What Are Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance in Babies

By: Anthony Porto, Doc, MPH, FAAP

It can exist difficult to know whether your infant or child is having symptoms of lactose intolerance or whether he or she may have a milk allergy.

The following oft asked questions from parents will aid you learn more almost the common symptoms of lactose intolerance, diagnosis, and treatment options.

Is lactose intolerance the aforementioned affair every bit a milk allergy?

No. Many parents confuse the terms lactose intolerance and milk allergy . While they may share similar symptoms, they are entirely unlike conditions. Lactose intolerance is a digestive trouble, while milk allergy involves the immune system. And so, while lactose intolerance can cause a swell deal of discomfort, information technology will not produce a life-threatening reaction such as anaphylaxis.

Milk allergies tend to announced inside the showtime yr of life, while an infant's digestive organization is still quite immature. Lactose intolerance can offset in childhood into adolescence and can become more than noticeable into adulthood.

What is lactose?

Lactose is a sugar found in foods that many children dear—milk and dairy products, such as frozen yogurt and cheeses. The listing of other foods containing lactose is long and includes some breads, cereals, and frozen or canned foods.

Lactose is broken down past the lactase enzyme located in the pocket-size intestine—the organ where most nutrient digestion and nutrient assimilation takes place. When we eat lactose, lactase breaks lactose down into ii simple sugars: glucose and galactose. The body then absorbs these unproblematic sugars into our intestines. When at that place is a decrease or loss of the lactase enzyme, we cannot break downwardly or absorb lactose. The unabsorbed lactose can lead to symptoms, which is called an intolerance.

In addition to milk, what other food products incorporate lactose?

Lactose is nowadays in many food products and in some medications. Manufacturers also oftentimes add milk and milk products to boxed, canned, frozen, packaged, and prepared foods. People who have digestive symptoms after consuming a small quantity of lactose should exist aware of the many food products that may comprise even small amounts of lactose.

You lot can check the ingredients on food labels and the nutrition facts to find possible sources of lactose in food products. If a food label includes any of the following words, the product contains lactose:

Milk
Lactose
Whey
Curds
Milk by-products
Dry milk solids
Nonfat dry milk pulverization

What are some fundamental symptoms of lactose intolerance?

The symptoms of lactose intolerance depend on the corporeality of lactose that's consumed. The more lactose your kid consumes, the more symptoms he or she will experience. Symptoms of lactose intolerance can occur within minutes to hours after drinking milk or eating dairy products and range from balmy to severe based on the corporeality consumed and the amount tolerated. Here are symptoms you should look out for:

Nausea
Abdominal pain, cramping, and bloating
Loose stools and gas
Watery diarrhea with gas

If I think my kid might be lactose intolerant. How tin I tell?

One mode to check if your kid has trouble digesting lactose is to take all the milk products out of your child's diet for 2 weeks and to then come across if his or her symptoms improve. After two weeks, slowly reintroduce the products in minor amounts each day to run into if symptoms return. Your pediatrician tin likewise test your kid for lactose intolerance with a hydrogen jiff test.

I've heard lactose intolerance can sometimes be a temporary side result when kids are sick. Is that truthful?

Aye. Lactose intolerance can occur temporarily in children after a viral infection (that is why you may exist told to avoid milk with lactose in it during a stomach issues) or it may be seen with conditions that lead to inflammation of the intestines, such every bit celiac disease.

Tin infants be lactose intolerant?

Lactose intolerance is actually not very mutual in infants and typically only starts showing up afterward age three in children who were born full-term. All babies are born with lactase in their intestines. Equally they grow older, the lactase enzyme decreases.

Babies who were built-in premature are more likely to accept a type of lactose intolerance called developmental lactase deficiency. This condition commonly lasts only for a curt time after birth. Nevertheless, the majority of premature infants will be able to swallow lactose-containing formula and breast milk.
Congenital lactase deficiency is a very rare disorder in which babies can't break downwardly the lactose in breast milk or formula. Genes inherited from parents cause this disorder. This type of intolerance results in severe diarrhea, and if not fed a lactose-complimentary infant formula, those babies could develop severe dehydration and weight loss.

If a female parent is lactose intolerant, is information technology safe for her to breastfeed her baby?

It's perfectly prophylactic to breastfeed your kid if you're lactose intolerant. Breastfeeding does not put your baby at greater risk of becoming lactose intolerant, and it has important health benefits for your baby.

How can my kid go enough calcium in her nutrition if milk or lactose are reduced?

If your child has lactose intolerance, he or she can still eat lactose-gratis dairy products including lactose-free milk, cheese, and yogurts—all are skillful sources of calcium. In addition, your kid can get calcium from dark dark-green leafy vegetables such as spinach, broccoli and kale, nuts (almonds), beans (white beans), fish (sardines, salmon) and calcium-fortified orange juice. If y'all feel your child is non getting plenty calcium, talk with your pediatrician well-nigh starting a calcium supplement.

Are soy or almond milks acceptable substitutes for children who are lactose intolerant?

At that place are many milk substitutes that a child with lactose intolerance tin can drink, including soy, almond, rice, hemp, and oat milk. Soy milk is a popular milk alternative, considering information technology is a good source of calcium and protein. Almond milk has as well become a popular culling and is safe for children with lactose intolerance or a moo-cow's milk protein allergy. Although almond is a adept source of calcium, information technology is lower in protein and contains fewer calories than cow'southward milk. Earlier starting any alternative milks, information technology is important to talk with your pediatrician about which may exist all-time for your child.

How is lactose intolerance diagnosed?

Your pediatrician volition take a medical, family, and nutrition history to help diagnose lactose intolerance in your infant or child. During this give-and-take, he or she volition review your child'south symptoms with you lot.

In some cases, a hydrogen breath test is washed to test for lactose intolerance. For the exam, your child breathes into a container that measures jiff hydrogen level before and later he or she drinks a beverage that contains a known amount of lactose. Normally, only a small corporeality of hydrogen is detectable in the breath when a person eats or drinks and digests lactose. An increment in hydrogen levels is considered a positive exam for lactose intolerance.
Pediatricians check acidity in the stools of infants and young children who may exist unable to properly do the hydrogen breath test. Acidic stool (low pH) may bespeak lactose malabsorption. Another stool examination (reducing substances) looks for the presence of glucose in the stool, which signifies undigested lactose.
If your child's symptoms persist, he or she may be referred to a pediatric gastroenterologist (GI) for farther evaluation. Depending on the severity of your child'southward symptoms, the GI may perform an endoscopy to measure lactase levels straight from the intestine. This is done with a biopsy.

How much calcium and vitamin D are recommended for my kid to eat each twenty-four hour period?

The specific amount is based on your child's historic period. Here is a breakdown of the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for calcium and vitamin D. Table of RDA for calcium and vitamin D

How is lactose intolerance treated?

How lactose intolerance is treated depends on the extent of your kid's symptoms. Some children with lactose intolerance may be able to take small amounts of dairy products without having symptoms.

To help alleviate symptoms if/when your child consumes lactose-containing food, your pediatrician may recommend an over-the-counter lactase enzyme supplement.
If your child's symptoms are severe and warrant removing all lactose from his or her diet, your pediatrician may refer your kid to a registered dietitian. Since dairy is a adept source of calcium and vitamin D—which all kids need—a registered dietitian can suggest other foods to provide those nutrients and may suggest vitamin supplements.

Is lactose intolerance a lifelong condition?

In some cases, lactose intolerance is temporary—if lactose intolerance develops after a viral disease or if it is associated with other conditions, like celiac affliction. For example, one time celiac disease is treated, lactase levels tin can become in the normal range and lactose may be tolerated in the diet. More than likely, however, lactose intolerance is long-term and requires many older children and adults to alter their nutrition to avoid symptoms.

Additional Information & Resources:

Vitamin D: On the Double
Milk Allergy
Infant Allergies and Food Sensitivities
Lactose Intolerance in Infants, Children and Adolescents (AAP Clinical Report)

Most Dr. Porto:

Anthony Porto, Doc, MPH, FAAP is a board certified pediatrician and board certified pediatric gastroenterologist. He is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Associate Clinical Chief of Pediatric Gastroenterology at Yale Academy and Director, Pediatric Gastroenterology at Greenwich Hospital in Greenwich, CT. He is also the medical director of the Yale Pediatric Celiac Program. Inside the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Porto sits on the PREP Gastroenterology Informational Lath and is a member of the Department on Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. He is also a member of the North American Lodge of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition's Public Didactics Committee, a pediatric practiced on diet for The Bump'south Real Answers, and is the co-author ofThe Pediatrician's Guide to Feeding Babies and Toddlers. Follow him on Instagram @Pediatriciansguide.

The information independent on this Web site should not be used every bit a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.

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Source: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/nutrition/Pages/Lactose-Intolerance-in-Children.aspx