About one in four babies are considered colicky, according to MayoClinic.com. Colic is a condition of severe crying in a newborn typically caused by painful digestive complications. It's normal for a baby to become fussy and cry, but certain symptoms can help you distinguish between normal behavior and what is considered colic. Very few babies are lactose intolerant, according to "Baby Center." While some premature babies may be lactose intolerant for the first few weeks of life, they will eventually recover and be able to digest milk normally.
Pediatric Lactose Intolerance
Lactose intolerance occurs when there is a deficiency of lactase, the enzyme required to digest lactose. Lactose is a sugar found in all types of milk, including cow's milk, goat's milk and breast milk. Most cases of lactose intolerance commonly develop during adolescence when the child transitions from childhood into adulthood. If your baby was born premature, she may be intolerant of lactose for a few weeks. In rare cases, if both parents are lactose intolerant and pass on the gene to the child, a baby can be lactose intolerant, according to "Baby Center."
Colic
Colic is a condition that affects newborns up to about nine months old. Colic is defined by MayoClinic.com as crying more than three hours a day, for more than three days a week, for more than three weeks and for no apparent reason. The exact cause is unknown but is most likely related to an immature digestive system, lactose intolerance or allergies. Babies who suffer from colic have predictable crying episode the same time every day, are inconsolable and will change their posture by curling up their legs or clenching their fists.
Relationship
If your baby is lactose intolerant, he may become colicky because of the unpleasant symptoms from consuming lactose. If your baby becomes excessively fussy and develops the common symptoms of colic after drinking a bottle or being breast fed, he may be lactose intolerant. Lactose intolerance in a baby can cause pain in the abdomen, excessive gas, cramping, diarrhea and nausea, making the baby feel miserable. If you suspect that your baby is lactose intolerant, call your pediatrician.
Treatment
If your baby is diagnosed with lactose intolerance, you can still breast feed, according to "Baby Center." You will have to pump your breast milk and add a lactase supplement. Lactase is sold in liquid form that can be added to your milk to digest the lactose before it enters your child's body. Colic symptoms should subside, once the baby is given the milk with the lactase enzyme added.
