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Risk factors

By Mayo Clinic staff

Certain factors may put you at greater risk of developing a milk allergy:

  • Other allergies. Many children allergic to milk also have other allergies. Often, however, milk allergy is the first to develop.
  • Atopic dermatitis. Children with this type of skin reaction are much more likely to develop a food allergy.
  • Family history. You're at increased risk of a food allergy if one or both of your parents have a food allergy or another type of allergy — such as hay fever, asthma, hives or eczema.
  • Age. Milk allergy is more common in children. As you grow older, your digestive system matures and your body is less likely to react to milk.
References
  1. Atopic and allergic disorders. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec13/ch165/ch165c.html?qt=milk allergy&alt=sh. Accessed June 9, 2009.
  2. Food allergy: An overview. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/foodAllergy/PDF/foodallergy.pdf. Accessed June 9, 2009.
  3. Sicherer SH. Food allergens: Overview of clinical features and crossreactivity. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 22, 2009.
  4. Chapman JA, et al. Food allergy: A practice parameter. 2006; 96: S1.
  5. Kurowski K, et al. Food allergies: Detection and management. American Family Physician. 2008;77:1678.
  6. Tips to remember: Food allergy. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/foodallergy.stm. Accessed June 9, 2009.
  7. Keet CA, et al. Food allergy and anaphylaxis. Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America. 2007;27:193.
  8. Food allergy in infants and children. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/foodAllergy/understanding/children.htm. Accessed June 9, 2009.
  9. Thygarajan A, et al. American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations on the effects of early nutritional interventions on the development of atopic disease. Current Opinion in Pediatrics. 2008;20:698.
  10. Milk allergy. Food Allergy Initiative. http://www.faiusa.org/?page=milk. Accessed June 10, 2009.

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Aug. 12, 2009

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