How to feed your baby lactose intolerance

To feed your baby lactose intolerance, ensuring the amount of calcium he needs, it is important to offer lactose-free milk and milk products and invest in calcium-rich foods like broccoli, almonds, peanuts and spinach, if he already has more than 6 months.

When the baby who only breastfeeds has lactose intolerance, it is important that the mother remove lactose products from her own food because they can pass into breast milk, causing symptoms such as a swollen belly, gas and discomfort in the baby. If the baby only takes a bottle, a lactose-free formula should be used, as shown in the diagram below:

When your baby starts eating yogurt, you can choose to offer a natural yogurt with lactose to observe your body's reaction because yogurt is generally better tolerated. If the symptoms manifest, you should offer only lactose-free yogurt, as well as milk and be careful when preparing the baby food, carefully reading all food labels.

How to differentiate between normal colic and lactose intolerance

The main difference between normal newborn cramps for lactose intolerance symptoms in babies is the intensity of the symptoms and the frequency with which they appear.

Babies who breastfeed only may have cramps throughout the day, but these cramps do not appear after all feedings while babies with lactose intolerance have bloating, excess gas and diarrhea that start about 30 minutes after each feeding.

There is also a relationship with the amount of milk ingested because the more milk the baby drinks, the worse the symptoms.

What to do if you think your baby has lactose intolerance

In case of suspected lactose intolerance in babies it is necessary to inform the pediatrician about this suspicion, saying all the symptoms that the baby presents and when they appear.

The best way to find out if your baby does not digest lactose is to do the food exclusion test which consists of not eating any food that has lactose for 7 days. If the symptoms disappear during this period, it is very likely that he is intolerant, but although this test is very simple, it should only be done after consultation with the pediatrician. Check out other tests that can be performed: Test for lactose intolerance.

Lactose intolerance can be diagnosed at any age, but it can also appear on a temporary basis, lasting from 7 to 10 days after an episode of gastroenteritis, for example.

Allergy to milk protein manifests itself differently from lactose intolerance, because it generates skin symptoms and can make breathing difficult. In addition, milk intolerance is also due to galactose intolerance.

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