8 Cara Mengatasi Intoleransi Laktosa pada Bayi, Jangan Cemas Bun

Have you ever found your little one experiencing diarrhea after drinking milk? If so, it is highly likely that your little one has lactose intolerance, especially if accompanied by various other symptoms. This condition should not be left ignored because it can cause various nutritional deficiency problems in babies. To get the right treatment, let's recognize the symptoms and ways to overcome lactose intolerance in babies.

What is Lactose Intolerance Experienced by Babies?

Before knowing what lactose intolerance is, understand the meaning of lactose first, Mom. Quoted from the Indonesian Pediatric Society (IDAI), lactose is the most important source of carbohydrates in breast milk and formula milk.

Almost all lactose that enters the small intestine is hydrolyzed (broken down) into glucose and galactose by the lactase enzyme found in the microvilli of the small intestine epithelium. The result of this lactose breakdown will be absorbed and enter the bloodstream as nutrition.

According to the Indonesian Pediatric Society, lactose intolerance is a clinical symptom resulting from the sub-optimal hydrolysis of lactose in the small intestine due to reduced lactase enzymes.

The clinical symptoms experienced are profuse diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, vomiting, redness around the anus, acid-smelling stools, and diarrhea. Now, this diarrhea is one of the typical symptoms experienced by babies with lactose intolerance. This means that lactose intolerance and diarrhea can be considered as two conditions that almost always occur together.

Symptoms of Babies with Lactose Intolerance

The symptoms of lactose intolerance experienced by babies can vary, starting from bloating or diarrhea that can be immediately noticed. However, there are other symptoms that are sometimes not realized by Mom and increase the baby's risk of experiencing nutritional deficiency.

• Diarrhea

The most common symptom that is easiest to recognize if your little one has lactose intolerance is diarrhea. When having diarrhea, the baby poops more often with a thinner stool texture.

The difference with common diarrhea triggered by infection is that diarrhea due to intolerance to lactose in milk produces acid-smelling stool and causes redness and irritation around the baby's anus.

If your little one has diarrhea in large amounts, there is a risk of dehydration, a condition that should not be ignored. Signs of a dehydrated baby include lethargy, sleepiness, and wrinkled skin.

• Vomiting

The next symptom is nausea accompanied by vomiting. The nausea process occurs when lactose ferments in the intestine, then creates gas and fatty acids. Nausea usually appears 30 minutes after your little one drinks milk products, which is followed by vomiting.

• Abdominal bloating

Fermentation of lactose by bacteria in the large intestine can produce gas that makes the baby's stomach bloated and causes frequent farting. When bloated, babies tend to be fussier for no apparent reason and more often arch their backs.

 

• Stomach ache

Babies cannot yet express the stomach pain they are experiencing. Therefore, the baby will cry and usually be reluctant to sleep or breastfeed. The baby will also show a pained facial expression.

• Weight not increasing

If your little one has lactose intolerance, their weight does not increase as they age. This can happen due to the inhibition of nutrient absorption.

In addition to the general symptoms above, other symptoms experienced by your little one include hives, scaly skin rash, coughing or wheezing, blood in the stool, watery eyes, nasal congestion, and swelling of the mouth and throat.

Common Types of Lactose Intolerance in Babies

There are two types of lactose intolerance experienced by babies, namely primary and secondary.

• Primary lactose intolerance

Primary lactose intolerance is a rare genetic condition, and usually, the baby shows symptoms of malabsorption and dehydration. This condition makes it difficult for the baby to digest milk intake and is a medical emergency that requires immediate special care.

• Secondary lactose intolerance

Meanwhile, secondary lactose intolerance is triggered by the body's inability to digest the lactose entering the baby's body. The baby does not have enough lactase enzyme in their body due to illness, injury, or surgery involving the intestine. As a result, lactose cannot be broken down into smaller units so the body cannot access the sugar molecules.

Effective Ways to Overcome Lactose Intolerance in Babies

 

Until now, no medical treatment has been found that can help increase lactose in babies with intolerance issues. However, Mom can take the following steps to help keep your little one healthy and their nutrition fulfilled:

1. Avoid consuming milk or processed milk products in large quantities. It is even better not to consume them at all. Examples of milk and processed products with lactose that Mom must watch out for include cow's milk, goat's milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream, and butter.
2. Before giving food or drinks to your little one, especially those containing lactose, read the details of the ingredient composition listed on the product packaging.
3. Replace and switch the type of milk for the baby to lactose-free milk.
4. It is recommended for your little one to follow a lactose-free diet for 2 weeks. Then, reintroduce foods with lactose to assess their tolerance level. The safe limit for lactose consumption is no more than 12 grams.
5. Continue breastfeeding to ensure optimal nutritional intake.
6. Fulfill nutritional needs with healthy foods rich in calcium, vitamin D, and other nutrients from almonds, tofu, cabbage, egg yolks, beef liver, as well as salmon, tuna, and mackerel.
7. The Balanced Nutrition Guidelines from the Indonesian Ministry of Health recommend that children with diarrhea and lactose intolerance should not be given milk from animal sources. Instead, provide soy milk, eggs, and fish to meet nutritional needs.
8. If the symptoms of lactose intolerance experienced by your little one do not improve within 3 days, immediately take them to the doctor. Especially if your baby develops a fever, the stool texture becomes very liquid and mixed with blood, or there is repeated vomiting.

After understanding all the information regarding lactose intolerance in babies, Mom must ensure that the baby's nutritional needs from breast milk are still well met. Through an easy and enjoyable breastfeeding process, every drop of precious breast milk will be produced.

Let Mom trust the best products from Hegen Indonesia to support your little one's breast milk intake, ranging from the multifunctional Hegen PPSU Feeding Bottle, anti-colic teat, manual and electric breast pumps, to various other baby accessories.

Check the original product catalog from Hegen and shop for your needs online right now from home.

References

1. Directorate General of Health Services. Lactose Intolerance. https://yankes.kemkes.go.id/view_artikel/1604/in-toleran-laktosa
2. HelloSehat. Lactose Intolerance in Children, What Should Be Paid Attention To?. https://hellosehat.com/parenting/kesehatan-anak/penyakit-pada-anak/intoleransi-laktosa-pada-anak/
3. Higuera, V. Healthline (2019). Parenthood. Signs and Symptoms Your Baby May Be Lactose Intolerant.