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By Mayo Clinic staffCertain 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Sicherer SH. Food allergens: Overview of clinical features and crossreactivity. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 22, 2009.
- Chapman JA, et al. Food allergy: A practice parameter. 2006; 96: S1.
- Kurowski K, et al. Food allergies: Detection and management. American Family Physician. 2008;77:1678.
- 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.
- Keet CA, et al. Food allergy and anaphylaxis. Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America. 2007;27:193.
- 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.
- 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.
- Milk allergy. Food Allergy Initiative. http://www.faiusa.org/?page=milk. Accessed June 10, 2009.