How Closely Do I Need To Watch What I Eat
Most babies have no problems with anything that mom eats. Its generally recommended that you eat whatever you like, whenever you like, in the amounts that you like and continue to do this unless you notice an obvious reaction in your baby.
There is no list of foods that every nursing mom should avoid because most nursing mothers can eat anything they want, and because the babies who are sensitive to certain foods are each unique what bothers one may not bother another.
How Does A Lactose Intolerance Affect Breastfeeding And Formula Feeding
If diagnostic testing confirms a lactose intolerance, dont immediately panic and stop breastfeeding. Whether youre able to continue breastfeeding depends on the type of lactase deficiency.
For example, if your baby develops a lactose intolerance after a viral illness, the general recommendation is to continue breastfeeding. Breast milk can give their immune system a boost and help heal their gut.
If your infant has developmental lactase deficiency due to a premature birth, this condition only lasts a few weeks or months. So your baby may eventually drink milk-based formula or breast milk with no problem, although youll need to use lactose-free infant formula in the meantime.
But breastfeeding isnt an option if your baby has a congenital lactase deficiency. The lactose in your breast milk can cause severe diarrhea and lead to dehydration and electrolyte loss. Youll need to feed your baby with lactose-free infant formula.
The 5 Major Signs And Symptoms Of Lactose Intolerance In Infants Are:
1. Loose stools
Sometimes your child might pass loose, watery, yellow and green coloured stools after two hours of consuming milk or any other dairy product. This could be a sign of lactose intolerance in the baby. However, it could also be a sign of other problems. So rule out other possibilities first and then get your child diagnosed for lactose intolerance.
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2. Diarrhea
When your body does not produce enough lactase, lactose remains undigested and starts accumulating in your intestines. This can result in diarrhea. If diarrhea takes place after the consumption of milk and is accompanied by other symptoms as well, get your child diagnosed for lactose intolerance.
3. Vomiting and nausea
If your baby feels sick all the time, is nauseous and vomits a lot, especially after the consumption of dairy, there is a chance that your child is lactose intolerant. Vomiting is usually followed by nausea. It could also take place due to other conditions. But if it happens too often and mostly after the consumption of dairy, you must get your child diagnosed for lactose intolerance.
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4. Bloating and flatulence
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5. Frequent crying
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Whats The Difference Between Cows Milk Protein Allergy And Lactose Intolerance
Cows milk protein allergy and lactose intolerance are not related. CMPA is one of the most common food allergies in babies and usually appears before 1 year of age. It is a type of milk allergy where a babys immune system responds to the proteins found in cows milk, causing the baby to have allergic symptoms such as: skin rashes, eczema, diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach cramps. For more information on CMPA read our article.
Lactose intolerance does not involve the immune system. Symptoms of both condition can be similar so it is important to get the advice of your GP who can help with the diagnosis.
Symptoms Blamed For Lactose Intolerance
Lactose intolerance is often blamed as being a contributory factor for colic, resulting in cessation of breastfeeding and substitution of lactose free formula. Infants with gastrointestinal symptoms on exposure to cows milk are more likely to have cows milk allergy than lactose intolerance
Green and frothy bowel motions may be a sign that the baby is receiving too much lactose, which has a rapid gut transit time. This may be due to an excess of the early less fat-rich milk or switching the baby between breasts before emptying one breast first. Babies may be very unsettled and windy. Mothers may have an overactive letdown reflex.
Assessment by an experienced breastfeeding worker may be beneficial to ensure optimal milk removal by the baby is taking place before considering lactose free formulae. Imbalance of milk transfer can produce similar symptoms i.e. loose bowel motions, which may be green and frothy. This is due to the rapid transit time of large volumes of lower fat milk and consequently an excessive consumption of lactose . Breast compression when the baby is not actively sucking may improve milk transfer.
Babies can exhibit excess wind and gastric discomfort, which may be diagnosed as lactose intolerance, but which in fact is transitory lactase deficiency i.e. too much lactose for the available lactase.
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Treatment: Lactose Intolerance In Babies
The treatment for lactose intolerance in babies often depends on the cause. And no matter whats causing your babys lactose intolerance, its important to soothe and comfort your baby when hes showing symptoms.
Congenital lactase deficiency If your baby has congenital lactase deficiency, your GP, paediatrician or dietitian will guide your childs treatment.
Secondary lactose intolerance For a breastfed baby with secondary lactose intolerance caused by gastroenteritis, you should be able to continue breastfeeding.
Weaning isnt usually recommended because breastmilk has so many nutritional benefits and lactose is good for your babys growth. Your child can usually tolerate a small amount of lactose, and gradually increasing it can help her body produce more lactase.
If your baby is formula fed or youre considering giving him formula, consult your GP or a dietitian before using or changing to a low-lactose or lactose-free infant formula. If your child is under six months, avoid using soy-based infant formula.
Talk to your GP if youre thinking of using Lacteeze drops in expressed breastmilk or Lacteeze tablets. Theres some debate about the effectiveness of these treatments. Also talk to your GP if you want to try replacing breastmilk or alternating breastmilk with formula, or youre generally worried about your babys nutrition.
How Is A Milk Allergy In Babies Treated
If it turns out that your newborn is one of the 2 to 3 percent of babies who has a milk allergy, dont despair. Many children outgrow a milk allergy by the time they’re around 1 year old, and the majority of babies with milk allergies outgrow the condition by about age 3.
In the meantime, your child’s doctor may recommend the following:
- If your baby is formula-fed: Your pediatrician will suggest switching to a different formula. Because many babies with milk allergies are also allergic to soy , the doctor may suggest a hypoallergenic formula with hydrolysate protein, which has milk proteins that are already partly broken down, so its less likely to cause a reaction.
- If youre breastfeeding or exclusively pumping: Your pediatrician will likely recommend that you ditch dairy in your diet to see whether that makes a difference to your baby. Of course, making a major change to your diet is probably the last thing you want to think about when dealing with a fussy newborn, but it may very well resolve the issue. If you do eliminate dairy, be sure to talk with your doctor about how to make sure youre still getting enough calcium and other nutrients in your diet.
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What’s The Difference Between Milk Allergies Vs Lactose Intolerance
With a milk allergy in infants, a babys immune system reacts negatively to the proteins in cows milk. Breastfed babies are reacting to the dairy his mother has eaten , while formula-fed babies are reacting to the cows milk proteins in the formula. In either case, a baby’s immune system sees the cows milk proteins as foreign substances.
Milk intolerance, on the other hand, has nothing to do with cows milk proteins or the immune system, and instead has to do with the digestive system. Your child might have loose stools or blood in stool hours or days later.
Congenital lactose intolerance is an extremely rare metabolic condition that also impacts the digestive system. Lactose intolerance more commonly develops in older kids and adults. The few babies with lactose intolerance will usually fare much better on a formula with little or no lactose.
- Irritability, crying or other colic symptoms
- Failure to thrive and gain weight
What To Do If Your Child Is Lactose Intolerant
If your child is lactose intolerant, there are many solutions that allow your child to have a healthy, well-rounded diet. With the right foods and treatments, you can help stop your child’s symptoms.
For true lactose intolerant babies, it is recommended that parents seek the help of a pediatric gastroenterologist to manage this condition. Because these infants are often “failure to thrive” and have diarrhea, they may need a special formula and should be closely monitored for adequate weight gain.
Older children have multiple options, such as choosing dairy-free milk and dairy-free cheese products or using Lactaid tablets, which contain lactase enzymes. Lactaid tablets come in a chewable form for children ages 4 years and up.
“You can take Lactaid tablets with the first sip or bite of dairy,” says Dr. Ramirez. “It gives you the enzyme needed to break down the lactose for 45 minutes of eating or drinking. Taking a Lactaid tablet should help prevent symptoms such as bloating, stomach pain and diarrhea.”
If children have temporary secondary lactase deficiency, you can help them avoid dairy for about two weeks, then reintroduce dairy products. Transient lactose intolerance can sometimes occur after a viral or bacterial gastroenteritis.
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Is Lactose Intolerance The Same As Cows Milk Allergy
No. Having a reaction to traces of cows milk protein that enter breast milk via the mothers diet is not the same as lactose intolerance or lactose overload. However an ongoing food allergy can damage the lining of the gut where the enzyme needed to digest lactose is produced, causing symptoms of lactose overload. Lactose overload and cows milk allergy can therefore both be present at the same time.
Eliminating lactose from a mothers diet wont help a babys symptoms of lactose overload because lactose is added to breast milk in the breast. However, if the real issue is sensitivity to cows milk protein then avoiding foods with lactose probably will help the symptoms because cows milk proteins and lactose tend to be found in the same foods.
Breastfeeding A Baby Who Can’t Tolerate Milk
If your baby is lactose-intolerant, you don’t need to change your diet. It doesn’t matter how much dairy you consume, the amount of lactose in your milk will be the same.
However, if your baby is diagnosed with milk allergy, you will need to remove all dairy from your own diet too. You will need calcium and vitamin D supplements every day. Your doctor or allergy specialist will advise you.
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Prematurity And Lactase Deficiency
Though lactose intolerance is not common in babies, some babies who are born before 34 weeks don’t have a fully functional gastrointestinal tract. They may lack lactase and other enzymes they need to digest food, though these can develop later as the child grows. Interestingly, these premature infants may still tolerate intact milk protein based formulas.
Sensitivity To Cows Milk Proteins
Breastfed babies who are sensitive to dairy in moms diet are sensitive to specific cows milk antibodies, in the form of proteins , which pass into the mothers milk. Cows milk is a common source of food sensitivity in babies. Cows milk sensitivity or allergy can cause colic-like symptoms, eczema, wheezing, vomiting, diarrhea , constipation, hives, and/or a stuffy, itchy nose.
If your baby is sensitive to dairy in your diet, it will not help to switch to lactose-free dairy products. The problem is the cows milk proteins, not the lactose. Cooking dairy products may reduce but will not eliminate the allergens.
A significant percentage of babies with cows milk protein allergy will also react to soy. Most dairy-allergic babies will also react to goats milk or sheeps milk. Some will also react to beef.
If you think that your baby may be sensitive to dairy products in your diet, remember that it can take 10 days to 3 weeks to eliminate cows milk protein from your systemallow a full 2-3 weeks of dairy elimination before evaluating the results.
If your baby is only a little sensitive to dairy proteins, you may be able to relieve babys symptoms by eliminating only the obvious sources of dairy you may even be able to eat small amounts of dairy without it affecting baby.
If your baby is highly allergic, it will be necessary to eliminate all sources of dairy proteins, which requires a careful reading of food labels. See the Hidden Dairy Cheat Sheet .
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Signs And Symptoms Of Lactose Intolerance
Lactose is a type of sugar found naturally in the milk of most mammals.
Lactose intolerance is a condition characterized by symptoms such as stomach pain, bloating, gas and diarrhea, which are caused by lactose malabsorption.
In humans, an enzyme known as lactase is responsible for breaking down lactose for digestion. This is particularly important in infants, who need lactase to digest breast milk.
However, as children grow older, they generally produce less and less lactase.
Some people may also develop lactose intolerance after surgery or due to gastrointestinal diseases such as viral or bacterial infections.
Here are the 5 most common signs and symptoms of lactose intolerance.
Treatment For Cows’ Milk Allergy
If your baby is found to be allergic to cows’ milk, your GP or allergy specialist will explain to you how to manage it. This will include removing all cows milk from your childs diet for a period of time. Your GP may also prescribe a special infant formula that doesn’t contain cows’ milk for bottle-fed babies.
If your baby gets a cows milk allergy in reaction to the dairy you eat or drink, your GP may tell you to avoid cows milk products in your diet in case these affect your baby.
this is the case, your GP may tell you to avoid cows milk products in your diet in case these affect your baby.
Your GP or dietitian will help you work out the best diet for your child at whatever stage they are at and closely follow your child’s progress. Your doctor will suggest reintroducing milk after a while to see if your child has grown out of their allergy.
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