cohort of babies from a single medical center, to get as accurate a picture as possible of cow’s milk allergy prevalence. In this article, you’ll learn how this study’s some of the key findings, including:
- Regularly giving your baby cow's milk as early as possible can help reduce milk allergy risk (even as a supplement if. you breastfeed).
- Babies with milk allergies will usually show symptoms soon after they consume cow's milk.
We break down everything parents need to know about the Katz study, including what it means for your family.
Learn more about cow’s milk allergy from Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE):
The Katz Study on Milk Allergies: Overview of the Findings
| Questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| What was the goal of the study? |
To answer these main questions:
|
| What type of cow’s milk allergies did the study track? |
IgE-mediated cow’s milk allergies (IgE-CMA), or “traditional” milk allergies. These allergies usually cause the immune system to react seconds to minutes after a child consumes cow’s milk (and almost always within 2 hours). |
| Who took part in the study? |
|
| How many babies had cow's milk allergies? How did doctors diagnose the allergies? |
|
| How many babies didn’t have a cow’s milk allergy? How many were excluded from the results, and why? |
|
| How was the study conducted? |
|
| What did the study show about early introduction of cow's milk? |
|
| How common was it for babies to have both cow's milk and soy allergies? |
|
| What should parents take away from this study? |
|
The Katz Study's Results
Key findings of the Katz study on cow's milk allergies showed:
- Babies who weren’t exposed to cow’s milk until 4-6 months of age were at highest risk of developing a milk allergy (group III in the chart below).
- Babies exposed earlier than 4-6 months had a better chance of avoiding milk allergies.
- “Almost half of the newborns were exposed to CMP in the first 2 weeks of life. The incidence of IgE-CMA among these infants was extremely low.”
- The average age of IgE-CMA onset was 3.9 months (~118 days). Full results for age at CMA onset (in days) can be found below.
- The average age that babies with IgE-CMA were first introduced to cow's milk was 110 days (~3.7 months).
- 82.8% of the babies with IgE-CMA showed symptoms within 24 hours of first consuming cow’s milk.
- None of the babies with milk allergies also had soy allergies.
Life After the Katz Study on Milk Allergies: What Should Parents Take Away?
Here's what parents should take away from the Katz study:
Introduce cow's milk to your baby early and often to reduce their milk allergy risk.
- Start introducing cow's milk prior to 4-6 months if possible. Babies who weren't exposed until 4-6 months were at highest risk for developing a milk allergy.
- If you breastfeed, introducing cow's milk as a supplement to breastfeeding may help your child tolerate cow’s milk. Don’t stop breastfeeding to switch over to cow’s milk, as breastmilk is the best nutrition source for babies at this age.
Babies with milk allergies will usually show symptoms soon after they consume cow's milk.
- On average, the babies in the Katz study who had milk allergies usually showed allergy symptoms 15-30 minutes after consuming milk
It's not very common for babies with milk allergies to also have soy allergies.
- So, it will usually be fine to give soy milk to a baby with IgE-CMA.
- If your baby has digestive problems when they consume milk and soy, they may have a food intolerance (not a food allergy) to cow's milk and soy proteins, known as MSPI.
About Jessica Huhn: Jessica Huhn is a content writer for Ready. Set. Food!
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