The most valuable food for children under one year is breast milk. It is a unique product, because it contains all the necessary vitamins and trace elements, fats and proteins, carbohydrates. But sometimes mother's milk is poorly absorbed by the baby. This is caused by lactose insufficiency. This is the name of a disease in which the absorption of dairy products is disrupted, and, in the first place, breast milk. Lactose insufficiency is a rather serious pathological problem for a newborn, so parents should know its symptoms. Lactose is called milk sugar, which in itself is not absorbed into the intestines. The organism needs to be split into glucose and galactose by a special enzyme called lactase. Lack of this substance and leads to a violation of the absorption of lactose. What is dangerous lactose deficiency? Lactose covers 40% of the infant's energy expenditure, stimulates the normal microflora in the stomach, participates in the development of the brain and retina of the eye, and also promotes better digestibility of the necessary microminerals. If the absorption of lactose is impaired, the child will have a low weight gain and a lag in development. That is why it is important to know how to determine lactose deficiency.
Symptoms of lactose insufficiency in infants
Lactose deficiency can be suspected by the following signs:
- A liquid foamy chair of greenish color with a sour smell - diarrhea. In the chair with lactose insufficiency, lumps and separate foamy water can be present. Emptying of the intestine occurs quite often - 10-12 times a day.
- Intensification of intestinal colic, as increased fermentation and gas formation in the stomach. Because of this, the baby, with good appetite, refuses the breast, knees, bends, and capricious.
- Increased regurgitation and the appearance of vomiting.
- In severe cases - poor weight gain, weight loss and developmental lag.
If you suspect a lactose deficiency, you should consult a pediatric gastroenterologist. The doctor will give an analysis for lactose deficiency, the simplest study is the surrender of stool to identify carbohydrates. In infants, the carbohydrate content should not exceed 0.25%. There are additional tests: determination of pH of feces, concentration of gases, activity of lactase in biopsy specimens.
How to treat lactose deficiency?
In the treatment of this disease, an individual approach is applied. First of all, it is necessary to pay attention to nutrition in case of lactose insufficiency caused by innate lactose intolerance. If the child is on artificial feeding, a decrease in the amount of milk sugar is shown. Mixtures with lactose deficiency are selected on a soybean, lactose-free or low-lactose basis or containing enzyme lactase.
If the newborn is on breastfeeding, reduce the amount of milk should not be. Adequate medications that promote lactose digestion, such as Lactase Baby capsule and Lactase Enzyme, are sufficient. The necessary amount of the drug is dissolved in the expressed milk and give to the baby. In addition, before feeding, the mother should express "front", lactose-rich milk.
And by the way, to adhere to a special diet of the mother with lactose deficiency is not necessary. It is enough to use those products that are allowed to nursing mothers.
With secondary lactose insufficiency, which occurs against a background of intestinal infection or diseases of the digestive system, it is enough to cure and get rid of the underlying cause.
When does lactose insufficiency occur? - that's what parents are often interested in. With the primary form of the disease, lactose can never be absorbed by the body. Digestion of lactose in secondary lactose deficiency is possible only when the baby reaches the age of six months.