Lactase insufficiency in infants - symptoms

As is known, the main component of breast milk is sugar - lactose. In nature, it occurs only in milk in mammals, with the greatest concentration in human milk.

Getting into the digestive tract, a large molecule of lactose is cleaved by the action of the enzyme lactase, glucose and galactose. It is glucose and is the main source of energy for the processes of metabolism in the human body. Galactose, in turn, becomes, so to speak, an integral part of galactolipids, which are necessary for the normal development and operation of the central nervous system.

Quite often, the baby can be noted, the so-called lactase deficiency, the symptoms of which are not known to all breastfeeding mothers. Let's take a more detailed look at this violation, calling it the main reasons and ways of manifestation.

What are the causes of lactase deficiency?

Before to name the basic signs on which presence the mum can easily establish infringement, it is necessary to tell about the reasons causing such disease.

So, depending on the reasons it is accepted to allocate primary and secondary lactase deficiency. The primary form of the disorder occurs when the cells located on the surface of the small intestine (enterocytes) are normal, however, the activity of the lactase enzyme (hypolactasia) is decreased, or it is completely absent (alaktasia).

The secondary form of lactase deficiency develops when the above mentioned intestinal cells are damaged, which, in fact, synthesize the enzyme.

Sometimes doctors separately still distinguish such a state, in which the body of the baby is overloaded with lactose sugar, as a result of which the enzyme lactase present in its body is not sufficient for cleavage. At the same time, it is produced in a normal amount, and the excess of lactose is caused by a large volume, the so-called front tank of the breast. In such cases, a lot of front milk, rich in lactose, accumulates between the feeds.

What are the signs of lactase deficiency in babies?

As a rule, in most cases, thanks to a very bright clinical picture of the presence of a disorder, the nursing mother almost immediately after the appearance of the first symptomatology. If we talk specifically about the symptoms of lactase deficiency in a baby who is on GV, then, as a rule, it is:

1. Pretty liquid, sometimes with foam and sour smell of stools. At the same time acts of defecation can be observed, how often (more than 8-10 times a day), and it is rare, and sometimes even absent without carrying out stimulating measures.
2. Severe anxiety of the baby during meals and after breastfeeding.
3. The appearance of bloating. Literally after some time after feeding, moms note that the tummy of the baby becomes bigger in size, firm touch. When touching him, the baby becomes restless, cries.
4. With a pronounced form of disorder, the baby is not gaining weight badly, which sometimes makes it possible to reveal a form such as latent lactase deficiency in the baby.
5. Frequent and quite plentiful regurgitation can also be considered as a sign of lactase deficiency in infants with HB.

It should be noted that such a violation can be noted and with artificial feeding. The main symptoms of lactase deficiency in this case in infants, who are on IV, are a frequent liquid stool with a green tinge, rashes on the skin (an allergic reaction).

In most cases, to determine such a violation as lactase deficiency in infants, the mother can by his behavior: the baby greedily begins to suck his breast, but after a few minutes she throws, cries, pressing her legs to her stomach.

Thus, each nursing mother should know how lactase deficiency manifests in the baby, in order to seek medical help on time.