Allergies are on the rise, especially food-related allergies in infants and children. Cow’s milk allergy (CMA) – an immune reaction to the proteins found in cow’s milk – is particularly prevalent in the United States, affecting approximately 1.5% of all infants, which is also 53% of all food-allergic infants under age 1, according to a recently published study.[1]Infants with suspected CMA experience mild-to-moderate allergic reactions[2]and are more susceptible to other allergies later in life – a phenomenon known as the “Allergic March.”
Early detection and management of CMA can help to reduce the occurrence of other allergies and halt the allergic march..[3]
Managing the allergic march begins with CMA management through nutritional intervention. One of the most successful nutritional interventions for CMA management is through the use of an extensively hydrolyzed formula (EHP formula) with the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG(LGG®*), which has been clinically shown to reduce the chance of other allergies, including asthma and eczema.3§
By understanding the allergic march, we are more likely to reduce the chances of other future allergies. Pediatric Allergist and Immunologist Dr. Jonathan Malka is available to discuss the rise of infant allergies, the link between CMA and future allergies, and share how parents can take ‘Allergic Action’ today to promote a happier tomorrow.
Jonathan Malka, MD, FAAAI is currently the director of Allergy & Immunology at one the largest pediatric groups in the country, Pediatric Associates. Prior to starting the allergy division at Pediatric Associates, Dr. Malka was an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the National Jewish Health Division of Allergy/Immunology and Rheumatology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver, Colorado.
Dr. Malka earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from La Universidad Central de Venezuelain Caracas, Venezuela. After completing his medical education, Dr. Malka joined the International Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of Immunology at Georgetown University where he received the International Fellow Distinguished Award in Allergy & Immunology and a Research Achievement Award for Outstanding Research on Susceptibility Test Adverse Effects of Smallpox Vaccine.Dr. Malka completed his pediatric training at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, NY.
Dr. Malka has published more than 20 review articles in prestigious journals both in the United States and Venezuela. He has earned prestigious awards including the Favorite Pediatric Specialist award, given by Broward Family Favorites in 2013 and 2014. Dr. Malka’s research interest includes food allergies, understanding and managing severe asthma and biomarkers in the diagnosis and management of asthma.
1Gupta, R.S., et.al [et.al]. 2018. The public health impact of parent-reported childhood food allergies in the United States. Pediatrics, 142(6), p.e20181235.
[2]Venter,C. et. al. 2017. Better recognition, diagnosis and management of non-IgE-mediated cow’s milk allergy in infancy: iMAP—an international interpretation of the MAP (Milk Allergy in Primary Care) guideline. Clinical and Translational Allergy,2017, 7:26.
[3]Canani RB, et al. Extensively hydrolyzed casein formula containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG reduces the occurrence of other allergic manifestations in children with cow’s milk allergy: 3-year randomized controlled trial. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2017;139;1906-1913)
*LGG is a registered trademark of Chr. Hansen A/S
- asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis, urticaria, and eczema at 3 years compared to EHP formula without LGG. Feeding began at 4 months of age or older in the study.
