Lactose intolerance people cannot digest the lactose sugar in cow's milk. The condition is caused by a deficiency in the lactase enzyme that breaks down this complex sugar into glucose and galactose, two simple sugars absorbed into the bloodstream. This widespread condition affects certain populations and ethnic groups more than others, and is more common in older individuals than in young children.
Symptoms
Lactose intolerance causes abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea and nausea. Symptoms generally appear between 30 minutes and two hours after consuming milk or foods containing dairy products. The severity of the symptoms may correlate with the amount and type of dairy product consumed. In infants and young children, fussiness, colic and excessive spitting up are usually not signs of lactose intolerance.
Risk Factors
Approximately 70 percent of the worldwide population is lactose intolerant. The condition is rare among Caucasians and those descended from Northern Europeans. Lactose intolerance occurs at rates of 50 to 80 percent in Hispanic people; 60 to 80 percent in black and Ashkenazi Jewish people; and almost 100 percent in Asian and American Indian people. The age when symptoms begin also varies. About 20 percent of Hispanic, Asian and black children younger than 5 years of age show signs of lactose intolerance.
Alternative Diagnoses
Lactose intolerance is rare in infants and young children. The American Academy of Pediatrics points out that lactose intolerance may occasionally develop as early as age 2 or 3 in children from high-risk ethnic populations. In Caucasian children, it rarely develops before age 4. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends additional testing for children with symptoms of lactose intolerance to rule out an acute infection or bowel injury. Fussiness accompanied by dairy sensitivity in very young children is likely to be caused by a milk protein allergy, rather than lactose intolerance. This is an entirely different condition caused by casein allergy, and it involves the immune system rather than the digestive system. Food allergy or food sensitivity symptoms in young children often include fussiness accompanied by rash, eczema, sore bottom, dry skin, wheezing, persistent congestion, itchy eyes, ear infections, intestinal upsets or green stools with mucus or blood.
Treatments
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children who are lactose intolerant continue to eat some dairy foods to maintain adequate daily levels of calcium and vitamin D. Lactose-free milk and lactose-free dairy products can provide alternative sources of calcium. In addition, many young patients are able to tolerate yogurt and hard cheeses. You should not remove foods from your child's diet without consulting your pediatrician for guidance.
