Causes and management of lactose intolerance in infants - Dr. Shaheena Athif

Usually if the baby is on breast milk need not have any lactose intolerance. Very very unlikely that the child may have primary lactose intolerance. There can be chances of secondary lactose intolerance, that is if the child has an episode of gastroenteritis diarrhea, loose motions, soon after that the intestinal wall is very fragile and it leads to the lactase deficiency, and because of this the baby not be able to digest he milk which the baby is receiving. So it may be either the breast milk or the formula milk. In that case you may see abdominal distension, frothy greenish stools, increased passage of gas. This may indicate that the baby may be lactose intolerant. Any baby who is lactose intolerance should be put on a lactose free formula milk for a period of 4 - 8 weeks. If it is post diarrhea, so any lactose intolerance is present in the market. They will be containing soya protein and they will help the child overcoming this particular period when the child is not having any lactase enzyme. So after the period of 8 weeks, you can change to breast milk nor the formula milk. If the child is only on breast milk and the child is lactose intolerant, then the child has to be alternated with breast milk and lactose free milk. If the baby is only on formula milk, then you have to completely stop the particular formula milk which the child is taking and replace it by lactose free formula milk for a period of 1 or 2 months.