If your 1-year old suddenly develops gas, bloating, diarrhea and stomach pain after drinking milk or eating dairy products, she may be lactose intolerant. However, the Children's Hospital of Boston states that it is extremely rare for a child to develop intolerance to lactose under the age of 2. In these rare cases, a child may be born with a lactase deficiency because of genetic issues or premature birth. Signs of lactose intolerance in a 1-year old may be mistaken for a milk allergy.
Lactose and Children
Lactose is a sugar found in milk that cannot be absorbed into the bloodstream without being simplified. To simplify the sugar, the body must create lactase, an enzyme that breaks down lactose into galactose and glucose. Lactose intolerance symptoms typically begin around the age of 3 in some children, but commonly develop in adulthood. If you are of African, Asian, Hispanic or Native American decent, you have a greater chance that you 1-year old will develop lactose intolerance, according to Kids Health.
Signs
Signs of lactose intolerance include gastrointestinal complications that may cause your 1-year old to become fussy and uncomfortable. Common symptoms develop within the first two hours after your child ingests dairy products. Abdominal bloating, cramping, explosive diarrhea, excessive gas, nausea, vomiting, foul-smelling stool and stools that float are common signs of lactose intolerance. It's advisable to keep a food journal of what your 1-year old eats and how it affects his digestive system for further evaluation by your child's pediatrician.
Causes
Lactose intolerance develops in a 1-year old due to an infection in the intestines, a rare hereditary condition or from surgery or an injury. If your child gets the stomach flu or food poisoning, she may develop temporary lactose intolerance. If both you and your partner have a certain gene, it's possible for you to have a child born lactose intolerant, but signs of the condition become obvious during the first year of life -- before your child's first birthday. Sometimes after an intestinal surgery or injury to the lining of the intestines, the body simply stops producing lactase.
Milk Intolerance and Allergy Consideration
Signs of lactose intolerance in a 1-year old are very similar to signs of a milk intolerance or allergy. Milk intolerance is the inability to digest the proteins in cow's milk and causes symptoms much like those of lactose intolerance. A milk allergy is easier to identify because aside form digestive complications, a child develops symptoms in other areas of the body such as nasal congestion, asthma and rashes.
