Until her first birthday, a child's gut may not be able to break milk proteins down into their constituent amino acids, the building blocks of protein, which are too small to cause allergy. When these undigested proteins build up, they are treated like any other allergens. The immune system goes into action, producing immunoglobulin E (IgE), the antibody for an allergic response. Normally, there is immunoglobulin A (IgA) present to protect against IgE production. However, for some babies, IgA production is delayed, and IgE does its destructive work.
One child in 200 has no IgA. Their digestive systems are overwhelmed by milk.
Until her first birthday, a child's gut may not be able to break
milk proteins down into their constituent amino acids, the building
blocks of protein, which are too small to cause allergy. When these
undigested proteins build up, they are...
More
Dr. Larry Chiaramonte answered:Until her first birthday, a child's gut may not be able to break milk proteins down into their constituent amino acids, the building blocks of protein, which are too small to cause allergy. When these undigested proteins build up, they are treated like any other allergens. The immune system goes into action, producing immunoglobulin E (IgE), the antibody for an allergic response. Normally, there is immunoglobulin A (IgA) present to protect against IgE production. However, for some babies, IgA production is delayed, and IgE does its destructive work.
Until her first birthday, a child's gut may not be able to break milk proteins down into their constituent amino acids, the building blocks of protein, which are too small to cause allergy. When these undigested proteins build up, they are... More