Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38899450›Full record

ArticleAllergy2025

Prevalence and risk factors for milk allergy overdiagnosis in the BEEP trial cohort.

Hilary I Allen, Olivia Wing, Dara Milkova, Emilia Jackson, Karen Li, Lucy E Bradshaw, Laura Wyatt, Rachel Haines, Miriam Santer, Andrew W Murphy and 9 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Allergy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. MAternal Dietary changEs (MADE) Study Protocol: A Mixed-Methods Study of Breastfeeding Mothers in England.Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology · 2026
    Article
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  3. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

19 authors.

Hilary I AllenNational Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Olivia WingNational Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Dara MilkovaNational Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Emilia JacksonCentre of Evidence Based Dermatology, Lifespan and Population Health, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Karen LiNational Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Lucy E BradshawNottingham Clinical Trials Unit, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Laura WyattNottingham Clinical Trials Unit, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Rachel HainesNottingham Clinical Trials Unit, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Miriam SanterPrimary Care Research Centre, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Andrew W MurphyDepartment of General Practice & HRB Clinical Trial Network Primary Care Ireland, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland.
Sara J BrownCentre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
Maeve KelleherChildren's Health Ireland, Crumlin Children's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
Michael R PerkinPopulation Health Research Institute, St George's University of London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-9272-2585
Nicola JaySheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK.
Timothy D H SmithNIHR Clinical Research Network North West Coast Primary Care Team, Liverpool, UK.
Frank MoriartySchool of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dublin, Ireland.
Alan A MontgomeryNottingham Clinical Trials Unit, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Hywel C WilliamsCentre of Evidence Based Dermatology, Lifespan and Population Health, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Robert J BoyleNational Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-4913-7580

Funding

Children's Hospital CharityGoldman SachsIrish College of General PractitionersNational Institute for Health and Care ResearchWellcome TrustWellcome Trust 106865/Z/15/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCow's milk allergy (CMA) overdiagnosis in young children appears to be increasing and has not been well characterised. We used a clinical trial population to characterise CMA overdiagnosis and identify individual-level and primary care practice-level risk factors.

methodsWe analysed data from 1394 children born in England in 2014-2016 (BEEP trial, ISRCTN21528841). Participants underwent formal CMA diagnosis at ≤2 years. CMA overdiagnosis was defined in three separate ways: parent-reported milk reaction; primary care record of milk hypersensitivity symptoms; and primary care record of low-allergy formula prescription.

resultsCMA was formally diagnosed in 19 (1.4%) participants. CMA overdiagnosis was common: 16.1% had parent-reported cow's milk hypersensitivity, 11.3% primary care recorded milk hypersensitivity and 8.7% had low-allergy formula prescription. Symptoms attributed to cow's milk hypersensitivity in participants without CMA were commonly gastrointestinal and reported from a median age of 49 days. Low-allergy formula prescriptions in participants without CMA lasted a median of 10 months (interquartile range 1, 16); the estimated volume consumed was a median of 272 litres (26, 448). Risk factors for CMA overdiagnosis were high practice-based low-allergy formula prescribing in the previous year and maternal report of antibiotic prescription during pregnancy. Exclusive formula feeding from birth was associated with increased low-allergy formula prescription. There was no evidence that practice prescribing of paediatric adrenaline auto-injectors or anti-reflux medications, or maternal features such as anxiety, age, parity and socioeconomic status were associated with CMA overdiagnosis.

conclusionCMA overdiagnosis is common in early infancy. Risk factors include high primary care practice-based low-allergy formula prescribing and maternal report of antibiotic prescription during pregnancy.

Indexed as

Medical OveruseMilk HypersensitivityAnimalsChild, PreschoolCohort StudiesEnglandFemaleHumansInfantInfant, NewbornMalePrevalenceRisk Factorscow's milk allergylow‐allergy formulaoverdiagnosisprimary care

Identifiers

PMID38899450
PMCPMC11724250

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.