Although classified as harmless, lactose intolerance in babies can make them feel uncomfortable. In addition, the nutritional adequacy of the baby can be disrupted. Therefore, mothers need to know the symptoms of lactose intolerance in babies so that they can be treated as early as possible.
Lactose intolerance is the body's inability to digest lactose, a type of natural sugar found in milk. This happens because the digestive system does not produce the enzyme lactase in sufficient quantities. As a result, lactose that enters the body cannot be digested and causes digestive problems.
Actually, lactose intolerance in infants is a rare thing. This condition is usually passed down from their parents. In addition, babies born prematurely and suffering from celiac disease are also at risk for lactose intolerance.
Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance in Babies
Usually, symptoms of lactose intolerance in babies appear 30 minutes to 2 hours after consuming formula milk or solid foods that contain milk. Symptoms can also appear if the baby drinks breast milk from a mother who consumes milk. These symptoms include:
1. Diarrhea
Lactose intolerance can cause your baby to have diarrhea. Babies will be more frequent bowel movements and the texture of the stool is more watery. In contrast to that caused by infection, diarrhea in lactose intolerance usually smells sour and causes redness around the baby's anus.
When lactose enters the body without being digested by enzymes, it is fermented by natural bacteria that live in the large intestine. The result of fermentation is fatty acids which can then draw water into the large intestine and cause diarrhea, as well as irritate the skin around the anus.
If there is a lot of diarrhea, your little one is very likely to be dehydrated and this should not be allowed. Signs of a dehydrated baby include the baby being less active than usual, dry lips, and reduced tears. If the dehydration is severe, the baby will be more limp, sleepy, blue eyes, and wrinkled skin.
2. Bloated stomach
When you feel bloated, your baby will usually fuss and cry for no apparent reason. In addition, the baby will often arch his back and kick or lift his legs.
3. Stomach ache
If your baby is lactose intolerant, his stomach will hurt. When a stomach ache, usually the baby will cry louder than usual, reluctant to sleep or suckle, and often squirm. In addition, the baby will also show facial expressions of pain, such as closing his eyes and grimacing.
4. Weight does not increase
Ideally, babies will experience weight gain as they get older. However, babies may not gain weight if they are lactose intolerant. This is because the absorption of nutrients to be hampered, so the weight did not increase.
Those are the symptoms of lactose intolerance that you need to recognize. Babies have not been able to express the complaints they feel in words. So, Mother needs to pay attention to changes in Little One's behavior, yes.
The symptoms described above can also be caused by health problems other than lactose intolerance. Therefore, if your little one experiences these symptoms, you should immediately take him to the doctor for proper examination and treatment.
