Rice protein allergy in five infants
What it found
Five infants who ate rice protein developed vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration, and an open food challenge confirmed rice allergy.
The report says rice, usually thought of as hypoallergenic, can cause this reaction.
What they found
Studies in people
Symptoms in infants
The five patients presented with vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration. Because these symptoms could point to many diseases, allergy was not considered as a diagnosis at first.
Time to diagnosis
A median of two hospitalizations was needed to establish the diagnosis, since the symptoms could have been indicative of a broad spectrum of diseases.
Confirming the diagnosis
When rice protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome is suspected, all patients should undergo an open food challenge test, as no other diagnostic procedure can confirm the diagnosis.
Rice as a trigger
This report shows that even hypoallergenic foods such as rice may cause FPIES. It should be considered in the differential diagnosis of profuse vomiting and prostration in infants introduced to some kind of rice protein.
What the authors conclude
“This report shows that even hypoallergenic foods such as rice may cause FPIES and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of profuse vomiting and prostration in infants introduced to some kind of rice protein.”
Also in their conclusions
- They state that this report shows that even hypoallergenic foods such as rice may cause FPIES.
- They advise that rice should be considered in the differential diagnosis of profuse vomiting and prostration in infants introduced to some kind of rice protein.
- They say that when rice protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome is suspected all patients should undergo open food challenge test, as no other diagnostic procedure can confirm the diagnosis.
How it was done
Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES) is a non-IgE-mediated allergic reaction, usually to cow's milk or soy protein. The authors wanted to present a series of infants who developed enterocolitis syndrome after eating rice, an issue described only once before in patients from Europe.
They looked back at data on five patients. The patients had vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration, so allergy was not considered at first and they had a broad diagnostic evaluation. Finally, an open food challenge was done because rice allergy was suspected.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This is a report of five infants, so it cannot show how often rice protein causes this reaction in all babies.
- It cannot show whether any particular amount of rice protein is needed to trigger the reaction.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Zagreb Children's Hospital, Croatia
The paper
- Title
- Rice protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome
- Type
- Case report
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Hojsak I, Kljaić-Turkalj M, Misak Z, Kolacek S (2006). Rice protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome. Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland). doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2005.12.005PubMed 16697497DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error