Three cases of gastroesophageal reflux disease as a complication in neonates with non-IgE-mediated gastrointestinal food allergy

Abstract

Non-IgE-mediated gastrointestinal food allergy causes gastrointestinal symptoms mainly through non-IgE-dependent allergic mechanisms after feeding of formula or breast milk in neonates and infants. We conducted a retrospective chart review of 31 patients who were born between 2016 and 2021 in our hospital and were diagnosed with non-IgE-mediated gastrointestinal food allergy. Gastrointestinal symptoms of 28 patients improved after changing the formula, but the symptoms improved only partially and vomiting persisted in the remaining three patients. The finding of gastroesophageal reflux in upper gastrointestinal imaging and the favorable clinical response to treatments such as antacids in these three patients led us to diagnose gastroesophageal reflux disease. We were unable to identify risk factors that are significantly related to the complication of gastroesophageal reflux disease. It is important to consider complications of gastrointestinal diseases such as gastroesophageal reflux disease when neonates with non-IgE-mediated gastrointestinal food allergy have persistent gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting even after changing the formula.