Welcome to the NELFT Mid and South Essex Milk Allergy Resource Hub.

The hub supports the virtual Community Cows Milk Allergy Service. The dietetic led service combines a mixture of dietetic phone assessments and review appointments, with a range of electronic information to help parents understand delayed (non-IgE) cows milk allergy and its management.

The service is designed for children who are referred under 1 with suspected or confirmed delayed cows milk allergy who are registered with a Mid and South Essex GP and who are within the Mid and South Essex region.

We are unable to open care for older children, older children not using a prescribed formula or children with symptoms of an immediate allergy. Information to support where these children should be referred to for dietetic support can be found, in the exclusion criteria section, on our referral information page.

The information offered by the service will help families gain an understanding of their child’s cows milk allergy.  The service typically offers support to families until the child is around 14 months of age. If a delayed cow’s milk allergy has been excluded, then the service is unable to continue to offer dietetic support.  If appropriate and if indicated the dietitians will request an onward referral to another local dietetic service provider.

Following an initial telephone assessment the dietitian will discuss follow up. Some babies may only require one appointment whereas others may require more. This is linked to an individuals clinical need and this may vary during their cows milk allergy journey.

Some children will be discharged before they have outgrown their delayed milk allergy.  The dietitian will make sure families are equipped with the knowledge and resources to manage their child’s allergy in the future. Once discharged from the dietitian, care will be transferred to care of the GP.  

There is lots of useful information below. It is hoped that the information will help answer a lot of the common questions and concerns that parents ask, along with practical advice relating to cows milk allergy. If after reading and considering the support information you still have questions please reach out to the team.

Please click on the boxes below to view the different downloadable information sheets and videos.

There is a mixture of information produced by the local dietitians and information that has been produced by other UK dietitians, organizations and charities. All information has been reviewed, but occasionally there are small changes to guidance, products or the prescription formulas that are available in the UK, which may not be reflected in all the information.

If you are unable to access a particular link or feel you have identified an error please contact the service.

The service uses an online booking portal. This allows parents to select initial or follow up appointments up to 2 weeks in advance. The online appointment booking link is sent via a text message. Please select the link at the bottom of the text message to open the booking portal. When promoted please enter the child’s date of birth. The link is only active for 7 days.

If families need to change the booked appointment, please contact the team: 0300 300 1530. Please leave a message with the child's name, date of birth, appointment details and reason for cancellation. Their records will be updated and a text message with a new booking link will be sent, typically within 2 working days.

On the day of the appointment, we ask that parents be ready to take the call. The call will be from an unknown number or private phone number. The dietitian will not be able to fully complete their assessment if parents are preoccupied (i.e out shopping, driving or at a baby group) or answer the call late.

The call may be terminated, and the appointment may need to be rebooked, if parents are preoccupied or answer the call late. Failing to attend the planned booked appointment or failure to book an appointment may result in the child being discharged back to the care of their GP. A new referral will be needed. This may also impact the ongoing prescription of any prescribed formula.

If families are having issues accessing the portal please contact the team.

The information in this section helps support families to understand the symptoms that their baby might be experiencing.

This section provides specific guidance on how and when to challenge the assumption that a baby has a cows milk allergy with information relating to breast fed, formula fed and combination fed babies including and what to do if they pass the milk challenge and a cows milk allergy is excluded. It also has information regarding the usefulness of allergy testing and it’s role in non-IgE mediated/delayed cow’s milk allergy.

If a diagnosis of a milk allergy has been confirmed, following the milk challenge, then all cows milk need to be excluded during weaning. This section has a range of information to help support a successful cows milk exclusion diet and the positive introduction of food to babies. It also has information on the safe introduction of other possible food allergens.

Most children will grow out of their milk allergy. Using the iMAP Milk Ladder can help explore their tolerance. The iMap Milk Ladder is only designed for children with mild- moderate delayed cows milk allergy. They should not be used in children who have experienced immediate reactions unless specifically advised by a Doctor.

This section has a range of additional information exploring different challenges and concerns that families may find helpful whilst they navigate their child’s cows milk allergy journey.

Occasionally babies can display signs that other foods are causing allergic reactions and need these also need to be avoided from their diet in  addition to cows milk. This section provides information on some common combinations.

Using a ladder reintroduction approach can help identify if a child has out grown a past allergy. These have been designed for children with mild- moderate delayed non-IgE allergies. They should not be used in children who have experienced immediate reactions unless specifically advised by a Doctor.