Allergy to cows' milk presenting as chronic constipation

Abstract

Chronic constipation is common in early childhood. An organic cause may be shown in some children with it, and others show evidence of emotional disturbance. In most children, however, there are no obvious explanations for constipation. Allergy to cows' milk is a transient condition affecting mainly infants and young children who usually present with diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and often a history of failure to thrive. Many other symptoms have been attributed to allergy to cows' milk, often with little objective evidence to support this. We report on a child who was found to be allergic to cows' milk but who presented with constipation as the sole symptom.