Perhaps everyone knows perfectly well that breast milk is the best food for a newborn. After all, it contains all the necessary vitamins and minerals that are needed for the development of the baby in the first months of life. But recently, many children have been diagnosed with lactase deficiency. What is it? And how to deal with it?
Lactase deficiency (LD) is a disease in which the activity of lactase breakdown is reduced. In this case, undigested lactose causes water to enter the intestines from the body, resulting in loose stools for the baby.
Lactase deficiency in newborns. Species
- Primary LN (very rare) is a condition where the activity of lactase is reduced, but the enterocytes that produce it are not damaged. This type of lactase deficiency is divided into congenital and transient. The latter LN is most common in either immature children orpremature. This condition passes over time, and the process of lactase production is restored.
- Secondary LN appears in any disease that results in damage to enterocytes. Most often, lactase deficiency of this type occurs with allergic inflammation in the intestine, which is caused by food allergies.
Causes of lactase deficiency
- immature intestinal and stomach enzymes, especially in premature babies;
- various intestinal infections;
- food allergy (mainly to cow's milk protein or antibiotics).
Lactase deficiency. Symptoms:
- loose (often sour-smelling and frothy) stools;
- loss of appetite;
- constant increased gas formation;
- severe anxiety of the baby at the beginning of breastfeeding, with the subsequent rejection of it altogether;
- poor weight gain or loss.
Diagnosis of disease
In order to confirm the presence of this disease, you need to contact a pediatrician who will write out a referral for an analysis that will help determine the amount of carbohydrates contained in the stool.
Lactase deficiency. Treatment
If the baby eats adapted baby milk formulas, then for the duration of treatment they will have to be slightly limited or replaced with lactose-free or low-lactose ones. At the same time, the translation intoa new type of feeding is done gradually over 2-3 days. In the event that the child receives mother's milk, in the event of this disease, in no case should you refuse breastfeeding. You just need to add special preparations to the expressed milk 15-20 minutes before feeding. They help break down the lactase enzyme. Or you can replace part of your breast milk feeds with low-lactose formula feeds.
If such a diet is followed, lactase activity is restored, and after a few days the baby's condition improves significantly - colic disappears and diarrhea decreases.
If adults and children after a year suffer from lactase deficiency, the only way to solve the problem is to completely refuse milk, or replace it with special low-lactose products. At the same time, children should limit the consumption of confectionery products with milk fillers (caramel, butter cream, milk candies).
