January 8, 1999 – Chronic diarrhea is the most common gastrointestinal symptom of cow’s milk intolerance in children. This study aimed to show that this intolerance to cow’s milk can also lead to chronic constipation and anal lesions in young children.
The researchers who carried out this reverse double-blind study wanted to compare the effects of cow’s milk and soy milk on 65 children aged 11 to 72 months and suffering from chronic constipation, that is to say having a single defecation by 3 to 15 days. All of the children had previously been seen in a pediatric gastroenterology clinic and had been unsuccessfully treated with laxatives; 49 of them had anal fissures, perianal redness or edema (swelling). After an observation period of 15 days, the children were given cow’s milk or soy milk for 2 weeks. After a rest period of one week, the feeding of the children was reversed. The response is defined as 8 or more bowel movements during the treatment period.
The results were significant: 44 of 65 children (68%) responded favorably while receiving soy milk. The anal fissures and the pain on defecation disappeared. None of the children who received cow’s milk responded. In all the children who had a response, this was confirmed by the reverse double-blind test with cow’s milk. Children who responded were more likely to have dermatitis, rhinitis, or bronchospasm than those who did not respond to soy milk (11 in 44 vs 1 in 21), they were more likely to have anal fissures, erythema or edema (40 of 44 vs. 9 of 21), inflammation of the mucosa of the rectum and signs of hypersensitivity, such as immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies specific to milk antigens cow (31 out of 44 vs 4 out of 21).
The researchers’ conclusion is self-explanatory: in young children, chronic constipation may be the manifestation of intolerance to cow’s milk.
HealthPassport.net
Iacono G, Cavataio F, Montalto G, Florena A, Tumminello M, Soresi M, Notarbartolo A, Carrocia A. Intolerance of cow’s milk and chronic constipation in children. N Engl J MEd. 1998; 339: 1100-1104
From Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, vol 5 no 1, January 1999