Digestive enzymes are substances found in your intestines and pancreas that aid in digestion. Digestion that is impaired due to enzyme problems can result in an abnormal or lack of absorption of the nutrients you consume through food. Digestive enzyme problems in infants can be minor and easily corrected with supplements or they can be a sign of more serious illness. Parents who are concerned about their baby's digestive patterns should speak to their pediatrician to determine the scope of the problem.
Symptoms of Possible Enzyme Problems
Digestive enzyme impairment is characterized in several different ways. An infant who has lactose intolerance produces looser-than-normal bowel movements and can become dehydrated from frequent diarrhea. Frequent crying due to abdominal pain and gas can also be a sign, and might be confused with colic by inexperienced parents. Nausea is another symptom of lactose intolerance; babies with the condition may spit up more often than other babies.
Failure to thrive is the term used to describe a baby who does not seem to grow on the same curve as his peers, and can be a sign of digestive enzyme problems, including those related to cystic fibrosis. In addition to the physical symptoms of failing to thrive -- having a small head circumference, failing to reach the third percentile in weight appropriate for the baby's age, and being shorter than the 20th percentile -- babies who fail to thrive also suffer from developmental delays. Infants who have severe digestive enzyme problems are not getting the nutrition they need to support rolling over, crawling or walking within the normal time frame.
Conditions With Digestive Enzyme Issues
Two medical conditions that involve digestive enzyme problems are lactose intolerance and cystic fibrosis. Lactose intolerance is a fairly well-known condition; if you're lactose intolerant, your body does not produce enough of a digestive enzyme called lactase to digest milk sugars. Infants who are lactose intolerant have difficulty digesting their mothers' milk or milk-based infant formulas. The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse -- NDDIC -- explains that premies, babies born prior to 37 weeks gestation, are more likely than full-term babies to be lactose intolerance. Lactase levels rise during the last trimester of pregnancy; babies who do not stay that long in the womb may be deficient.
Cystic fibrosis is another condition in which an infant's digestive enzymes, and therefore the digestive process, are impacted. Cystic fibrosis, or CF, is most often thought of as a lung disorder, but affects the digestive system as well. People who have CF have an increased volume of mucus coating their lungs and pancreas. According to the Merck Manual, the heavy mucus secretions block the passageway between the pancreas and intestines so that the digestive enzymes produced by the pancreas cannot reach the digestive tract.
Treating Lactose Intolerance
Lactose intolerance is usually treated by either avoiding dairy products or taking lactase supplements before eating milk-based foods. Switching to a soy-based infant formula may improve the symptoms of a baby who is formula-bed. The solution for breastfed infants can be more difficult if the parents are committed to nursing without supplementation. The Australian Breastfeeding Association suggests sticking with breastfeeding if the symptoms of lactose intolerance are secondary -- caused by gastritis, stomach infections or the side effects of bowel surgery -- as the condition may improve on its own over time. Infants who cannot keep down food and are suffering from failure to thrive syndrome are most likely suffering from primary lactose intolerance, a genetic condition in which the digestive enzymes are not present in the child, causing a lack of absorption of nutrients. Infants who have primary lactose intolerance require a diet of specialized formula that is easily digestible.
Treatment for Cystic Fibrosis-Related Problems
Infants who have cystic fibrosis are more likely to be underweight than their peers due to their digestive problems. Supplementation of pancreatic enzymes can aid digestion, according to the Merck Manual. Some children with CF may require a feeding tube that delivers high-calorie nutrients directly to the intestines, as a supplementary measure to regular feedings.
Outlook
Digestive enzyme problems are usually long-term problems that need to be managed, though some babies can outgrow their lactose intolerance as they mature. Babies who start life without the enzymes and nutrients they require to grow can catch up once their condition is diagnosed and appropriate treatment is administered. Cystic fibrosis is a life-long condition that requires not only digestive treatment but management of lung secretions and breathing treatments in order to function as normally as possible.
