Yogurt is a way for your baby to get servings of fruit and dairy, as well as nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D. If your baby is lactose intolerant and cannot eat dairy products, you can still find ways to help your baby enjoy different types of yogurt and still get the nutrients he needs from other foods.
Lactose Intolerance and Babies
Lactose is the type of sugar found in dairy products. If your baby's body cannot produce enough lactase, the enzyme needed to digest lactose, the undigested lactose will stay in her intestine and make it difficult for her to consume dairy products. Lactose intolerance typically develops in grade school or the teenage years. According to Babycenter, lactose intolerance is not common in babies but can occur.
Symptoms
If your baby is lactose intolerant, he might have diarrhea and be unable to tolerate breast milk or formula made from cow's milk. Since it is uncommon for babies to be lactose intolerant, talk to your baby's doctor about his symptoms. You might need to eliminate all lactose sources from his diet, including formula and yogurt, to see if his symptoms subside.
Tolerating Yogurt
Your baby might be able to have a small amount of yogurt made from cow's milk without any problems because the process of making yogurt modifies milk proteins and makes them easier to digest. Babycenter also states that live culture yogurt has thermophilus and bulgaricus, bacteria that help produce the lactase needed to digest lactose. Your baby's doctor can help you decide if you can safely feed your baby yogurt, even if she is lactose intolerant.
Alternatives
If your baby cannot tolerate yogurt made from cow's milk, look for lactose-free versions at the grocery store. You also can try offering your baby yogurt made from soy proteins. These yogurts offer nutrients you would normally find in yogurt, such as calcium, but without the lactose.
Recommendations
If your baby is lactose intolerant, you will need to find ways for him to have calcium in his diet, which is needed for strong bones and teeth. You can find calcium in leafy greens, broccoli, canned salmon and fortified bread. If your baby is just starting out with solid foods, you might need to mash or puree his food so that he can eat it easily. When he is old enough, his doctor might recommend that you offer him soy milk that is fortified with vitamin D and calcium.
