In a controlled trial1 of 2,159 infants from 15 countries with human leukocyte antigen disease susceptibility and a first degree relative with type 1 diabetes; infants were randomised to receive casein hydrolysate or a conventional cow’s milk formula supplemented with 20% of the casein hydrolysate.
Results indicated no difference in the risk for type 1 diabetes. The risk in the casein hydrolysate was 8.4%, and 7.6% in the conventional formula group, which was not significantly different. The casein hydrolysate group breastfed for 7.8 months and the conventional group for 7.1 months. The follow up was for 11.5 years.
Their conclusion was that weaning to a hydrolysed formula did not reduce the risk for type 1 diabetes in children with an increased disease risk.