On April 24, 2022, the Vietnam Pediatrics Association (VPA), in collaboration with Mead Johnson Nutrition - a well-renown brand owned by Reckitt, a multinational specialising in health care and nutrition products - organised the scientific seminar “Announcing the latest recommendations on diagnosis & treatment of cow's milk protein allergy in infants.”

The seminar took place simultaneously at Sheraton Saigon Hotel and Fortuna Hotel Hanoi with the participation of 70 doctors from Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Noi while the other 400 medical staff joined the event online. Dr Nguyen Gia Khanh, President of VPA, and Dr Nguyen Thanh Hung, Director of Children’s Hospital 1, co-chaired the event.

The seminar was attended by 70 doctors from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, and 400 medical staff attending online.

In his opening speech, Prof. Nguyen Gia Khanh said cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA) was common in children with many diverse clinical manifestations, making it easy to misdiagnose with other diseases, affecting children's nutritional status and growth. Eventually, some severe cases need prompt emergency care.

According to Prof. Khanh, cow’s milk protein is one of the first food antigens that babies meet. CMPA in infants is recognised as a trigger for the onset and subsequent allergic conditions throughout childhood, which can significantly impact the lives of the entire family.

Prof. Nguyen Gia Khanh - President of the Vietnam Pediatric Association, speaks at the conference.

At the symposium, based on the epidemiological data, the prevalence of CMPA ranges from 2 to 3 per cent among children under one worldwide and tends to increase, especially in developing countries. In Viet Nam, there has had no national statistical data about this. However, several studies in 2013 demonstrated that the ratio of CMPA was 2.1 per cent among children under 3.

Breastfeeding is universally accepted as an effective treatment for preventing primary allergies. For infants suffering from CMPA, dietary interventions with extensively hydrolysed casein formula with LGG® produce a positive effect on the balance of intestinal flora, improving the function of the intestinal epithelial barrier.

This helps the immune system have a tolerable response to CMPA. The combination of extensively hydrolysed casein formula and LGG® provide benefits not only fast allergy symptom reduction but also in future allergy progression.

These biological effects allow children to tolerate cow’s milk earlier, reduce the incidence of other allergic conditions, and provide long-term cost savings compared to other interventions.

Soren Bech, General Director of Reckitt Vietnam

Giving a speech at the symposium, Soren Bech, General Director of Reckitt – Mead Johnson Nutrition Vietnam, mentioned that for the CMPA management, Mead Johnson introduced the world’s first protein-hydrolyzed infant formula in 1942.

For the past 80 years, the brand has been helping babies who suffer from allergies and supporting doctors and parents worldwide to reduce future allergic manifestations in babies. The company is doing its very best to end a global allergy epidemic by providing education to healthcare professionals and supporting parents on how to best manage infant allergies.

“We do hope that each of us could be an ambassador in helping the community raise awareness on the CMPA and help CMPA patients live better lives. Because children deserve the best!” Soren Bech said.

At the symposium, Prof. Nguyen Gia Khanh also introduced the updated “Guidelines on diagnosis and treatment of cow’s milk protein allergy in infants” compiled by the Vietnam Pediatrics Association, sponsored by Reckitt - Mead Johnson Nutrition under the support of experts in pediatric nutrition, gastroenterology and allergy.

“The guidelines aim to update knowledge on epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of CMPA in infants. This book will help us answer questions about clinical diagnosis and the practical application of new diagnostic and therapeutic measures for CMPA. It is hoped that the book will be a useful document for paediatricians to refer to and be somewhat helpful in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of CMPA in infants,” Khanh said.

Reckitt is a growing corporation with more than 43,000 members taking responsibility for the main purpose is protecting, healing, and nurturing in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner and healthier through various brands of nutrition, health, and disinfectant. It has been trusted and used by families from 190 countries and territories worldwide.

In Viet Nam, the leading brands of Reckitt are Enfa, Strepsils, Durex, Gaviscon, Dettol, Finish, Veet, etc.

Over the years, Reckitt Vietnam has cooperated with medical experts and the Ministry of Health to carry out volunteer projects. The Metabolics project has been implemented since 2014 to provide solutions for children suffering from congenital metabolic disorders.

In 2019, Reckitt Vietnam and the Maternal and Child Health Department under the Ministry of Health launched the project on preventing neonatal jaundice, with the first phase worth over VND10 billion.

Reckitt sponsored 100 phototherapy devices to treat neonatal jaundice in 96 province/district-level hospitals in 10 cities/provinces across the country.

Besides, the company supported the development and dissemination of training materials on early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease to healthcare workers and provided documents and information about the disease for parents.

Each phototherapy device can operate for at least 44,000 hours (approximately five years). Health experts expect that 100 phototherapy devices can support the early treatment of neonatal jaundice for at least 150,000 newborns in five years. - PHUONG KHANH