Neocate

Neocate is a range of hypoallergenic products, consisting of 100% free amino acids which are the building blocks of protein. The Neocate range can help meet your child’s complete nutritional requirements. The Neocate range is designed for the dietary management of Cow’s Milk Allergy, Multiple Food Protein Allergies and other conditions where an amino acid-based formula is required. 

Your child’s doctor or dietitian may recommend a product from the Neocate range once a Cow’s Milk Allergy diagnosis has been made. The Neocate amino acid-based formula range  can be used where breast feeding is not possible when cow’s milk allergy has been diagnosed. Remember breast feeding is always the best feeding option for your baby, and this should be discussed carefully with your healthcare professional. 

If your child has been experiencing negative symptoms for some time, his or her condition may take time to improve. Severe allergies can cause inflammation and irritation to the affected areas. This, like a cut or burn, will take time to heal. It is important during this time to keep your child exclusively on the management option recommended by their doctor or dietitian, without introducing any other formula or food unless otherwise directed by the doctor or dietitian. If your child has been on solids, it is important to make sure that those foods suspected of causing a problem are completely eliminated from the diet. Use only those foods recommended by your child’s doctor or dietitian.

Many children grow out of their cow’s milk allergy in infancy. For others it may persist into teenage years. Your child will be regularly reviewed to see if they have grown out of their cow’s milk allergy. This may involve allergy tests and dietary challenges – where a small drop of cow’s milk is drunk or placed onto your child’s skin to see if there’s a reaction.

Cow’s milk allergy that persists beyond the early years still has its challenges.

Keep up the good work

• As children grow, their energy requirements and the need for certain nutrients change
• Older children develop their own taste preferences and can choose for themselves what they eat, so you may have less control of their diet
• Food shopping for a child with cow’s milk allergy can be tricky because milk proteins are present in a wide range of products that are not always clearly labelled on packaging

It’s still important to exclude all cow’s milk protein from your child’s diet while offering a healthy balanced diet with the right amount of calories, protein, calcium, vitamins and other minerals. Nutritional needs vary between children and they will change as your child grows.

Even if cow’s milk allergy persists, you don’t need to manage it alone. A dietitian can help you tailor your child’s diet. Remember to try out new recipes.

Growing children need calcium and other nutrients found in milk. Fortunately they can be obtained from a healthy, balanced diet supplemented with a range of products that can be used in place of cow’s milk. These products vary in taste, appearance and nutritional content and it will be important to tailor the choice of product to the dietary needs and preferences of your child. Parents and children must think carefully before introducing any milk proteins – and before doing so, discuss this with your Healthcare Professional.

It’s hard to know when a child will grow out of cow’s milk allergy. Your child will be monitored but it’s best to be prepared for their cow’s milk allergy persisting into the school years. There are a wide range of modified products and milk protein alternatives available, and your Healthcare Professional will be able to guide and support you, no matter how long your child’s cow’s milk allergy persists.