Lactose intolerance is a disorder in which the individual has trouble digesting lactose, which is found in milk and dairy products. Symptoms in toddlers can be fairly mild, making the disorder difficult to diagnose. While not life-threatening, lactose intolerance can cause severe discomfort and distress, but can easily be addressed when properly diagnosed.
Symptoms
There are several symptoms that point to lactose intolerance in toddlers. These symptoms are somewhat similar in nature and include pain in the abdominal area, diarrhea, gas and bloating, all of which often appear together and may be difficult to pinpoint. Since toddlers are not always able to express how they feel physically and the symptoms of lactose intolerance are not all visible, they can be mistaken for other illnesses. Often the discomfort is minimal and the symptoms display as crankiness.
Causes
The body begins to reduce its development of lactase, the primary hormone it uses to digest the lactose found in dairy products at around age 2, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. This hormone breaks down lactose into glucose and makes it usable as energy for the cells. Without sufficient lactase, the lactose stays in the gastrointestinal tract and causes discomfort, played out as any of the symptoms associated with lactose intolerance.
Alternative Causes
In toddlers, any of these symptoms can also point to a virus or infection, so they would have to persist over a lengthy period or be combined for a diagnosis of lactose intolerance. The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse explains that if any of these symptoms occur between 30 minutes and 2 hours after eating dairy, lactose intolerance may more obviously be the culprit.
Tests
Since the symptoms can be associated with several disorders, doctors will typically try to diagnose lactose intolerance by having the patient cut out dairy from his diet. If the symptoms lessen, the doctor will diagnose the deficiency. If the doctor needs more information for a toddler, she may run a stool acidity test, which is used for young children and infants. Lactose that remains undigested creates lactic acid, other fatty acids and sometimes even glucose that can normally be detected in a stool sample.
Solutions
Usually to manage lactose intolerance, the toddler will have to reduce his dairy consumption. But some can tolerate milk better taken at meals, while others can handle alternative forms of dairy such as yogurt and hard cheese. There are new alternatives on the market such as lactose-free milk, which comes with the addition of lactase to break it down. Severe sufferers may have to avoid milk altogether, using soy milk or other alternatives to replace nutrients in their diets.
