If your baby is lactose intolerant, diaper rash may be a common occurrence. Diaper rash occurs when urine or stool sits too long on your baby's skin. Baby's that are lactose intolerant will experience diarrhea every time she drinks milk, which can make it difficulty to keep the skin clean and dry. The Baby Center states that lactose intolerance among babies is very rare and needs to be clinically diagnosed by your doctor. Lactose intolerance is commonly confused with a milk allergy, which may require more dietary intervention.
Babies and Lactose Intolerance
Between 30 and 50 million Americans suffer from lactose intolerance, but very few of those millions are babies. Lactose intolerance occurs when the intestines are deficient of lactase, the enzyme that helps digest lactose. Lactose is a sugar that is too complex for the body to absorb it. Babies are born producing large amounts of lactase because their diet is predicated on drinking milk. As people age, the body naturally stops creating as much lactase because an adult diet is not dependant on milk.
Causes
Three different exceptions can cause your baby to become lactose intolerant. The most common reason is premature birth. Premature babies may not have enough lactase to break down the lactose when they're first born. Lactase isn't produced until the last trimester of pregnancy. Most premature babies begin to produce lactase around their scheduled due date. Babies that get sick with the stomach flu may experience temporary lactose intolerance. In rare cases, if both parents carry a certain gene, the baby can be born with chronic lactose intolerance.
Diaper Rash
Diaper rash commonly occurs in babies with lactose intolerance because of frequent and acidic stools. Diaper rash is treated by keeping the affected area clean and dry and applying a diaper rash cream that contains zinc oxide. You can prevent diaper rash from lactose intolerance by providing the missing enzyme through supplementation. Bottle-fed babies can be given a lactose-free formula, while breast-fed mothers will have to expel their milk, add the lactase enzyme and feed their baby through a bottle. The supplement will help digest the lactose before it enters the baby's digestive system.
Consideration
If you notice other symptoms, such as hives, eczema, shortness of breathe, wheezing and facial swelling after your baby drinks milk, he may be allergic to milk. A milk allergy is a common food allergy in babies and children and could cause diaper rash from diarrhea. A baby with a milk allergy cannot ingest any dairy without developing symptoms.
