Regurgitation: a sign that your baby has cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA)?

7 min
Overview

Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) can sometimes be a sign of cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA) ?) in children.

What are the symptoms that should alert you? Why can CMPA cause GER? How can you relieve your baby’s discomfort?

We will help you make sense of it all!

 

GER: when can it be a sign of CMPA?

Gastroesophageal reflux in infants is characterized by regurgitation. Crying, poor weight gain, difficulty sleeping and other complications are also liable to occur.

GER could be a symptom of CMPA when:

  • Associated symptoms develop (eczema, breathing difficulties, etc.),

  • The GER does not respond to the treatments suggested by the doctor.

To find out more, read our article on “Food allergies: does your baby have CMPA?”, Which describes the symptoms of CMPA in babies. This will help you identify any other symptoms that might be related to cow's milk protein allergy.

Don’t worry: there are solutions to help babies with these problems! However, if CMPA is confirmed, or if you are still unsure about what is causing these regurgitations, don’t hesitate to seek advice from a healthcare professional.

REMEMBER

While there is sometimes a correlation between CMPA and GER, with the allergy triggering the condition, GER on its own is usually unrelated to cow's milk protein allergy.

Additional symptoms also need to be identified in the infant to establish a link between the two.

A link between GER and cow's milk protein allergy will be confirmed if it disappears or improves during a milk exclusion diet.

Why is CMPA liable to trigger GER?

When babies ingest an allergen and it reaches their digestive system (mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine), they have a reaction against the food that is not tolerated by their body and reject it. This may be followed by regurgitation, typical of gastroesophageal reflux, or diarrhoea.

How do you soothe a baby with CMPA who regurgitates?

Childcare measures (special position while feeding, adapted feeding bottle, loose clothing, etc.) can limit reflux in infants. Find all our advice on this topic in our article “4 tips to help you recognise regurgitation… And alleviate it!”

As far as the baby’s diet is concerned, parents are advised to opt for an infant formula containing hydrolyzed rice proteins (in place of conventional infant formula in the event of CMPA) and thickened with starch, locust bean gum, or a combination of the two (to limit regurgitation). This formula has the advantage of not containing CMP. However, always consult your child's doctor before changing infant formula.

GER and CMPA do not necessarily go hand-in-hand in infants. But if your baby's regurgitation is combined with other symptoms, it is possible that they may be allergic to cow's milk protein. However, it is important to have the diagnosis confirmed by a paediatrician, who will be able to prescribe a specific treatment as well as give you advice and tips on how to manage your baby’s CMPA more easily day-to-day.

 

Find out more :

Fiocchi A, Schunemann H. WAO Special Committee on Food Allergy. Diagnosis and Rationale for Action against Cow’s Milk Allergy. The DRACMA guideline. WAO Journal 2010; S1 (April), 1-105

C.Dupont, J-P Chouraqui, D de Boissieu, et al. Comité de nutrition SFP. Prise en charge diététique de l’allergie aux protéines du lait de vache. Arch Pediatr 2011;18:79-94

Vandenplas Y, Marchand J, Meyns L. Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Cow’s Milk Allergy. Curr Pediatr Rev. 2015;11(4):293-7.

Dupont, C. ; Chouraqui, J.P. ; Linglart A. et al. Committee on Nutrition of the French Society of Pediatrics. Nutritional management of cow’s milk allergy in chidren: an update. Arch Pediatr, 2018, 25, 236–43.

Bocquet A, Dupont C, Chouraqui JP, et al. Committee on Nutrition of the French Society of Pediatrics (CNSFP). Efficacy and safety of hydrolyzed rice-protein formulas for the treatment of cow’s milk protein allergy. Arch Pediatr. 2019 May;26(4):238-246.

Mpedia, APLV : l’Allergie aux Protéines du Lait de Vache, https://www.mpedia.fr/art-aplv-allergie-proteines-lait-vache/

Mouterde O. Reflux gastro-œsophagien : nouvelles recommandations. Médecine & Enfance. 2009 ; 29 (8) : 371-75

Régurgitations et reflux gastro-œsophagien. Importance des conseils de nutrition et de puériculture. Alain Bocquet. Le pédiatre Février 2007.

Mpedia, Régurgitations du nourrisson, est-ce un RGO ?, https://www.mpedia.fr/art-diagnostic-rgo/

Mpedia, Traitement du reflux gastro-œsophagien, https://www.mpedia.fr/art-traitement-rgo/

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