Pasteurized milk including that used in infant formula is thermally treated. Some experts say that the thermal process destroys the natural structures of milk proteins making them harsh on human intestines.

The three-year German study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology found that babies who used formulas containing hydrolyzed casein or whey were 33 percent less likely to develop eczema compared to those who used formula with ordinary cow’s milk protein.

Eczema known as atopic dermatitis (AD) is found in 10 to 20 percent of all infants, according to the American Academy of Dermatologists.   Half of those children may grow out of eczema between the age of five years and 15.

The study was conducted by researchers from Marien-Hospital Wesel, Ludwig Maximilians University, Neuherberg's Institute of Epidemiology, and Technical University of Munich.

In the study, researchers followed 2,252 newborns from families with a history of allergy. They were assigned one of four formulas, formula with cow's milk only as control and three study formulas with whey partially hydrolyzed, extensively hydrolyzed or extensively hydrolyzed casein.

Milk protein is one of two major protein sources for infant formulas. Another protein source is soy protein, which has drawn concerns over high levels of phyto-estrogens.

The study was to compare the effects of the untreated milk protein with hydrolyzed milk protein on the incidence of eczema. But no formula was compared to breastfeeding.

The German Infant Nutritional Intervention Study (GINI) found that after three years, children who were assigned formulas with either partially hydrolyzed whey or extensively hydrolyzed casein were 48 percent or 47 percent less likely to develop eczema compared to those who were on the formula with cow milk protein.

The researchers intended to demonstrate that hydrolyzed milk protein is better than ordinary cow milk protein when it comes to the risk of eczema.   But the results also indicated that untreated milk protein actually leads to a higher risk of eczema.

Previous studies have proved that breastfeeding infants reduces the incidence of eczema, meaning that using formula increases the risk of the condition.

One study published in the Sept. 2005 issue of Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology followed 4,089 children and found that breastfeeding for more than four months reduced the risk for eczema in children at the age of four years by 28 percent.

The study was conducted by Kull I and colleagues from National Institute of Environmental Medicine and other organizations in Stockholm, Sweden.

The possible problem with the ordinary formula is the pasteurization processing which has received two thumbs up from many people because it kills pathogens in milk.   But the process may potentially make it difficult for humans to digest the pasteurized milk protein.   

It may also be possible that the process destroys some nutrients that would otherwise help prevent eczema in some children.

This is not a speculation.   A study published in 2006 in the Journal Of Allergy, Asthma And Immunology found that just a couple of glasses a week of unpasteurized cow milk reduce a child' risk of developing eczema by almost 40 percent and hay fever by 10 percent.

The results explain why children growing up on farms have low risk of developing eczema compared to their counterparts in cities.

Infants should be breastfed at least for the first six months. American pediatricians recommend infants be breastfed for one year or longer if the mother and or the baby so desires.  

Source:

Publication: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Published on-line ahead of print, doi: 10.1016/j.jaci.2006.11.017

Title: "Certain hydrolyzed formulas reduce the incidence of atopic dermatitis but not that of asthma: Three-year results of the German Infant Nutritional Intervention Study"

Authors: A. von Berg, S. Koletzko, B. Filipiak-Pittroff, B. Laubereau, A. Grübl, H.-E. Wichmann, C.-P. Bauer, D. Reinhardt, D. Berdel