A new option for cow's milk protein allergy in babies? A real-world study from Spain found that hydrolyzed rice formula (HRF) delivered meaningful symptom relief in infants with cow's milk protein allergy, performing comparably to the standard extensively hydrolyzed formula (eHF) — though eHF still edged ahead on a few key measures. The findings suggest HRF could be a viable alternative in routine pediatric practice.
A real-world observational study out of Spain is adding a new tool to the pediatric allergy toolkit. Researchers analyzed over 1,500 infant records from 269 pediatricians and found that hydrolyzed rice formula (HRF) produced meaningful symptom improvement in infants diagnosed with cow's milk protein allergy (CMPA) — a condition typically managed with extensively hydrolyzed formula (eHF).
Both formula types led to significant reductions in allergy-related symptoms over just seven days, as measured by the Cow's Milk-related Symptom Score (CoMiSS). However, eHF still held a slight edge: more infants in that group hit the target symptom threshold, and they got there faster (5 vs. 7 days).
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Why it matters: HRF isn't a replacement for eHF, but it may offer a practical alternative for infants who can't tolerate or refuse standard formulas. The authors caution that this study doesn't prove equivalence — but it does support HRF's short-term usefulness in everyday clinical settings.
