[Could whey be responsible for the development of cow's milk allergy in newborns and infants?].

Cow's milk allergy is the most common type of food allergy in infants. Most infants develop symptoms one week after initiating the feeding of cow's milk based formulas though sensitisation in utero and via mother's milk are also possible. We report on three newborns who received whey baths after birth and developed allergic skin reactions. Cow's milk allergy was diagnosed. In our opinion the whey baths could be responsible for the sensitisation via skin and the allergic skin reactions. The risks and benefits of whey baths for newborns and infants should therefore be carefully considered.