Although cow’s milk allergy is the most common food allergy in under 3 year olds, the good news is that more than three-quarters of babies with cow’s milk allergy grow out of it later on in early childhood. When a baby has grown out of cow’s milk allergy they can consume cow’s milk without allergic reactions - in other words, they can return to a normal diet.

Most babies with cow’s milk allergy will be able to consume cow’s milk without allergic reactions by the time they reach 3–5 years of age. For uncomplicated non-IgE-mediated cow’s milk allergy, the majority of babies will return to a normal diet by 3 years of age. For IgE-mediated cow’s milk allergy, the average age that a baby will be able to return to a normal diet is when they reach 5 years old.

If your baby is diagnosed with cow’s milk allergy, a healthcare professional will advise you when and how to test whether they have started to grow out of their allergy. In the meantime, suitable dietary changes would be advised by a healthcare professional to manage the allergy.