Allergy to beta-lactoglobulin

Everyone knows that a baby needs milk. It provides the child with everything necessary for normal growth and development. But in some cases the baby can not drink milk or eat foods containing it. For 10% of babies this useful drink becomes a poison, causing the strongest allergic reaction. Most often it is intolerance of milk proteins, one of which is beta-lactoglobulin.

Allergy to milk protein

Intolerance of various food products occurs in children now more often. Especially strongly the body reacts to foreign proteins, for example, dairy. Allergy to milk affects a fifth of all babies for up to a year. And the negative reaction extends to cow, sheep and even goat's milk, as well as products based on them.

This is due to the peculiarities of the digestive system of infants. The microflora of the digestive tract has not yet formed, so the walls of the stomach are permeable to allergens, which can cause a strong negative reaction. In addition, babies do not yet have enzymes to break down such complex proteins into simple amino acids. These enzymes in a child appear after a year, so among adults, only 2% suffer from milk allergy, mostly people with pathologies of the immune system.

Milk has a complex structure. In addition to useful microelements and vitamins, it includes a large number of proteins of antigens, which can cause an allergic reaction of the body. But out of almost three dozen proteins, only four allergies most often cause an allergy. This casein, which contains 80% of milk, serum albumin, alpha-lactoglobulin and beta-lactoglobulin. The allergy to the latter is most often manifested, but this pathology is not as serious as others. And in most cases, the intolerance of this protein disappears on its own after a year.

What is beta-lactoglobulin

This is one of the milk proteins. In milk it contains about 10%, in this respect it ranks second after casein. Beta-lactoglobulin is in any milk, except for breast milk. It is found in almost all dairy products, even in baby food. A feature of this protein is that it breaks down during prolonged heating and fermented fermentation. Therefore, people with sensitivity to him can safely eat hard cheese.

Causes of allergy

The main reason for the intolerance of this milk protein is the immaturity of the child's digestive system. After the birth of the baby, it is adapted only to the digestion of breast milk. And all the rest of the food is perceived by the body as alien, so there is an immune reaction. Usually by the age of 2, when the microflora is formed and there are enzymes in the body for digesting proteins, the allergy passes. But nevertheless approximately 2% of adults suffer all life from intolerance of milk.

The risk of developing allergic reactions increases if the mother's pregnancy was accompanied by pathologies, severe toxicosis, if the mother did not eat properly during the child's birth, and if the family lives in an environmentally unfavorable area, or if the next of kin also suffer from allergies. In addition, this pathology is often found in babies who were early weaned, fed with poor-quality mixtures, or very early on they began to introduce complementary foods.

In children after a year and adults, an allergy to beta-lactoglobulin can develop for such reasons:

• is a hereditary predisposition;
• availability of allergies to other substances;
• enzyme deficiency;
• inflammatory bowel disease;
• is an excess in the blood of a specific immunoglobulin.

How an allergy is manifested

Milk proteins are absorbed by the body only after splitting them into simpler chains of amino acids. If this does not happen, and the complex protein molecules penetrate into the blood, the immune response of the organism takes place. Most often the child's allergy to beta-lactoglobulin is manifested by gastrointestinal disorders:

• in infants is frequent regurgitation, in older children - vomiting;
• the child's chair becomes liquid with undigested food pieces or curdled milk;
• there are abdominal pains, so the baby is constantly crying;
• because of disturbance of microflora, intestinal infections often develop.

Skin pathologies are also characteristic signs of allergy to milk protein. It can be atopic dermatitis, eczema, crusts on the head, urticaria. In the most severe cases, Quincke's edema develops. Also, the respiratory system is often affected in children. The child sneezes, he has a runny nose, difficulty breathing. It is dangerous if laryngospasm develops. In addition, an allergy to milk protein can become a trigger mechanism for the development of a child's bronchial asthma.

Diagnosis

To understand that a child is allergic to beta-lactoglobulin, and not, for example, lactose deficiency, you need to see a doctor. An experienced specialist after talking with parents and analyzing the symptoms can immediately diagnose. But usually additional diagnostic methods are also prescribed:

• coprogram;
• analysis of feces for dysbiosis;
• blood test for immunoglobulins;
• skin prik test.

Beta-lactoglobulin: which products contain

A child with intolerance to this type of protein needs to remove from the diet all foods containing milk or even its traces. Not dangerous only hard cheeses are considered, sometimes they allow cottage cheese or yogurt of own preparation. To refuse these products it is necessary also to mum which feeds the child by a breast. Children on artificial feeding should be transferred to hydrolyzate mixtures. In addition, you need to know where else beta-lactoglobulin can be found. What foods contain this protein, mothers do not always imagine, although now the manufacturers must specify such information on the packaging. What kind of food can be dangerous for a person with an allergy to beta-lactoglobulin? The list includes:

• cookies, cakes, breads, pastries;
• butter;
• marshmallow, ice cream, chocolate and some other sweets;
• any dairy desserts;
• milk powder and baby milk porridge.

What if the child is allergic to the milk protein

When you are intolerant to beta-lactoglobulin, first of all you need to change the diet, removing all dairy products from it. If the baby is breastfed, it should be done to the mother, but not to refuse breast milk. In severe cases, when edema develops, severe itching or respiratory distress occurs, it is necessary to consult a doctor. After all, only with the help of special drugs can you get rid of such symptoms.