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The following is a summary of “Model-based cost-effectiveness analysis of the diagnosis and treatment of cow’s milk protein allergy with amino acid-based formula compared to extensively hydrolyzed formula in Argentina,” published in the May 2025 issue of Frontiers in Pediatrics by Marzet et al. 

In infants under 1 year old, cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA) was the most common food allergy and played a significant burden on healthcare resources.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess the cost-effectiveness of implementing a new diagnostic and treatment strategy using an amino acid-based formula (AAF) in infants with suspected CMPA.   

They developed a simple decision tree model to simulate a cohort of children under 6 months with suspected CMPA, followed up to 24 months. The first arm analyzed the standard of care for diagnosis and treatment, which implicated eliminating cow’s milk proteins and utilizing an extensively hydrolyzed formula (eHF) with a 4-week diagnostic process. The second arm examined a new strategy involving the elimination of cow’s milk proteins and prescribing an AAF, with a 4-week diagnostic assessment.   

The results showed that using an AAF for the diagnosis and treatment of 12,334 children under 6 months with suspected CMPA led to savings of $3,368,176 and 334 months gained without symptoms, and the AAF as a first-line treatment proved to be cost-saving, and these results remained robust in the 1-way sensitivity analysis.   

Investigators concluded that a diagnostic strategy using AAF resulted in cost savings and reduced the symptomatic period, enabling earlier effective treatment and lowering direct medical expenses. 

Source: frontiersin.org/journals/pediatrics/articles/10.3389/fped.2025.1543811/full