"Lactose intolerant
is the expression used to describe the body's inability to produce
enough of the enzyme lactase in the digestive tract. Without it, lactose
(the natural sugar in milk and other dairy products) cannot be digested
properly, so suffers can feel bloated or experience vomiting and stomach
pains after consuming milk or milk-based products"
For my daughter, it came
apparent that something was not right at around 8 months old. She would
continuously have loose runny nappies and be complaining of a tummy
ache (my interpretation) all the time. You have to use your intuition
and insist your baby has a test to clarify what might be going on. When
formula was given this would always happen. I breastfed for 6 months
and had no problems with breast milk. The experts will tell you that
breast is best and it can build up a tolerance in the body to fight
against such allergies and babies that are formula fed are more likely
to get allergies, but in my case I did both and still got the allergy
problem.
What are the symptoms of lactose intolerance?
The key symptoms are tummy pains and diarrhoea, some babies will experience
vomiting and eczema as well. Signs of lactose intolerance usually begin
about 30 to 60 minutes after a feed.
What signs should
you look for?
Lots of Wind.
Babies will also have trouble sleeping more than normal.
They may wake up suddenly as if in pain and start crying. Don't ignore
it, these cry's are for real and in the yearly months they are usually
not doing this for "attention".
Diarrhoea and vomiting
Diarrhoea and spitting up or vomiting are signs of lactose intolerance
in babies. Look for changes in your baby's stools. Diarrhoea in babies
is runny, dark in colour and occurs many times during the day.
Eczema
Lactose intolerance in babies can also manifest as eczema - dry skin
with a rough texture due to small white bumps. Your baby may have dry
and scaly patches or the eczema may cover large areas of the body. External
allergies are usually a sign of internal allergies too, so get it checked
out early.
When your child gets
to weaning age, be careful with food that contains milk - ALOT
of jar and prepared food contains lactose. You are better off making
your own food and storing it, that way you know exactly what is in the
food and can eliminate other food groups easily if needed to detect
other allergies. Generally it is tough going looking up all the ingredients
of food, Look at vegetarian and vegan food shops (Brighton -
UK is a great place to shop if you have allergies) they have good alternative
foods.
How long will this
go on for!?
This all depends on how
long it takes for the gut to recover. Usually around the age of two
years, the child will gradually become more resilient to lactose.
My daughter was gradually
introduced to lactose products (and I mean 1 product every 2 weeks)
at 1 year 10 months old. By the time her second birthday came, she was
almost on full lactose again.
I found homoeopathy very
good to assist in the whole allergy thing. Find a reputable homeopath
in your area and have a good chat through the treatment plans they can
offer.
The symptoms can go reverse,
and the stools can turn into constipation whilst introducing lactose
again. It's a rollercoaster ride, but you will get through the other
side and become use to the constant monitoring.
Author: J Fuller, My-
Products
www.my-babyshop.co.uk
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