Top Signs Your Child is Lactose Intolerant

It can be surprising to hear that babies are often naturally very dairy-sensitive. Some people who are breastfeeding their children may notice signs of a dairy allergy and therefore have to change their own diet to be able to keep their child comfortable and healthy. Very few children go into childhood lactose intolerant. Dairy sensitivity isn’t quite the same as lactose intolerance, because being sensitive to dairy means that your child can have dairy free baby formula.

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Lactose intolerance means that their lifetime goal is to avoid dairy entirely. Lactose is a sugar that is found in food that children absolutely love, such as ice cream, milk, soft cheeses on crackers and more. It’s also in some salad dressings sauces and other baked goods, so you have to be very aware of what your child is eating.

Breast milk can contain lactose, as can infant formulas, and if you are breastfeeding your child, it’s your diet that needs adapting. Lactose intolerance comes in when that particular sugar cannot be broken down by the body and therefore the symptoms that display as a result are not particularly comfortable. If you’ve been concerned that your child might be lactose intolerant, here are some symptoms that you can look out for so that you can make better decisions for your child.

• Finding loose stools and a lot of gas when your child is eating dairy-related products. Now it’s harder to see this when they are newborns because you expect newborns to have loose stools and full nappies, and that is usually the case. But there is a very big difference between newborn stools and lactose intolerant stools, and that’s in the consistency as well as the smell.
• Your child’s stools are watery. As we just mentioned, there is a difference in the consistency of a newborn stool compared to a child with lactose intolerance. A lactose intolerant child will be dealing with watery stools that are explosive and often leak out the side of the nappy on a regular basis rather than the occasional poonami. 
• Your child’s stomach is uncomfortable. Stomach bloating, nausea and gas are all key effects of lactose intolerance. If your child’s stomach is distended regularly after eating dairy and they are very windy or feeling a little green around the gills, then you could point to dairy as being the problem.
• Skin reactions. Some children who are lactose intolerant come out in hives or other skin rashes that are uncomfortable and itchy. They may even have frequent colds and sniffles because their body is trying to fight the lactose like it’s an infection.
• Cramps and stomach pain. Stomach aches are common in anxious children, but in lactose-intolerant children, they can be much more uncomfortable.

Lactose intolerance isn’t necessarily curative, but it can be well managed by swapping out all dairy products and lactose-based products to plant-based or lactose-free products.