If your toddler is lactose intolerant, she is not alone. A vast majority -- more than 80 percent -- of the global population can't digest lactose, the sugar that is naturally part of milk. Lactose-free milk can solve the problem for your toddler, but be certain that the issue is a digestive one before using lactose-free milk.
Misconceptions
Lactose intolerance is not the same as a milk allergy. If your child is allergic to the proteins in milk -- casein or whey -- then providing lactose-free milk will not help. Lactose intolerance means your toddler doesn't naturally digest lactose, the sugar in milk. A milk allergy is a systemic allergy and manifests in an allergic response. You can't prevent lactose intolerance from occurring; it's part of a child's genetic makeup.
Identification
A milk allergy and lactose intolerance can manifest in similar fashions. Typically, both mean that your toddler has gas, diarrhea and bloating. However, a milk allergy also classically includes swelling, hives, runny nose and other systemic allergic responses.
Work with your pediatrician to properly identify your toddler's milk issue to treat it properly. Most allergists suggest an elimination diet, where you remove all forms of dairy from your child's diet for six weeks. Then reintroduce dairy and observe your child's response. Report the findings to your doctor. In most cases, if your toddler suffers gastrointestinal issues without any other accompanying symptoms, lactose-free milk can resolve the issue.
Significance
If a toddler is lactose intolerant, then all dairy products cause gastrointestinal issues, not just milk. Serving lactose-free milk to your toddler can help, but your child will need help to eat other dairy products. When she eats cheese, ice cream or yogurt, you can either choose a lactose-free product, such as a soy-based or dairy-free product, or give her a digestive supplement that includes the lactase enzyme when she eats the food to aid digestion.
Time Frame
Age is important when determining if lactose-free milk is appropriate. Babies aren't lactose intolerant, or they wouldn't be able to digest breast milk, states pediatrician Dr. Alan Greene. However, toddlers can be lactose intolerant and need to drink milk that is lactose free. In addition, he notes that a toddler can be temporarily lactose intolerant if he is recovering from diarrhea.
Considerations
You can't stop your toddler from being lactose intolerant. Lactose-free milk will help manage his digestive issues, but it won't make him able to tolerate dairy products. If you are concerned about giving your child lactose-free milk, or don't want to provide a supplement when he eats dairy products, you need to watch his diet carefully. Baby Center states that toddlers need 500 mg of calcium each day. If your toddler isn't drinking milk, you also need to track his phosphorus and riboflavin intake as many kids use milk as the primary source of these minerals.
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