Lactose Intolerance Symptoms

Updated on October 12, 2009
N.S. asks from Panama City, FL
33 answers

i have 2 months old boy who cry almost every time during feeding or right after. i am only breastfeeding him. when he is crying it seems like he is in great pain, his face is red, he is puling his legs to his tummy. the pediatrician said that he is just colicky. i give him gripe water sometimes. but once i noticed that he has small black spots in his poo. doctor said that it can happen, but i'm worried. i don't drink milk anymore, but eat cheese and some other dairy products. how do i know whether it is lactose intolerance or just colic? also he has had dark green poo in recently. i'm really worried.

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V.G.

answers from Sarasota on

My Daughter had the same thing and my pediatrician said it was GERD. It is different than colic. And the treatment is also diffrent. I would get another opinion. GERD is very painful for them. It is like acid reflex. My doctor try different things and we eventually put her on good start. 1/2 Good start and 1/2 breat milk. It took time to find what work for the baby. Hope this helps. V.

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C.P.

answers from Miami on

Colic is typically derived from something not right with the baby but doctors don't really pay attention to that or try to get to the bottom of it. They just believe the child will eventually grown out of it. Most of the time it is food. It would be wise to cut out all dairy and see if that helps. I know many moms that have done so and it's like they have a different baby. Also, chiropractic and cranial-sacral therapy helps many babies with colic symptoms.

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A.A.

answers from Punta Gorda on

It is highly possible it's something you're eating. Could be dairy, soy, eggs or many other possibilities.

We had the same problem and the total elimination diet that Dr Sears recommends truly saved us. Here's the link:

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/T041200.asp

I began this when my baby was 3 weeks old, and continued it until she was over 3 months old. Within the first 3 days, she went from crying 9 hrs/day to 3 hrs/day. By the 16th day the crying totally disappeared; she was 5 weeks by then.

It takes a minimum of 2 weeks to get dairy completely out of your system.

I had a lot more energy when I eliminated dairy, and a lot more breastmilk to offer too.

If it's not a food intolerance like I've just described, it may be reflux. The book -Colic Solved- says these two culprits are the most common reasons behind colic.

Please write me if you have any questions! I would absolutely love to provide more info if it'll help your baby feel better.

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S.G.

answers from Tampa on

hi N.,
don't worry, whatever this is i'm sure it's part of "normal" infant behavior, which can very greatly, and is nothing to be too concerned about. i know there is nothing worse than hearing your baby cry and not knowing what can be done to fix it but i promise it will get better!

first, it is likely not a lactose intolerance although many babies are sensitive to milk and many other things in a mother's milk, but it does pass as the baby's digestive system matures. my second was also very fussy and crying around feedings and i decided to stop eating all dairy products to see if she was having a negative reaction. it takes a full month for dairy to leave your body, so you will not see results until a month goes by. also, many babies are just extremely fussy up until six weeks of age and then suddenly whatever is bothering them stops (part of immature systems). i never experienced this with my first but i definitely did with my second! once we hit six weeks it was magic. it also coincided with my one month off dairy, so it may have been a combo.

i would highly recommend a site about breastfeeding and everything related, www.kellymom.com. it can answer many questions and shed some light on "normal" stuff. like the poop, babies poop changes color frequently and it can be related to the breast milk intake as well. if your baby is having green poop it could mean that he is getting too much foremilk and not enough hindmilk. are you nursing for a long time on each breast or just 5 or 6 minutes? too much of the foremilk (the first milk that comes in) does not have enough fat and that means it digests very quickly, causing green poop.

i would also recommend hiring a lactation consultant, or speaking with a volunteer from the la leche league in the area. many things are connected to nursing and they can be resolved. if there is something about how your baby is latching, the ratio of foremilk to hindmilk, etc. it can affect the disposition.

sorry my email is so long! i hope this helps and just remember, you are doing the best you can and everything will pass. when the babies are so young it is hard to know what is bothering them but you'll get through it! good luck :)

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K.M.

answers from Miami on

My response would probably nearly identical to Shulamit's. I would lean towards a dairy sensitivity versus lactose intolerance. The good news is they grow out of it. I ate whatever I wanted, including coffee with my daughter. With my son, he kept getting some eczema on his face so I went dairy free for a few months. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. By 6 months, I started introducing dairy again in my diet and he was fine. We're still nursing at a year. Poo can come in all colors, but sometimes green poo does signal an allergy/sensitivity of some sort. Kellymom has the best info on the net about breastfeeding (well, probably equal with La Leche League, lol). They have forums too where lots of knowledgable people can answer your questions. Here's some info on food sensitivities to make searching easier for you on there:

http://www.kellymom.com/babyconcerns/food-sensitivity.html

There are more links on the bottom you can check out. Food diaries are a big pain. Dairy and often soy are usually the biggest culprits when a breastfed baby has problems so I'd just start limiting your dairy while you look into it. It doesn't hurt anything and might help. Please don't introduce formula. You might mess up your supply and you might cause him more digestive problems as his body tries to get used to it.

One other thing you might consider is overactive letdown. See if any of this is familiar:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/fast-letdown.html

And finally, here's a link to colic and the breastfed baby:

http://www.kellymom.com/newman/02colic_in_bf_baby.html

Good luck! I hope you figure it out!

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A.P.

answers from Jacksonville on

In orderer to see if something you eat is really bothering him you have to keep a diary of what you eat. I know that my sister had to give up ALL dairy with her last child while she was breastfeeding him. Also I thought you were not supposed to give babies water they get enough liquid in your breastmilk. Did you ask your doctor about that? Good luck if it's colick it will last only a little while longer.

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C.J.

answers from Gainesville on

My daughter was EXACTLY the same way. She wasn't getting enough hindmilk. Try nursing many feedings on the same side before switching. It took me a while to figure out how many feedings to do on one side before switching. Eventually I would nurse all day on the right side and all night on the left side and got her poops to the thick seedy mustard colored poops that indicates a well fed baby. Green poop and particularly gassy/noisy pooping babies aren't getting enough hindmilk. http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/fast-letdown.html http://www.breastfeeding.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-2... Do any other symptoms point to a possible oversupply of breast milk? Do your breasts feel engorged? Is it sometimes painful or achy when the milk lets down? Does baby every gulp, cough, or click when nursing first starts? Hope this helps.

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A.B.

answers from Melbourne on

I would urge you to eliminate ALL dairy foods and hidden ingredients from your diet. I can be difficult at first, but it sounds like your son is milk protein intolerant (different from lactose intolerant which is actually quite rare). Google "Milk Soy Protein Intolerant" or "MSPI" to get more information. You can definitely keep breastfeeding though! Just make sure you're reading labels. Milk ingredients are required to be clearly labeled and ingredients lists will say either "Contains: MILK" or list (MILK) next to a specific ingredient. Colick is usually a direct result of digestive distress. I cut out dairy and had a different baby within a few days! Good luck!

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K.M.

answers from Tampa on

Hi'
Check out Dr. Bruce West at Health Alert, he is brilliant with this kind of thing.
And I think you are correct to be questioning this, and continuing to seek answers.
well done, k

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S.C.

answers from Tampa on

I would take him to a gastrointerologist (sp). Those are classic symptoms.

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W.C.

answers from Miami on

supposedly lactose intolerance can't be diagnosed until the child is yrs older. could have an issue with something you're eating, dairy being one of them since that is one of the most common allergens. you need to cut out all dairy not just milk. you should keep a food diary of what you eat and notice the reactions baby is having, but do keep in mind that some reactions may come hours, even days later. i think colic is just a word that is sometimes used to describe the undiagnosable. if they are "colicy" its probably something you just haven't figured out thats bothering him. there's a group on yahoo-- foodlab--- that helped me out alot. check it and take from it what you want. but those mommies have LOADS of information about foods, sensitivities, reactions, intolerances, allergies etc. Good luck.

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S.S.

answers from Miami on

He is having acid reflux. You need to cut all dairy and wheat out of your diet. If that doesn't work go get a blood test to see what you are allergic to because your baby has your immune system for the first 6 months. Do not put him on meds such as Reglan, Zantac or Prevacid. They are high in aluminum and very toxic. There is a great med called Bethanochol which is an older drug but free of side effects and metals. This baby has to get out of pain because he will end up being developmentally delayed because he is expanding so much energy crying and panicking. ALso put him on his tummy as much as you can throughout the day. This tightens up tummy muscles and promotes a strong core. BAck sleeping is really h*** o* kids who have reflux. Try different positions but do not sit him in a chair or swing to sleep. This makes things worse. I know alot about this issue so if you have any questions, let me know. Also, look into putting him on baby probiotics.

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C.H.

answers from Jacksonville on

Hi N.,
There are many things that you eat that could upset your little one's tummy. You could contact the local La Leche group for more details, but I have named a few below. Hope this helps.

Milk --including cheese, yogurt, etc--You can try lactose free
Citrus Fruits--including orange juice
Broccoli/ Cabbage--These are the worst
Onions
Soy
Tomatoes

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J.B.

answers from Fort Walton Beach on

Try putting him on soy formula. My best friend just had this problem with her youngest and within 24 hours the vomiting and crying were gone. If that doesn't work, I'd go back to the doctor and tell him how worried you are.

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N.R.

answers from Lakeland on

I breastfed my daughter and never had these types of problems until we weaned her, and she started taking formula with her meals at about 15 months. All of a sudden, her poo changed, and she had terrible rashes that were instantaneous to the poo, and gas, and stomach pain and stopped sleeping through the night. My husband is lactose intolerant and suggested that maybe she was. I tried giving her lactaid milk - and viola - that's when the problems cleared up immediately.
Soy is bad for children, so I would hold off on trying that if I were you, and check into the bad effects that the estrogen in soy has on children before you try that route.
Obviously, you can't start giving your baby Lactaid milk, but maybe if you drank it rather than regular milk it will help. When my daughter was younger, that it how I was able to let her have pizza, ice cream or anything with dairy in it. If she drank a sippy cup of the Lactaid milk, she was good to go to eat anything with in the 1/2 hour or so. Now she is 5, and I just give her a chewable tablet with breakfast - Digestive Advantage -lactose intolerance formula, one is good for 24 hours. I discovered that product on the shelf @ Publix & Walmart and my husband started trying it. He loved the product and found it easier to use because the Lactaid pills (1-3) have to be taken 1/2 hour before you eat dairy EVERY time that you have dairy if it has been more than 30 minutes since the last time that you took the pills.
If I were you - I would do a "food test" and try drinking the Lactaid milk in place of regular milk, and drink it each time that you have dairy as well. If the babies symptoms clear up.......then great. If it works, then you might want to consider the Digestive Advantage pills - it makes life so much easier because you just take one with breakfast and you are good to go for the day, and you don't have to carry the lactaid pills or milk with you every where you go. Basically - they are just putting the lactase enzyme in your stomach so that you can process the lactose in the regular milk. If he is lactose intolerant - maybe this will help him while you are nursing, and when he gets older and has teeth, you can give him the lactaid milk or the chewable Digestive Advantage tablets. Good luck!

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B.D.

answers from Sarasota on

From what you have described it sounds like your son has acid reflux, i.e GER or GERD. Check out the book "Colic Solved". Keep up with your son's symptoms, and stay on top of your pediatrician, "Colic" is usually undiagnosed reflux. The gripe water isn't causing the spots in his poo, something you're eating is. Stay off direct dairy like milk and yogurt (hard cheese is usually OK). Mylicon and things like that may help but not solve the problem, and you usually end up using them before every meal. My son is on a 1mg liquid dose of baby zantac (there's another name for it) and it's a realitivly high dosage, but it has really helped. Hope this helps and your little man feels better.

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E.C.

answers from Miami on

When the baby starts complain or cry during the feedings, this is GAS, always take out gases inmediatly when the baby starts crying or moving or complaining. For some babies (I had two of my three) breastfeeding is hard because they swalow too much gas even the firs minute and they cry and move like crazy during the feedings. Some body taught me to inmediatly take out gas when they start this beheaviour. Also try to put the baby in a position in which he is almost sitting.I also had to stop having any dairy meals myself and chocolate. I did many tests and always I had chocolate, they cried very hard. Sorry my english, I am spanish speaking, good luck

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L.H.

answers from Miami on

reflux is my 'business'
http://www.mamasource.com/business/14059862321568677889
it (reflux) oftentimes goes hand in hand w/ protein intolerances or allergies. most often milk protein and soy protein are the major 'offenders' but there are many other proteins that pass through your milk that may affect your baby.

I would get another pediatrician, AND get some lactation advise, either via la leche league (free):
The La Leche League Breastfeeding Helpline w/access to toll free breastfeeding help 24 hours a day. Just call 1-877-4-LALECHE (1-877-452-5324)

and/or a IBCLC (Int'l Board Certified Lactation Consultant)
to find a local internationally board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) click here:
http://www.ilca.org/falc.html

it may or not be your diet...it may be fast letdown, foremilk imbalance...that's why it's good to get some lacttion help as well as another medical opinion.
the only way to tell for sure if it's your diet is what others have posted: eliminate ALL milk and soy proteins for a good 2 or even 3 weeks and see if it helps. that's one way to start. OR just 'go for it' and do the Dr Sears Elimination diet so you can pinpoint what, if anything, that you're eating is affecting your baby.
my son had reflux (GERD) and I did the diet. For him, it was not milk or soy BUT I did find a few 'odd' things that affected him when I ate them (eggplant and tuna! )also I couldn't eat citrus or tomato products, but those aren't 'odd' lol.

HOLD THAT BABY!!!!

congratulations!
you can do this!

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J.C.

answers from Tampa on

please take the baby to a specialist. i have a daughter how is lactose intolorance and it took a specialist to find it. if this is the case anything with milk such as cheese, ice cream any thing with milk in it can cause a problem. good luck and GOD BLESS

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R.W.

answers from Tampa on

Start a food diary and keep track of what you eat. I would say it isn't the dairy doing this. I would guess it is something more like lettuce, spinach, or some other vegetable. Blueberries will make stool look like it has black spots in it. Do not drink Soda as it can really upset the babys stomach. Caffeine of any kind can do this. Coffee is something you should avoid. But like I said keep a food diary and try not eating different things and see if it makes a difference. Avoid onions and garlic also. As for me I could eat almost everything without it upsetting the baby. But certain veggies and fruit did turn the babies stool different colors. Also, doctors are not always right. If he is drinking to fast it can upset his stomach also. My milk came out to fast so I always had to squeeze a little out before nursing. You might want to get a second opinion, second opinions never hurt anyone.

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D.R.

answers from Miami on

Lactose Intolerance, Diarrhea, and Allergy
Maryelle Vonlanthen, MD
from Breastfeeding Abstracts, November 1998, Volume 18, Number 2, pp. 11-12.
Signs and symptoms of lactose intolerance, diarrhea, and allergy may occur in exclusively breastfed infants. These problems may be the result of sensitivity, intolerance, or allergy, terms not always defined correctly in the literature. An adverse reaction is any abnormal reaction to food or additives; food intolerance is any abnormal physiologic response to ingested food; and food hypersensitivity (true allergy) involves an immune reaction to ingested substances, often synonymous with IgE-mediated reactions. Immune reactions to ingested substances are classified into two broad types: IgE, with involvement of the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, and/or skin; and milk protein enterocolitis, limited to gastrointestinal involvement. The top three food antigens are cow's milk protein (mostly the beta-lactoglobulin component), soy bean protein, and egg white, followed by peanuts, meat, and fish, especially cod. About 50 percent of infants allergic to cow's milk protein will also be allergic to soy bean protein, and soy is virtually everywhere in processed foods. Allergens can be hidden in minute amounts, even occurring as cross contamination during food processing.

Diagnosis
A complete allergy history of the parents is important in the diagnosis of infant food allergy. If one parent has allergic disease, the infant has a 30 percent risk of developing allergic disease. This risk doubles if both parents have allergic disease. In families with a high risk of atopic disease, the cord blood can be examined for high IgE levels. The presence of high levels of IgE may correlate with the occurrence of IgE-mediated disease. There are a number of studies in the literature which suggest that babies may become sensitized in utero if there is a strong family history of allergies.9 Mothers may be advised to avoid suspect foods during all or part of their pregnancy and to continue to avoid these foods during lactation. The research indicates that this practice does not decrease the incidence of allergy by two years of age, but it does delay the onset of allergy.

For a baby, just about anything can be a symptom of allergic disease. IgE-mediated reactions can include symptoms in the upper gastrointestinal tract such as nausea, vomiting, reflux, refusal to eat, and eating ravenously; lower GI symptoms may include blood in stools and diarrhea. IgE-mediated disease can also cause respiratory symptoms such as wheezing and perpetual congestion; atopic dermatitis, eczema, and various rashes; an extreme reaction is anaphylaxis which leads to cardiovascular collapse and shock. Symptoms of non-IgE-mediated allergic disease (or cow's milk colitis) are usually limited to the lower GI tract, causing diarrhea and blood in the stools. The presence of symptoms outside the gastrointestinal system generally indicates IgE-mediated hypersensitivity.

Research has shown that foreign proteins do pass into breast milk and can cause allergy.1, 3 There are case reports in the literature of cow's milk protein in breast milk causing anaphylactic shock in infants.4 The possibility of allergic disease should be considered when a breastfeeding baby is not acting quite right, especially if the baby is not growing well.

In diagnosing allergy, a complete history, including information about the baby's behavior, is important. Sleeping patterns, colicky behavior, and crabbiness may be signs of allergy. A complete physical is also important. Sometimes it is helpful to examine a baby just after a feeding because some babies will react immediately, providing clues to the practitioner.

Laboratory data may show an elevated white blood cell count, peripheral eosinophilia, and/or blood in stools. GI endoscopy with biopsies and skin tests can also be useful. It is important to note that these symptoms of atopic disease such as diarrhea or rectal bleeding can have other causes such as lactose intolerance, rectal fissures, Crohn's disease, infectious etiologies, and clostridium difficile colitis.

Identify patients at risk and weigh options based on family history. A study of positive predictive values (ppv) of various indicators of allergy shows that peripheral eosinophilia had a 10 percent ppv, low hemoglobin had a 48 percent ppv, and low albumin had an 81 percent ppv.5 Measuring albumin is an effective tool for the practitioner especially when endoscopy is not available. The gold standard of allergy testing remains a food challenge demonstrating the return of symptoms following the reintroduction of food after an improvement during elimination diet.7

Treatment
If the only symptom is colicky behavior, fussiness, gas, and/or loose stools, it can be helpful to examine the feeding pattern before starting an elimination diet. Woolridge10 noted that when mothers fed from both breasts at each feeding, infants experienced overconsumption of foremilk, receiving large amounts of skim milk and lactose.10 Overconsumption of lactose caused green, watery, loose stools, gassiness, and colicky behavior. Most mothers gave a history of limited time at the breast and/or very forceful milk ejection that forced the baby to pull off the breast to keep from choking. When the feeding pattern was changed to nursing fully on one breast, offering the second breast only if the baby wanted to continue, the babies improved.

If an elimination diet is necessary, it should begin with the top offender, cow's milk protein. Once the mother's elimination diet has started, it can take anywhere from a few days to six weeks for an infant to show improvement, making it difficult to use elimination as a "test" to prove or disprove allergy to a particular protein. Many infants will outgrow their allergies by about 6 to 18 months. After a period of elimination, infants should be rechallenged with the offending protein to determine the need to continue with the diet.

Research has shown that allergy injections are not an effective treatment for food allergies.6 The best treatment is prevention.

Conclusion
Food allergies in breastfed infants are usually to substances passing into breast milk, not to breast milk itself. There are different types of allergies which may present multiple symptoms. Many symptoms are non-specific which may lead to over- or under-diagnosis. Most infants will respond to elimination of cow's milk from the mother's diet. It is not necessary to use elimination of multiple foods as a first line of therapy.

This article is based on a presentation given by Maryelle Vonlanthen, MD at the LLLI 1998 Seminar for Physicians on Breastfeeding

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J.F.

answers from Tampa on

First thing would be to find another doctor who is trying to help find the solution.
I know there is acidophillus for infants but don't know the ages. visit your local and largest health food store in your area and ask for the most experienced clerk on this.
Poor baby. Good Luck!
A grandma.

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B.C.

answers from Ocala on

when my oldest was born they found out right away in the hospital he was lactrose intolerance of course i was in there for 3-4 days i had a c-section. but he would not breast feed and if he did he threw it up. then they tried formula and he threw it up too. i mean a hurling spewing throw up. so they py him on a different formula gave him diareah all the tims so they said he was lactros intillerant and put him on soy formula.
but you are right the poo does not sound normal and it sounds like he might be hurting or straining trying to poo.if your doctor does not seem to want to help you i would try a different doctor and see what they say,good luck.

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K.B.

answers from Tampa on

I have had 2 boys, both breast fed, both with Reflux. My 6 mos old has had severe Reflux since he was two days old, after several tests the doctors determined it was simply severe reflux. There are way more things then milk that set it off. Any dairy, chocolate, any caffeine, spicy foods, acidic foods. Trust me I have had to make some major sacrifices in the last 6 months, its the price I pay for wanting to breast feed, but its worth it! Colic is an old and poor diagnosis. As much as you may love and trust your pediatrician, trust me, go see a pediatric GI doctor! Set up an appointment right away, the longer you wait, the more miserable you and your baby will be. If they feel he has a GI problem, like reflux, they can try a few medicines that will help tremendously. With our oldest zantac worked great, with the baby we had to go to Prevacid and that has helped a ton. There are a few really good Pedi GI docs in Tampa, we have gone to the same one with both boys and love her. The group is Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition of Florida and we see Michele Winesett. She is wonderful as a physician and a person. Anyway, there are a lot of things you can try with the baby and your diet to help with reflux and still breast feed. Also, keep in mind that just because the baby isn't projectile vomiting doesn't mean he's not "silent" refluxing. Good luck!

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S.Z.

answers from Miami on

Hi N.,
With my children I had to discontinue all use of dairy products. Watch out, you'll find dairy in some crackers, cookies, etc. While the dairy gets out of your system, use anti-gas drops for baby. We liked Mylecon.
Good luck,
S.

L.L.

answers from Fort Myers on

What causes lactose intolerance?
The cause of lactose intolerance is best explained by describing how a person develops lactase deficiency.

Primary lactase deficiency develops over time and begins after about age 2 when the body begins to produce less lactase. Most children who have lactase deficiency do not experience symptoms of lactose intolerance until late adolescence or adulthood.

Researchers have identified a possible genetic link to primary lactase deficiency. Some people inherit a gene from their parents that makes it likely they will develop primary lactase deficiency. This discovery may be useful in developing future genetic tests to identify people at risk for lactose intolerance.

Secondary lactase deficiency results from injury to the small intestine that occurs with severe diarrheal illness, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, or chemotherapy. This type of lactase deficiency can occur at any age but is more common in infancy.

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T.B.

answers from Miami on

Try him...give him similac sensitive for fussiness and gas. I had the same problem and I was going CRAZY so worried I was ... gave her this formula for a day, my child NEVER had gas anymore (painful one).I would try for a day, but dont forget to pump your milk cause you dont want to get engorged or loose your milk.good luck!

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R.C.

answers from Sarasota on

Hi, N.!

I know it can be really worrying when your baby cries a lot. Colic stinks! But it does pass. Has he always cried like this or did it just start recently? Is there a particular time of day that he does this or is it every feeding?

Colic usually doesn't start when they're newborn, from what I remember. And they tend to have one time of day that's worse than others. YOu might try a sling so you can bounce and walk and not feel like your arms will fall off! If it is colic, though, it isn't anythiing you're doing or not doing. He just needs to get through it.

If it's every feeding, and ONLY feedings, you might want to consider something related to feeding. Did your doctor check for an ear infection? Or is he starting teethign early? Both those things make it uncomfortable to suck (puts pressure on ears/gums) and that can be really frustrating for a baby.

Usually they have a major increase in feeding around six weeks or so--has he done that? It's a growth spurt, and if he hasn't done that yet, he maybe doing it now and frustrated at feedings because he's hungry. YOur milk will increase after a couple days of his extra demand, so, if that's the problem, it should resolve itself. Just let him eat on demand.

I can tell you baby poo comes in all colors, amazingly. I KNOW that's normal.

I think it's great that you're so aware of him and his needs, but stay calm and enjoy him, too. Most things are normal and your intincts will tell you when to get help. I don't know much about dairy reactions, but I'm sure you can find someone who's been through it. Keep up the breastfeeding--it's the best thing you can do for him. Good luck!

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S.R.

answers from Boca Raton on

Hi N.. My son isn't lactose intolerant, but he did get gas very badly when he was a baby. If I ate broccoli, coliflower or asparagus for example, it was much worse for him. It helped him to lay him on his back and "bicycle" his legs or to rub his tummy with light pressure. Also I made sure to burp him throughout the feeding, not just at the end. As a last resort, when he seemed in a lot of pain, I used Mylicon Drops (from any drugstore, over the counter) which helped a lot. Ulimately, I did have to stop breast feeding after 2 months b/c I was not producing enough milk and switched him over to Good Start formula. He was still gassy but not nearly as bad.

Best of Luck!

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D.P.

answers from Miami on

Dear N.,

Please contact Pediatrics.com. I'd be worried too!!!

Good Luck and God's Blessings.
D. P.

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L.H.

answers from Daytona Beach on

I had some of the same problems with my son. We tried a number of formulas. It takes some time for the child to adjust to each change. Be patient and keep in touch with your pediatrician, updating him on each reaction. Our thoughts are with you

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P.H.

answers from Orlando on

Remember that dairy comes in the form of milk, cheese, cream, butter, and many other packaged foods. You really have to read labels carefully. Hope your son is doing better by now. If not, try to start drinking tea with fennel and anis herbs. Our son was rather colicy too, and our doctor recommended we buy organic apple cider vinegar. He instructed us to use a syringe and insert a very small squirt of the liquid into our son's mouth and immediately put him on the breast. It really did work well, but we had to do it consistently with each feeding. Remember, only a very small amount. I used to pour in a certain amount of the apple cider vinegar with some water in a bottle to dilute the mixture. I actually used the gripe water container when we ran out of the stuff.
Hope this helps!

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B.K.

answers from Tallahassee on

My sister in law's daughters both could not tolerate when she ate dairy or soy products when breastfeeding until they were closer to 6 months to a year. She found out because there was blood in the babies stool, and I assume the doctor did some kind of test. She was very diligent about her diet during that time, once she found out, and her first child is fine now and even digests dairy well at age 2. Her other baby is about 6 months old. Try cutting out all the dairy. It's really a short portion of your life and its for a very good cause!
Green stool sounds like teething poop.

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