Lactose intolerance is a condition in which a person suffers from the body’s inability to process lactose the main ingredient of some dairy products. That is why when lactose-intolerant kid consumes dairy products they tend to suffer from severe gastrointestinal problems.
Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance in Children
The symptoms of lactose intolerance are pretty much the same in both children and adults. According to the best pediatrician in Karachi, the signs of lactose intolerance depend mostly on how much dairy the other person is consuming or how much lactose their body is producing on a daily or weekly basis.
In case your child ends up eating dairy products, he or she might end up suffering from the following signs and symptoms within 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- Nausea
- Bloating
- Gas
- Diarrhea
- Severe stomach cramps
Risk Factors of Lactose Intolerance in Children
Given below are some of the common risks of your child suffering from lactose intolerance:
Ethnicity
This condition is far more common in the regions of Asia, Africa, America, and Hispanic people.
Medicines
Most of the time the use of antibiotics can also cause lactose intolerance. They do so by increasing lactose production in the intestines.
Infections
People who get diarrhea can also suffer from lactose intolerance. This condition can go away on its own after a day or weeks.
Diagnosis of Lactose Intolerance in Children
In order to diagnose lactose intolerance in children you have to start with a doctor’s visit. The doctor will inquire about your child’s eating habits. One common analysis in this scenario is checking the amount of hydrogen on the child’s breath after they have consumed something related to dairy. Hydrogen testing on children’s breath is the most common test for the diagnosis of lactose intolerance in children.
How the Test is Conducted?
The first thing that your child will do is blow inside a tube so that the sample can be collected. Then the doctor will provide them with a lactose-containing drink. After waiting some time they will ask your child to breathe inside the tube once again.
The process will carry on for two more hours so that there is enough hydrogen inside the tube for swift analysis. If your child has lactose intolerance then the levels are supposed to raise with the passage of time.
Endoscopy for Diagnosing Lactose Intolerance in Children
This test is conducted with the passage of a long tube inside the intestines. At the end of the tube, there is a camera and light for the analysis of any sort of hydrogen gas formation.
How to Take Care of a Child who is Lactose Intolerant?
Lactose intolerance is a serious medical condition and therefore you have to be extra careful in these instances. Therefore we have compiled some of the ways in which you can help your kid if they are suffering from lactose intolerance.
Limit Your Child’s Consumption of Milk or Milk-Related Products
First things first, you have to keep the milk out of the equation. Despite all the health benefits that come with milk consumption, milk is the one drink that your child is not supposed to have. Try to give them a limited amount of milk and encourage them to drink water every now and then.
Do not get fooled by the concept that skim milk is low in lactose content because it is not. You should start by giving your child small quantities of milk or milk-related products if you are not sure if your child is allergic to lactose or not.
Mix Solid Foods with Milk
You should make your child more accepting of adding different sorts of solid food products such as fruits and cereals with the milk. This way they are consuming more nutrition and a little bit of milk.
Give Your Child Small Amounts of Milk Products
Milk is an important drink that ensures good health because of its many benefits. Therefore you can try to give your child a little amount of milk and refrain from giving them too much all at once.
Give them Lactose-reduced Products
There are many products available in the market that are lactose-reduced. You should also make your child habitual of consuming those lactose-reduced products.
Lactose Dietary Supplements
Lactose dietary supplements are those supplements that allow your child to get nutrition without tampering with the lactose intake. Sometimes these are available in the form of pills such as Lactaid. Sometimes they are also available in the form of liquids. You should try to see which one of these options works the best for your kid.
Try Yogurt for your Lactose Intolerant Child
Sometimes your kids can survive eating yogurts that contain probiotics in them. You can feed your kid these yogurts in small quantities and then see how your child is reacting to them.
