Milk from chicken for allergic newborns............................what will they think of next

Siriraj Hospital has invented an infant milk made of chicken meat for those allergic to cow's milk, the Faculty of Medicine head, Professor Dr Piyaskol Skolsattayathorn announced yesterday.
Published on August 11, 2007
The chicken-extract "milk" is the first of its kind and much cheaper than substitutes made in other countries, around Bt600 per litre compared to Bt2,000-Bt3,000.
The milk is expected to help around 20,000 infants allergic to cow's milk, or around 3 per cent of newborns each year.
Siriraj Hospital can now make around 25 litres of milk a week.
One kilogram of chicken breast makes 24 litres of milk. Only the breast can be used because it contains no fat, and the meat used is from chickens raised for export, as they have not been fed hormone-laced food.
The invention of the milk by Associate Professor Tharathip Kholathat and Professor Dr Phiphob Jiraphinyo of the Department of Paediatrics was based on the fact that infants allergic to cow's milk can be fed chicken broth.
Siriraj Hospital began experimenting with the chicken-extract project 10 years ago. Production involves mincing and blending chicken meat and adding food substitutes. The milk is stored at -72 degrees Celsius and mixed with hot water for use. It can be bottle-fed to infants.
A total of 80 children allergic to cow's milk have been fed the extract during the experimental period. Only two of them were allergic to it and were fed with imported substitute milk.
The invention of the chicken-extract milk will be published in the Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and the milk has been registered, Piyaskol said.
Siriraj Hospital will further develop the milk into different formulas for older children and adults.
Citing foreign medical reports, the dean said the global tendency of infants becoming allergic to cow's milk was growing as a result of the decrease in breastfeeding, now at the rate of 2-10 per cent depending on country.
The symptoms stemming from allergy to cow's milk range from rashes and dry skin, to vomiting, nausea, diarrhoea and asthma. The allergy can be fatal.
Duangkamon Sajirawattanakul
The Nation

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