CFAR cow’s milk allergy experts contribute to guidelines update

Published

Monday, November 20, 2023 - 9:00 AM

Since the World Allergy Organization’s (WAO) Diagnosis and Rationale against Cow's Milk Allergy (DRACMA) Guidelines were published 10 years ago, new evidence has emerged about the diagnosis, therapy and specific immunotherapy for cow's milk allergy.

WAO is now preparing to update the guidelines and has invited CFAR Chief Investigator Associate Professor Debbie Palmer, and Associate Investigators Dr Vicki McWilliam and Dr Merryn Netting to contribute to a series of papers about the latest cow’s milk allergy research.

Their paper, Diagnosis and Rationale for Action against Cow's Milk Allergy (DRACMA) guidelines update – X – Breastfeeding a baby with cow's milk allergy, was published in the WAO Journal this month.

“Cow's milk allergy is rare in exclusively breastfed infants,” said A/Prof Palmer. “To support the continuation of breastfeeding an infant after diagnosis with a cow's milk allergy, it is critical to examine the evidence for and against any form of cow's milk or dairy food elimination diet for lactating mothers.”

The narrative review outlines the existing literature and highlights a “lack of high-quality evidence, hence subsequent controversy, regarding whether the minuscule quantities of cow's milk proteins detectable in human milk cause infant cow's milk allergy symptoms”.

Read the full paper in the World Allergy Organization Journal.