MULTIPLE FOOD ALLERGY

We report the case of a female infant who showed a multiple food allergy and was realimented with foods not normally used in clinical practice. The infant, at the age of 4 months, was hospitalized for diarrhea with mucus and blood; she was fed with a commercial formula derived from cow’s milk; negative microbiological tests, positive fecal eosinophil and xylose tests (12 mg/dl 2 h after challenge) suggested a diagnosis of cow’s milk protein intolerance. With the infant on a diet of soya milk, the diarrhea persisted accompanied by vomiting and, as a consequence, after 48 h a diet using a milk-containing protein hydrolysate was commenced (Alfariè, Nestlié, composition per 100 g powder: Fats 23 g [11.5 g medium-chain triglyceride (MCT), 6.9 g milk fats, and 4.6 g corn oil], protein hydrolysate 18.2, and total carbohydrates 51.7 g. This formula (700 ml/day) was given at an initial concentration of 10%; however, results were not satisfactory. The diarrhea with fresh blood persisted, and there was an increase in circulating eosinophils (420/mm), which were also found in the fecal mucus. © 1993 Raven Press, Ltd., New York.