The so-called allergic intestinal bleeding syndrome in infants (case report)

ABSTRACT

The current medical literature was consulted for the description of the clinical feature, the so-called allergic intestinal bleeding syndrome, occurring in infants. There is paucity of reports on it. It is merely mentioned in pediatrics textbooks. This is probably the first case report of this syndrome in infants found in the local medical literatureA case is presented which, I think fits the clinical picture of this condition, and in which the patient developed hypersentiveness to goats milk. These was no determination of hypersensitiveness to cows milk, however, because cows milk was difficult to procure in the circumstances then prevailing. Abdominal "cramps" or discomfort and intestinal hemorrhage completely disappeared 56 hours after discontinuance of the goats milk feeding and subsequent shift to human breast milkIn recognizing this syndrome, a careful differential diagnosis is needed to exclude intestinal bleeding due to more serious causes, in order not to subject the infant to un-called for operation and at the same time not to deprive the child of the benefit of surgery, if it happens to be a case of Meckels diverticulitis or intussusception. Lastly, this condition should always be considered whenever cases of intestinal bleeding in infants who are artificially fed with either cows or goats milk are met with in practice, especially if a definite family history of allergy could be established. (Summary)