An anamnesis-based questionnaire is presented in this study as a diagnostic tool for cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA) in children. The researchers asked 51 cases diagnosed by oral challenge and 31 controls 24 dichotomous yes/no questions. The paediatric gastroenterologist outpatient practise recruited all patients. Patients with CMPA had a family history of atopy/autoimmunity, caesarean birth, formula usage and/or change, antacid/antibiotic usage in the first 6 months of life, an extremely clean caregiver, multisystem clinical presentation, and the lack of seasonal symptoms.
The CMPA group scored 10.4 on average, whereas the control group scored 3.2. They found that a cut-off score of 7 had 94.4 percent sensitivity and 96.9 percent specificity in distinguishing CMPA from the control population. Cases were younger, and their symptoms differed from those of controls. This study demonstrates the use of an anamnesis-based clinical score in guiding CMPA diagnosis in children.
