2022 Volume 36 Issue 3 Pages 211-216
Next to hen's eggs, cow's milk is the second most frequent food allergen that causes accidental and severe allergic reactions. However, it is not generally known that more than 90% of protein drinks, which are rapidly becoming popular in the recent years, are also dairy products that are mainly composed of whey protein derived from milk. In this study, we report three cases of infants with cow's milk allergy who had immediate allergic reactions due to accidental ingestion or contact with protein drinks containing whey protein. In all three cases, the parents were not aware that the protein drinks were dairy products. The amount of milk protein in protein drinks is about six times that of cow's milk, and there have been reports of anaphylaxis in cases where tolerance has already been acquired or during oral immunotherapy. Thus, when a child with cow's milk allergy accidentally ingests a small amount of milk protein drinks, there is a risk of severe symptoms. Since there is concern that similar cases may increase in the future, we report this case with the purpose of alerting the public. We also report the results of a survey conducted on parents with children allergic to cow's milk regarding their perceptions on protein drinks.
