Lactose insufficiency in the baby: what to do?

Lactose insufficiency in the baby is a serious and even dangerous problem. After all, such a violation is due to the inability of the body to absorb dairy products, including mother's milk. Therefore, every parent should know about the main symptoms of this condition, because the earlier treatment is started, the more chances for successful recovery.

What is dangerous lactose deficiency in babies?

First of all, it should be noted that milk (including breast milk) contains sugar called lactose. It covers almost 40% of the energy costs of a child's body. The process of digesting this carbohydrate occurs with the participation of the enzyme - lactase. Lactose deficiency in the baby is accompanied by a deficiency of this enzyme, which makes it impossible for a normal assimilation of such a product. At the same time lactose takes a direct part in the development of the brain and formation of the retina of the eye. That is why a deficit of such a substance leads to unpredictable and often sad consequences.

Lactose insufficiency in the infant and its form

For today it is accepted to distinguish two basic forms of such infringement:

• Primary, or congenital, insufficiency is most often associated with genetic characteristics and is hereditary. This same form is often found among preterm infants.
• Secondary lactase deficiency develops after birth on the background of diseases of the digestive system, including some intestinal infections.

Lactose insufficiency: symptoms of the disease

The main symptom of the disease is diarrhea - bowel evacuation occurs 10 - 12 (sometimes and more) once a day. At the same time, stool masses are liquid, foamy, green with a sour smell. During the disease in the digestive tract, fermentation processes are intensified, resulting in accumulation in the intestine of an excessive amount of gases. Thus, the child constantly suffers from bloating and abdominal pain, often refuses to eat, pulls his legs to his stomach, constantly cries, does not sleep well. It is often possible to notice profuse regurgitation, up to vomiting. In the absence of treatment, the baby is slowly gaining weight, and in the most severe cases, a developmental lag is observed.

Lactose insufficiency in infants and methods of diagnosis

To date, there are many ways to test the work of a child's body:

• First of all, the analysis of feces for the level of carbohydrates;
• In addition, the pH of the feces is also checked - in case of insufficiency, this index varies;
• In some cases, the doctor prescribes a dietetic diagnosis - the child is prescribed a diet that does not contain lactose, and monitor the change in the condition;
• The most accurate method of diagnosis is a biopsy of the intestinal mucosa with the subsequent examination of the samples for lactase activity.

The child has lactose insufficiency: what to do?

In fact, the treatment here is individual and depends on the reasons for the development of the insufficiency and age of the child. For example, it is quite often that special artificial mixtures with low or zero lactose content are introduced into the infant's diet. If the baby is on breastfeeding, then it should be fed only expressed milk, previously dissolving in it a pill or powder containing the enzyme lactase.