Lactose deficiency in infants is a rather serious and even dangerous problem. After all, such a violation is associated with the inability of the body to absorb dairy products, including mother's milk. Therefore, every parent should be aware of the main symptoms of this condition, because the sooner treatment is started, the greater the chances of a successful recovery.
What is the danger of lactose deficiency in infants?
For starters, it's worth noting that milk (including breast milk) contains a sugar called lactose. It is he who covers almost 40% of the energy costs of the child's body. The process of digestion of this carbohydrate occurs with the participation of the enzyme - lactase. Lactose deficiency in infants is accompanied by a deficiency of this enzyme, which makes it impossible for the normal absorption of such a product. However, lactose is directly involved in the development of the brain and the formation of the retina. That is why the deficiency of such a substance leads to unpredictable and often sad consequences.
Lactose deficiency in infants and its forms
Today, it is customary to distinguish between two main forms of such a violation:
- Primary, or congenital, insufficiency is most often associated with genetic characteristics and is hereditary. The same form is often found among premature babies.
- Secondary lactase deficiency develops after birth due to diseases of the digestive system, including some intestinal infections.
Lactose deficiency: symptoms of the disease
The main symptom of the disease is diarrhea - bowel movements occur 10-12 (sometimes more) times a day. At the same time, the feces are liquid, foamy, green in color with a sour smell. During illness, fermentation processes intensify in the digestive tract, resulting in the accumulation of excess gases in the intestines. Thus, the child constantly suffers from bloating and pain in the abdomen, often refuses to eat, pulls his legs to his stomach, constantly cries, sleeps poorly. Often you can notice abundant regurgitation, up to vomiting. If untreated, the baby slowly gains weight, and in the most severe cases, there is a developmental lag.
Lactose deficiency in infants and diagnostic methods
Today, there are many ways to check the work of the child's body:
- First of all, they analyze stool masses for the level of carbohydrates;
- exceptIn addition, they also check the pH of the stool - in case of insufficiency, this indicator changes;
- in some cases, the doctor prescribes a diet diagnosis - the child is prescribed a lactose-free diet and monitors the change in condition;
- The most accurate diagnostic method is a biopsy of the intestinal mucosa, followed by a study of samples for lactase activity.
Baby has lactose intolerance: what to do?
In fact, the treatment here is individual and depends on the causes of deficiency and the age of the child. For example, quite often, special artificial mixtures with a low or zero lactose content are introduced into a child's diet. If the baby is breastfed, then you need to feed him only with expressed milk, after dissolving a tablet or powder containing the lactase enzyme in it.
