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.
Q: If My Babys Lactose Intolerant And Im Breastfeeding Will It Help If I Quit Eating Lactose Or Will I Still Have To Switch To A Dairy
A: Taking dairy or lactose out of your diet will not reduce the lactose in your breast milk. Breast milk naturally contains lactose.
Depending on the type of lactose intolerance your baby has, you may have to switch to a lactose-free formula. Some lactose intolerance is a short-term situation and will resolve over time. Congenital lactose intolerance will not go away and your child will have to remain lactose free for their whole life.
Please make all changes to your babys diet with the assistance of your healthcare provider.
Carissa Stephens, RN
Answers represent the opinions of our medical experts. All content is strictly informational and should not be considered medical advice.
What Are Some Of The Signs Of Lactose Sensitivity In Babies
Lactose sensitivity in babies can cause fussiness, gas and crying. This digestive discomfort can occur anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours after consuming lactose. The degree of lactose sensitivity differs from baby to baby. Some babies may have a mild sensitivity, and it may be just a matter of managing the amount of lactose ingested. If babies have more severe or persistent issues, it could signal an underlying cause like a cows milk protein allergy.
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Lactose Intolerant Baby Poop
If your baby is lactose intolerant and their digestive system is having a hard time digesting milk, they may have diarrhea or loose poop. With lactose intolerance, they’ll probably be really gassy and bloated, too.
Since these symptoms could also indicate a milk allergy, it’s a good idea to work with your child’s doctor to figure out what’s going on. If your child has any digestive issues along with skin or respiratory symptoms, there’s a good chance it’s a milk allergy.
What To Do If Your Baby Is Lactose Intolerant
If you think your baby is having digestive trouble, you should visit your GP who can help with a diagnosis. It might be that your baby is referred to a paediatric dietician for more expert care.
If your baby is less than a year old, why not try our Baby Symptom Checker? It includes lots of helpful tips, and youll be able to print a symptom summary to show your GP.
When lactose intolerance is suspected, you may be advised to eliminate lactose from your babys diet. You should only do this under the guidance of a healthcare professional, wholl also provide advice around how to ensure that your baby still gets all the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development. Calcium is one nutrient requiring special attention. Thats because the body usually gets it from foods contacting lactose. If theres insufficient calcium in the diet, this can affect normal bone development8.
If youre breastfeeding, you should continue doing so, and your baby may need lactase drops to digest the lactose in your breast milk. Usually, the enzyme drops are mixed with a small amount of expressed breast milk in a sterile container, which you can then give to your baby from a spoon just before their feed.
The amount of lactose in your own diet isnt related to your babys intolerance, so eliminating lactose from your diet wont make a difference here. If you think your baby may be reacting to the lactose in your breast milk, the best thing to do is seek advice and guidance from your GP.
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Is My Baby Lactose Intolerant
If you have a concern that your baby may be lactose intolerant, it is probably because you have observed something about your baby or their toileting issues that has you concerned. You may suspect that your baby is lactose intolerant, but are trying to determine if they actually are.
Below, we have some more information that can help you determine if your baby truly has intolerance towards lactose.
How To Know They Are Lactose Intolerant
Various signs you can look out for are the following.
- Persistent crying that does not go away, despite lots of cuddles.
- Being continuously sick, because they cannot digest the lactose in the baby formula properly.
- Diarrhea, if it does not come back up in the form of baby sick, then it is likely to emerge at this end instead, and be quite liquidy.
- Check the colour of their stools. If it is yellow or green and very watery.
- Not putting on weight. If they are continually sick or have lots of watery diarrhea, they are not taking in any nutrients. Thus they will struggle to put on weight like a healthy eating baby.
- Any signs of rashes on the skin.
- Excessive wind or rumbling tummy when they have a poo.
- Demonstrating they are in pain by kicking or lifting their legs up, clenching their fists, arching their backs or crying while passing wind.
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Lactose For Babies Isnt The Enemy
Can babies digest lactose? In most cases, yes. Lactose literally means milk sugar. Unlike regular table sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, lactose is very good for infants because it improves health three different ways:
- Its digested into glucose, the key fuel for your babys bodyand brain.
- It provides loads of galactose, essential for building your babys nervous system.
- Any excess lactose that passes through the intestine undigested gets fermentedto gas plus a vinegar like acidin the lower intestine. This causes frothy, acidic stools that can irritate your babys skin . But the mild acid can also save your babys life by killing bad bacteria and boosting Lactobacillus acidophilus .
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Lactose Intolerance And Breastfed Babies
Contrary to popular belief about lactose intolerance in breastfed babies, they do not stop exhibiting symptoms once the mother stops consuming dairy products. This is because lactase is present in all mammalian milk and not just in humans or other animals. A breastfed baby with primary lactose intolerance will have to be put on a special diet due to severe dehydration or complications arising from intolerance symptoms. For other types of lactose intolerance, the child must continue to be fed breastmilk and taken to the paediatrician for routine checkups to monitor and heal any underlying conditions.
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My Doctor Says Tests Confirm My Baby Has Lactose Intolerance
Some doctors might diagnose lactose intolerance if they measure excess acid in a babys poop or hydrogen gas in a babys breath due to temporary lactose intolerance . Noble and Bovey state that the presence of reducing sugars in a babys poop can be quite normal for breastfed babies particularly under six weeks of age11 while the Australian Breastfeeding Association says both a hydrogen breath test and a test for reducing sugars in the stool are often positive in normal breastfed babies under three months of age12. James Akre explains:
Excerpt from
James Akre, Infant Feeding the Physiological Basis, WHO, 1992
It is usual to find reducing substances such as sugars in the stools of healthy breast-fed infants they contribute to maintaining the acid environment that retards the growth of pathogens. In contrast, the delayed gut transit time of industrially prepared milks permits almost total metabolism of these sugars.
Can Infants Have Lactose Intolerance Or A Milk Allergy
CMA is more commonly seen in infants, though it is possible to develop at any age. A milk allergy is one of the most commonly found allergies in infants and young children. About 80% of milk allergies disappear by the time the child reaches the age of five.
Lactose intolerance is not commonly found in infants, though it is possible. Children can also develop a temporary lactose intolerance after a bout of diarrhea or an infection. In these cases, the lactose intolerance usually clears up in a couple of weeks.
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How Do I Know If My Baby Is Sensitive To Lactose
If you think your baby might be sensitive to lactose, make an appointment for an exam with your babys pediatrician. Many suspected cases of lactose intolerance actually turn out to be other simple digestive issues that are easily managed. Its a good idea to come prepared and bring a list of questions with you.
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What Is Cows’ Milk Allergy
Most infant formula milk is made from cows’ milk. The first time a baby has cows’ milk, it’s very likely to be in formula. That’s because cows’ milk itself isn’t recommended as a drink for children under the age of 1. But from around 6 months old, when a baby is being introduced to solids, they can have cowsâ milk as an ingredient in foods.
Cows’ milk allergy is one of the most common allergies for babies and young children. Experts estimate that 2% to 7.5% of U.K. babies under 12 months old have it. If it happens, your child’s immune system reacts to the proteins in milk, triggering allergy symptoms. That’s why it’s sometimes called cows’ milk protein allergy.
If your baby does get an allergy to cow’s milk, it usually starts when your baby is first exposed to cow’s milk, through formula, or later with solid foods.
Sometimes, but not very often, babies who are breastfed can have this allergy. It’s because the cows’ milk from the mum’s diet is being passed on to the baby through their breast milk.
Most children grow out of the allergy by the time they reach the age of 5.
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What Are The Symptoms
Symptoms of lactose intolerance can be mild to severe, depending on how much lactase your body makes. Symptoms usually begin 30 minutes to 2 hours after you eat or drink milk products. If you have lactose intolerance, your symptoms may include:
- Loose stools or diarrhea.
Many people who have gas, belly pain, bloating, and diarrhea suspect they may be lactose-intolerant. The best way to check this is to avoid eating all milk and dairy products to see if your symptoms go away. If they do, then you can try adding small amounts of milk products to see if your symptoms come back.
If you feel sick after drinking a glass of milk one time, you probably do not have lactose intolerance. But if you feel sick every time you have milk, ice cream, or another dairy product, you may have lactose intolerance.
Sometimes people who have never had problems with milk or dairy products suddenly have lactose intolerance. This is more common as you get older.
If you think you might have lactose intolerance, talk with your doctor. He or she can make sure that your symptoms are caused by lactose intolerance and not by another problem.
How To Know If My Newborn Is Lactose Intolerant
What are the symptoms of lactose intolerance in babies?
- check Bloated Tummy, gastric pain, and flatulence- caused by the trapped air inside the tummy
- check Diarrhea- wet and frequent pass of poo that usually comes with tummy ache
- check Fussy mood- makes it difficult for baby to settle down
- check Frequent Crying- due to the pain and discomfort.
- check Nausea or vomiting
What are the signs and symptoms of being lactose intolerant? Lactose intolerance symptoms. The most definitive symptoms of lactose intolerance include bloating, gas, watery and odd-smelling stools , and even abdominal pain in some cases. How bad your symptoms are depends on how much dairy you have consumed and how much of a tolerance you have for lactose.
Can babies grow out of lactose intolerance? This is quite common in young babies and fortunately they usually grow out of it. There isnt an exact figure for true lactose intolerance in babies but its very rare.
What are the dangers of lactose intolerance? Research shows lactose intolerant individuals have a higher health risk for osteoporosis, weak bone density, hypertension and several caners such as breast and colon cancer.
Can lactose intolerant babies put on weight? Sometimes when a baby has a lactose intolerance they dont gain enough weight . Since the lactose intolerance can cause vomiting and diarrhea, this can sometimes contribute to poor weight gain in a baby. Lactose intolerance can also sometimes lead to rashes on the skin or frequent colds.
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Good Weight Gain But Windy Unsettled Lots Of Poop
A baby with lactose overload might typically gain weight very well but show several of the following colic type symptoms:
- Flatulence. Note that swallowing of air during a feed is not thought to be a cause of a babys flatulence or colic symptoms as excess air is burped out through the mouth67
- Loads of explosive green or yellow frothy, foamy or watery poop. Note: there can be several other causes of green poop too.
- Tummy ache or colic
Where milk allergy is the underlying cause other symptoms may be present as well see Milk Allergy in Babies.
How Do I Know If Breastfed Baby Is Lactose Intolerant
Diarrhoea can be a symptom of lactose intolerance in babies.
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Will My Baby Outgrow Cma And When
Most children eventually outgrow a milk allergy and often can begin a switch to cows milk after they reach 1 year of age. For children who still have CMA after 12 months, its common to supplement with a hypoallergenic formula like Similac Alimentum.
Its important to work closely with your healthcare provider to determine when this transition should begin and to identify an appropriate milk-alternative beverage.
References:1. United States Census Bureau QuickFacts . https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/RHI225218external icon 2. Gupta RS, et al. Pediatrics. 2018 142:e20181235.
Signs Of Lactose Sensitivity In Babies
If your baby has a hard time digesting the sugar in milk, they might have lactose sensitivity. This can be uncomfortable for baby and can make the time after feeding difficult for parents. Here are a few signs of lactose sensitivity in babies to watch for.
What is the difference between lactose intolerance and lactose sensitivity in babies?
Lactose intolerance causes harsh digestive issues that occur after ingesting milk or milk products. However, lactose intolerance in infants is extremely rare. Lactose sensitivity on the other hand, is much more common in babies and is typically temporary.
What are some of the signs of lactose sensitivity in babies?
Lactose sensitivity in babies can cause fussiness, gas and crying. This digestive discomfort can occur anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours after consuming lactose. The degree of lactose sensitivity differs from baby to baby. Some babies may have a mild sensitivity, and it may be just a matter of managing the amount of lactose ingested. If babies have more severe or persistent issues, it could signal an underlying cause like a cows milk protein allergy.
How do I know if my baby is sensitive to lactose?
If you think your baby might be sensitive to lactose, make an appointment for an exam with your babys pediatrician. Many suspected cases of lactose intolerance actually turn out to be other simple digestive issues that are easily managed. Its a good idea to come prepared and bring a list of questions with you.
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Damage To The Intestinal Lining
If there is any damage to the intestinal lining it can affect the production of the enzyme lactase which is produced in the delicate brush borders of the babys intestines. Types of damage include inflammation , bacterial or viral infection or antibiotic use. Other possible causes of damage include partially digested formula, parasites, and some mothers notice a connection with live vaccines such as rotavirus . If there is not enough enzyme, large amounts of lactose can pass undigested to the lower bowel. Here it will be fermented by bacteria giving the familiar symptoms of gas, discomfort and lots of green watery stools.
Damage to the brush borders may take some time to heal. Joy Anderson says:
Excerpt from
Lactose Intolerance and the Breastfed Baby, Australian Breastfeeding Association, 2017
Average recovery time for the gut of a baby with severe gastroenteritis is 4 weeks, but may be up to 8 weeks for a baby under 3 months. For older babies, over about 18 months, recovery may be as rapid as 1 week.
What To Think About
Lactose intolerance in newborns of normal birth weight and in babies is rare. But if your child has symptoms of lactose intolerance, see your doctor right away. Diarrhea is very dangerous because it can lead to dehydration, a serious problem that requires immediate attention.
Babies who are only fed breast milk do not develop lactose intolerance, because breast milk contains lactase, the enzyme that helps digest milk sugar. If your baby is formula-fed and develops lactose intolerance, you can switch to a formula made without lactose. In rare cases, a baby may have a reaction to the proteins in milk, which is a different condition called sensitivity to milk protein.
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