Cow's milk-related symptom score in presumed healthy polish infants aged 0-6 months

Abstract

Purpose: The Cow's Milk-related Symptom Score (CoMiSSTM), which considers crying, regurgitation, stools, skin and respiratory symptoms, was developed as an awareness tool for evaluating cow's milk-related symptoms. The scoring ranges from 0 to 33. A score >12 was proposed as being likely cow's milk-related and suggestive of allergy to cow's milk. This study aimed to determine the age-related CoMiSSTM values in presumed healthy infants in Poland. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted in well-child clinics in two locations. Parents of the presumed healthy infants aged <6 months were approached during a routine checkup/vaccination visit. The exclusion criteria were as follows: presence of acute or chronic diseases, preterm delivery, treatment with therapeutic formula, and use of any food supplements (except vitamins) or medications. Results: Data from 226 infants were obtained (median age [Q1-Q3], 4 months [3-4]). The overall median (Q1-Q3) and mean (standard deviation) CoMiSSTM values were 4 (2-7) and 4.7 (3.5), respectively. The 95 th percentile was 11. Scores on some, albeit not all, components of the CoMiSSTM significantly differed between age groups (crying, stools) or feeding type groups (stools and skin symptoms). Eleven children (4.9%) scored >12. Conclusion: This study adds to earlier age-related CoMiSSTM data by providing CoMiSSTM values in presumed healthy infants in Poland.