‘Boom in fake milk allergies fuelled by baby formula firms’

BABIES are being wrongly diagnosed with milk allergy because of the power of the baby formula industry, doctors claim.

Prescriptions for specialist formula in Britain have soared sixfold in a decade, an investigation by the British Medical Journal has revealed.

Experts say overdiagnosis of cows’ milk protein allergy, or CMPA, is the only explanation as the number of babies with allergies could not have risen so fast.

They claim baby formula firms have a huge influence on the way the issue is dealt with in the NHS, funding the drawing up of guidelines and allergy training for doctors and nurses. Doctors warned that this creates the potential for wrongly diagnosing babies with a milk allergy. This is harmful as it discourages mothers from breastfeeding – the UK has one of the lowest rates in the world.

Dr Fiona Godlee, editor-in-chief of the BMJ, said: ‘The growth in prevalence of cows’ milk protein allergy has all the hallmarks of overdiagnosis fuelled by commercial interests. We need tighter diagnostic criteria and guidelines drawn up by experts who are free from financial conflicts of interest.’

Between 2006 and 2016, prescriptions of specialist formula milks used to treat milk allergy increased from 105,000 a year to more than 600,000, and annual NHS spending on the products rose from £8.1million to £60million.

Nigel Rollins, of the World Health Organisation, said: ‘It’s reasonable to question whether these increases reflect a true increase in prevalence.’

The NHS estimates between 2 and 7.5 per cent of babies under the age of one are affected by the allergy, or between 15,000 and 57,000 a year. The allergy can cause rashes, tummy problems or eczema. Most children grow out of it by the age of five.

Dr Chris van Tulleken, an infection doctor at University College London Hospital who carried out the investigation for the BMJ, said: ‘ The extensive links between the formula industry and the research, guidelines, medical education, and public awareness efforts around CMPA have raised the question of industry-driven overdiagnosis.’

Five of 11 authors of milk allergy guidelines drawn up by NHS watchdog Nice in 2011 declared links to the formula industry, he said. International guidelines drawn up in 2007 and 2010 were funded by formula manufacturers.

And all five authors of the 2013 Milk Allergy in Primary Care guidance had links to the industry.

Dr van Tulleken found that the industry runs training courses in NHS hospitals. He suspects companies are using their specialist formulas as a ‘ Trojan horse’ to create links with doctors for their normal formula products, which they are banned from marketing.

The industry last night insisted it has a legitimate role to play in research and the education of healthcare professionals.

Declan O’Brien, director general of the British Specialist Nutrition Association – whose members include Danone Nutricia, Mead Johnson and Nestle – said: ‘We recognise the need to put in place policies to ensure that potential conflicts of interest can be managed and avoided. The measures in the Infant Formula Industry Code are in line with the WHO Code, UK regulations, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry code and General Medical Council guidance.’