Whole goat milk formula can reduce incidence of atopic dermatitis in infants

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Infant feeding with whole goat milk formula (WGF) can reduce the incidence of atopic dermatitis (AD), especially in those with a parental history of AD, according to a study published in Clinical Nutrition.

Veit Grote, from LMU University Hospital in Munich, and colleagues conducted a two-arm, parallel, randomized, double-blind controlled trial to examine the effect of infant feeding with WGF versus cow milk formula (CF) on AD development during the first year of life in a study enrolling healthy term infants up to 3 months of age. The primary outcome measure was AD diagnosed by study personnel at three study visits (ADPrimary), while doctor-diagnosed AD was reported as a secondary outcome (ADDoctor).

Data were analyzed from 2,132 infants. Overall, 192 and 245 were diagnosed with ADPrimary and ADDoctor, respectively. The researchers found that the cumulative incidence rate of ADPrimary was 11.6 per 100 person-years for both groups, with no difference seen between WGF and CF.

The incidence of ADDoctor was lower in WGF than CF in the per-protocol population (incidence rate ratio, 0.66). The protective effect of WGF was stronger in infants with parental history of AD (ADDoctor incidence rate ratio, 0.36).

"This trial demonstrates that WGF can reduce the incidence of AD in formula-fed infants in the first year of life, especially in [the] presence of parental history of AD," the authors write.

Publication details

Veit Grote et al, Whole goat milk versus cow milk formula and atopic dermatitis in infants: A randomized clinical trial, Clinical Nutrition (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.clnu.2026.106707

Journal information: Clinical Nutrition

Key medical concepts

Atopic dermatitis

Clinical categories

Allergy and immunologyChildren's healthPediatricsCommon illnesses & PreventionNutrition & Healthy eating Who's behind this story?

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