Symptoms of lactose intolerance in babies

The phenomenon of lactose intolerance has always had a great impact on the patient's body. First of all, children with lactose intolerance cannot drink milk normally. Many babies will have diarrhea after drinking milk, and even vomiting, diaper rash, and slow growth and development. These are enough to cause many complications, and eventually make some symptoms more serious.

Symptoms of lactose intolerance

The main manifestations of lactose intolerance are some gastrointestinal symptoms, including abdominal tension, bowel sounds, abdominal pain, flatulence and diarrhea. If these symptoms occur, they are all manifestations of lactose intolerance, but the symptoms of individuals with lactose intolerance vary greatly, and severe lactose intolerance often occurs within 30 minutes to several hours after ingesting a certain amount of lactose.

Lactose intolerance has a greater impact on infants and young children, and is accompanied by diaper rash, vomiting, slowed growth and development, etc. Adults sometimes experience nausea. The number and severity of intolerance symptoms are related to many factors, such as lactase activity in the small intestine, the amount of lactose ingested, and whether other types of food are ingested at the same time.

If your baby is lactose intolerant, he or she may experience diarrhea, abdominal cramping, bloating, or gas 30 minutes to two hours after drinking breast milk or eating other dairy products (such as cheese or yogurt after starting solid foods). It should be noted that babies should not drink fresh milk before 1 year old.

What to do if you are lactose intolerant

Faced with the problem of what to do if your baby is lactose intolerant, experts suggest that mothers should start from the following aspects:

1. Small amounts and multiple times

The ingredients contained in various dairy products are very important and necessary nutrients for babies, but babies with lactose intolerance may suffer from symptoms such as diarrhea and allergies. For these babies, mothers should choose to breastfeed in small amounts and multiple times. This will allow the baby to gradually adapt to various dairy products and improve lactose intolerance. The so-called lactose intolerance is caused by individuals lacking lactase. As long as the baby is fed with a small amount of milk each time, the baby will no longer show intolerance symptoms.

Studies have found that consuming small amounts multiple times can reduce lactose intolerance reactions, and the amount consumed each time should not exceed 250 ml. Moreover, every time the mother drinks milk, she should grasp the reasonable interval time and total daily milk intake, so that the baby's lactose intolerance can be better alleviated.

2. It is not advisable to drink milk on an empty stomach

Mothers should pay special attention. If their baby is lactose intolerant, they should be particularly careful about choosing the time when breastfeeding. Generally speaking, experts do not recommend that mothers feed their babies milk on an empty stomach, as this can make the symptoms of lactose intolerance worse. It is best for babies to drink milk at the same time as other foods, such as eating dairy products at the same time as meat and fat-containing foods. This can reduce or eliminate symptoms of lactose intolerance. However, when drinking dairy products, mothers must not let their babies eat too much greasy food, otherwise it will not only cause lactose intolerance, but may also induce diarrhea.

3. Drink goat milk

Babies with lactose intolerance and other conditions should be careful when drinking milk and should try not to drink milk, breast milk and other beverages. This type of dairy product is very rich in lactose and is very unsuitable for babies who are lactose intolerant. Therefore, mothers should pay special attention when choosing dairy products. They should let their babies slowly become familiar with the lactose in dairy products so that they can slowly adapt to milk and breast milk. Therefore, in view of the baby's digestive system, experts recommend that mothers give their babies goat milk. Moreover, goat milk is better for the stomach than cow milk, and the various nutrients it contains are higher than cow milk. Therefore, it is more suitable for babies with lactose intolerance. When faced with the problem of what to do if your baby is lactose intolerant, lamb is also a good choice.

4. Fermented milk instead

Babies with lactose intolerance can temporarily stop drinking fresh milk. At this time, fermented milk can be used instead of the fresh milk they usually drink, such as yogurt. 20%-30% of the lactose in fermented milk has been degraded. Not only will babies not suffer from lactose intolerance when drinking it, but it is also very beneficial for digestion and absorption. Eating yogurt can also improve lactose malabsorption and lactose intolerance, and it is also very convenient to eat.

Regarding the issue of what to do if your baby is lactose intolerance, experts also remind you that you should always observe your baby's reactions in daily life. If the symptoms are mild, the mother can use the method of small amounts and multiple times.