November 27, 2014 – Milk Avoidance

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Anchor lead:  What’s the impact of milk avoidance in allergic kids? Elizabeth Tracey reports

Kids who avoid milk consumption because of milk allergies do experience a host of consequences by removing milk from their diet, a Johns Hopkins study led by Corinne Keet, a pediatric allergist, has shown.

Keet: We found that they tended to be smaller, they tended to have less intake of protein and calories, and that their calcium and vitamin D tended to be less as well. Milk tends to form a big part of children’s diets, not drinking milk leaves children at some nutritional risk, we hope that children who are allergic to milk and who are not drinking it are getting nutritional counseling so they are choosing appropriate substitutes or are taking vitamins but it seems like there’s more work to be done on this.   :28

Keet says parents should consult with a nutritionist to make sure their children receive adequate calories as well as vitamin D and calcium, which are especially important to bone health as children grow.  Supplements may also be required depending on the child’s dietary choices.  At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.