The contribution of some environmental factors to the development of cow's milk and gluten intolerance in children.

Abstract

The analysis performed by the authors includes correlation between certain environmental factors i.e. the kind of food (natural, mixed, artificial), the role of infection and therapy applied (including antibiotic therapy), living conditions (residence place, the age of parents, number of siblings) and the body birth weight and the established food intolerance in children. The patients were hospitalized at the Clinic of Infectious Diseases of Children during 1978-1982. There were 45 children aged from 5 months to 5 years with gluten intolerance and 50 children aged from 2 months to 5 years with cow's milk intolerance. A close correlation between feeding and the development of food intolerance was stated. There had been found that 92% of children were given mixed cow milk already at the 2nd month of life and 46.6% were fed with this protein between the 2nd to the 3rd month of life. The former had cow milk allergy while the latter gluten intolerance. Due to longlasting diarrhea multiple antibiotic therapy was applied in the total group studied. Stool samples taken from the both groups revealed salmonella in 15.5% to 18.0%. Apart from this type of infection agent chemotherapy due to viral, parasitic and parenteral infections was used, too. The above presented findings confirmed significant role of the factors mentioned in the development and further progress of milk or gluten intolerance in the patients.