Children who are not exposed to cow’s milk proteins during infancy may have less risk of developing type 1 diabetes, according to a new report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. In the Trial to Reduce Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in the Genetically at Risk (TRIGR) study, women were encouraged to breastfeed. Those who then transitioned their infants to baby formula were given a specially prepared formula in which proteins were broken up so that no intact cow’s milk proteins remained. The full study results are not yet in. However, the TRIGR pilot study, including 230 infants followed until about 10 years of age, showed that those who followed the special feeding plan were 60 percent less likely to develop type 1 diabetes, compared with children who drank regular cow’s milk formula during infancy.

The study adds more support to the long-held theory that cow’s milk proteins trigger the production of antibodies that can destroy a child’s insulin-producing cells.

Knip M, Virtanen SM, Becker D, Dupré J, Krischer JP, Akerblom HK. Early feeding and risk of type 1 diabetes: experiences from the Trial to Reduce Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in the Genetically at Risk (TRIGR). Am J Clin Nutr. Published ahead of print Jun 8, 2011.

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