Babies and Lactose Intolerance

Symptoms of Baby Lactose Intolerance


If your baby has any of the following symptoms, he or she may have lactose intolerance, although a milk allergy is more probable.

• Colic
• Crying
• Spitting up (reflux)
• Gas
• Loose stools
• Eczema
• Ear infections

If your baby has any of the above symptoms, we recommend that you call our clinic at 1-888-546-6283 and schedule an appointment to determine the best way to improve your baby's health.

Why Lactose Intolerance Is a Serious Health Problem?

Inability to digest and absorb lactose leads to irritation of the lining of the intestines. This irritation in turn leads to a weakened digestive system that exposes you to future systemic disorders. In addition to an inability to absorb needed nutrients, a weakened digestive system is more susceptible to attack by parasites, yeast and pathogenic bacteria, which worsens the problems in your intestines and exposes you to chronic disease. 


The inability to digest lactose may also be just the tip of the iceberg. Lactose intolerant people often have other problems that indicate the presence of a dairy allergy, not just a lactose intolerance.

Lactose Intolerance Is Not a Milk Allergy - But Is Easily Confused with Milk Allergy


Lactose intolerance is your intestine's reaction to milk sugar. A milk allergy is a systemic immune reaction against milk proteins.
 Some symptoms of milk allergy can be similar to lactose intolerance symptoms. If you have any of the symptoms listed above, you could have lactose intolerance, a milk allergy, or both.

How Is Lactose Intolerance Diagnosed?


A simple self-test for lactose intolerance is to drink at least two 8-ounce glasses of milk on an empty stomach and note any intestinal symptoms that develop in the next four hours. The test should then be repeated using several ounces of cheese (which does not contain much lactose). 


If you get symptoms from milk but not cheese, then you probably have lactose intolerance. If symptoms occur with both milk and cheese, you may be allergic to dairy products. 
However, this self-test is not conclusive because you may unknowingly be consuming lactose. Lactose is "hidden" in hundreds of food products and medications. 



The Breath Hydrogen Test

The best way to find out if you are lactose intolerant is to get a breath hydrogen test, which is available through your doctor, or our clinic. This test is simple to do and is relatively accurate. It is the "gold standard" for detecting lactose intolerance. 


With the breath hydrogen test, you fast overnight, eat a dose of lactose in the morning and collect breath samples at timed intervals. If the lactose isn't broken down by the lactase enzyme in the small intestine, it travels to the colon and undergoes bacterial fermentation.

Due to fermentation, hydrogen levels in your breath will rise within 1-2 hours. 
If you would like to be tested for lactose intolerance using the breath hydrogen test, contact our clinic at info@ibstreatmentcenter.com or 1-888-546-6283.

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Image thanks to livestrong.com via creativecommons.org