Signs of Lactose Intolerance In Infants and Their Effects

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Lactose intolerance in babies is quite common, primarily because infants still have very sensitive digestive systems. Additionally, their digestive systems aren't yet completely developed, normally lacking the capacity to manufacture sufficient lactase. Lactase is the enzyme in charge of the breakdown of lactose found in dairy products. This failure to process this kind of foods normally leads to nutritional deficits to infants considering that they can't eat dairy products which are great sources of calcium and protein.

Lactose intolerance is often compared to milk allergies, since these two conditions exhibit very similar symptoms, including bloated tummy and unwanted gas. Although this is so, milk allergies is not a disorder rather, it is just a normal reaction of the body to certain components of milk as well as other milk products such as proteins.

One other condition which is mistaken as lactose intolerance in babies is lactose indigestion. As the name implies, lactose indigestion is a condition in which the body is able to tolerate only a small amount of lactose. An increased accumulation of lactose takes place within the digestive system whenever there is excessive intake of foods that contain lactose. If the digestive system can't already handle this buildup of lactose, the bacteria within the intestines then ferment this excessive amount of lactose. This brings about similar symptoms as lactose intolerance, however lactose intolerance in babies shows that the digestive system cannot process any lactose - not even a little bit.

Types of Lactose Intolerance In Babies

Congenital lactose intolerance is a condition when the baby is born with the incapacity to breakdown lactose. Primary lactose intolerance is a condition that develops as the baby grows. During the early years of the baby, he is still able to breakdown lactose-containing foods nonetheless as he/she matures he gradually loses this ability. Primary lactose intolerance occurs when the baby's body begins to develop and starts to adjust to the types of foods that the baby feeds on.

Secondary lactose intolerance happens when the baby experiences a deficiency in lactase or when the condition is initiated by another factor, including another disease process. Conditions like diarrhea, parasitic infection, gastroenteritis, and many more which affect the digestive system causes this type of lactose intolerance in babies. Lactose intolerance can even be a result of deficiency in iron, however this could be one of the uncommon causes of this particular condition.

Lactose Intolerance in Babies: Symptoms

Babies might experience mild to severe lactose intolerance symptoms, and such symptoms normally happen around 2 hours after drinking milk or eating foods derived from milk. A few of the most typical lactose intolerance symptoms are as follows.

. Abdominal pains
. Diarrhea
. Crying and observable discomfort after drinking milk
. Nausea
. Gas
. Abdominal bloating

Diagnosis and Treatment of Lactose Intolerance in Babies

Since this condition manifests in a way that is just like several diseases related to the digestive system, lactose intolerance in babies tend to be not easy to recognize. In order to check if a child is suffering from lactose intolerance, there are three medical tests which can be performed to diagnose it properly. These medical tests are the hydrogen breath test, the lactose intolerance test, and the stool acidity test.

In the stool acidity test, the stool of the baby will be tested for its level of acidity. When there is a rise in the acidity of the stool after drinking milk, then it implies that the lactose components that came into the child's system wasn't processed accordingly. In some cases, children who shift from being breast fed to formula fed can avoid developing such condition by using only a formula which is free from any lactose ingredient.

The lactose intolerance test requires the baby to be fed with milk about 2 hours prior to the test is conducted. So next, a blood sample is then extracted from the child and the blood sample would be examined for its glucose content. A positive result would reveal that the glucose level did not increase after consumption of milk, clearly suggesting lactose intolerance in babies.

The hydrogen breath test is carried out through testing for the amount of hydrogen present in the air exhaled by the baby after taking in a significant amount of a lactose-containing food- normally milk. When the baby can't digest the milk properly, it will remain in the intestine to be fermented - and the process of fermentation will produce hydrogen as a by-product. Sooner or later, this hydrogen would be exhaled, and the amount of hydrogen is checked for in the hydrogen breath test.

The most important thing in fixing this lactose intolerance is figuring out the best suited means to deal with the situation. Because of this, putting an end to lactose intolerance in babies may be achieved if you seek the assistance of a doctor: alongside the other tips mentioned above .



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Categories: allergies