Allergy to protein hydrolysates.

A protein hydrolysate is considered to be adapted to the treatment of co iv 's milk protein allergy when it is tolerated by 90% of allergic children. T his proposal implies that 10% of children allergic to cow's milk proteins d o not tolerate preparations containing protein hydrolysates, explaining the large number of cases of intolerance or allergy now reported. The diagnosi s must be considered in the presence or persistence of nonspecific clinical signs in an infant fed with protein hydrolysates, often attributed to more frequent diseases, such as gastroesophageal reflux or colic. Replacement o f one hydrolysate by another, in the case of severe allergy, only delays th e diagnosis, because of the high incidence of cross-allergies, The only alt ernative is therefore to use an amino acid formula. The availability of thi s formula should allow an eviction-provocation test of the protein hl hydro lysate to confirm the diagnosis. A rapid diagnosis is probably important in order to introduce measures of prevention of other food allergies. A basic amino acid formula can be used until tolerance has been acquired.