A Practical Focus on Milk Oral Immunotherapy

Authors

Aikaterini Anagnostou

Publication Date

7-1-2022

Journal

Journal of Food Allergy

DOI

10.2500/jfa.2022.4.220021

PMID

39021863

PMCID

PMC11250433 DO

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

7-1-2022

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Published Open-Access

yes

Keywords

cow’s milk allergy, oral immunotherapy, desensitization, children

Abstract

Cow's milk allergy (CMA) is a common childhood food allergy associated with a significant burden for those children who are affected and their families, including unintentional exposures that result in allergic reactions, severe allergic reactions, and anaphylaxis. In young children, cow's milk is one of the most frequent food triggers in anaphylactic episodes, and fatalities have also been described as a result of unintentional exposures, which reinforces the notion that milk allergy can be severe in some individuals. The natural history of CMA is favorable, with the allergy resolving over time in the majority of individuals, although some will have persistent allergy that does not resolve. The standard management approach for CMA consists of strict avoidance of milk and carriage of emergency medication for use in accidental exposures. Recently, a novel approach has emerged as an alternative option for management in patients with CMA in the form of oral immunotherapy (OIT). The aim of milk OIT is to protect patients from accidental exposures to milk-containing foods and allow patients to introduce larger amounts of milk into their diet. The goal of this article was to review the available evidence, discuss key studies that focused on milk OIT, and provide practical information and useful tips related to this novel treatment.