Lactose intolerance is caused by your body not making a sufficient amount of lactase, an enzyme that breaks down the lactose sugar in dairy products. There are a number of reasons lactose intolerance is linked to breastfeeding. Lactose intolerant babies cannot drink breast milk, not breastfeeding long enough might cause lactose intolerance in babies, and women who are lactose intolerant and breastfeeding need to take in enough calcium. See your doctor if you or your baby might be lactose intolerant.
Lactose Intolerance in Babies
There are two different types of lactose intolerance: primary and secondary. Secondary lactose intolerance is the type often found in infants, although you can develop it at any age. Most babies make enough lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose, because human breast milk contains lactose just like cow's milk. However, some babies are born with congenital lactose intolerance. This is a rare but genetic disorder where the baby cannot break down the lactose in her mother's breast milk. About one out of every 65,000 babies is born this way, according to AskDrSears.com. Lactose intolerance also sometimes occurs from a child being born prematurely. If an infant has lactose intolerance, lactose-free baby formula is recommended.
Considerations
Sometimes infants have lactose intolerance symptoms, such as fussiness, gas and diarrhea, when on breast milk or formula, both of which contain lactose. For this reason, many people try lactose-free formulas. However, AskDrSears.com suggests that lactose intolerance is not always the cause of symptoms and fussiness in babies, although it is often blamed. The website notes that lactose-free formula is not always a smart choice, especially because it often contains corn syrup. Check with your doctor to determine the cause of your baby's symptoms and the best treatment method.
Duration of Breastfeeding
A September 1979 study in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" suggests that the amount of time a baby breastfeeds correlates with lactose intolerance in malnourished children. In the study, the children who breastfed for longer periods of time experienced less malabsorption of lactose and lactose intolerance than those who did not breastfeed for very long. Four months was the length of breastfeeding needed to lower the risk of lactose intolerance, according to a May 2010 study in BMC Pediatrics.
Breastfeeding Mothers
If you are breastfeeding, you need to take in 1,000 to 1,300mg of calcium a day. If you are lactose intolerant, you might have trouble obtaining enough calcium. However, you have a few options. You could take lactase enzymes to help break down the lactose in your dairy foods. Or you can obtain calcium through a number of other foods, including leafy vegetables like spinach, seafood, oranges, pinto beans and soy milk. There are also calcium-fortified foods on the market.
References
- MedlinePlus: Lactose intolerance
- MayoClinic.com: Lactose intolerance: Causes
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Lactose Intolerance
- AskDrSears.com: Bottlefeeding
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Lactose malabsorption in Banglasdeshi village children; Kenneth H. Brown, M.D., et al.; September 1979
- PubMed Central: Lactose intolerance among severely malnourished children"; Richard Nyeko, et al.; May 2010
