Health Education to Improve Maternal Awareness on Soy-Based Infant Formula for Individuals with Cow’s Milk Allergy in Indonesia

Abstract

 Background: Cow’s milk allergy is relatively common among Indonesian infants
who are not exclusively breastfed. Despite extensive hydrolyzed formula and amino
acid-based formula are the recommended nutrition for infants with moderate-tosevere illness, not all parents could provide those specialized formulas, presumably
due to the high cost, low availability and poor palatability. In that case, soy-based
infant formula could be an alternative nutrition. However, it was unknown whether
Indonesian mothers were aware on that alternative nutrition. Objective: We therefore assessed the knowledge levels of mothers who participated in an online platform of PrimaKu on the usefulness of soy-based infant formula to support growth
and development of children with cow’s milk allergy. Methods: The study subjects
appeared to have sufficient levels of knowledge on the usefulness of soy-based infant formula for children with cow’s milk allergy. Results: In addition, by increasing their knowledge on iron and fiber fortification in soy-based infant formula, e.g.,
through regular academic presentations, mothers could be more selective in choosing alternative nutrition for children with cow’s milk allergy. Conclusion: Our study
suggested that Indonesian mothers who were active in the online platform of Primaku had sufficient levels of knowledge on the usefulness of soy-based protein for
managing children with cow’s milk allergy.