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Transient lactose intolerance
My health visitor thinks my baby might be transient lactose intolerant but does not know of any natural remedies. Do you?
Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest the milk sugar lactose. It is not the same as a milk allergy but is due to a lack or deficiency in the enzyme lactase which is manufactured in the small intestine where it splits lactose into glucose and galactose.
The symptoms, which usually start up to two hours after the consumption of dairy foods, include gas, diarrhoea and stomach cramping and are the result of undigested lactose fermenting in the colon.
For most adults, this condition is just a fact of life but it is much more uncommon in infants where it may be the result of a previous gastrointestinal disorder that has damaged the lining of the gut and where, if left unchecked, it can delay development, weight gain and cause vomiting.
Thankfully, you should find the remedy is as simple as adding a few drops of Biocare’s Lactazyme to your baby’s milk. You should also help build higher levels of those gut flora that promote digestion by giving the baby an infant probiotic too.
Lots of adults now take probiotics, which were first used in agriculture to improve growth and yield and which scientists define as “a live microbial feed supplement which beneficially affects the host animal by improving its intestinal microbial balance”, but few parents realise children, especially those who have been bottle fed, will benefit too. If you are an adult, take Seven Seas Multibionta which combines probiotics with vitamins and minerals for the first time. For infants, use Biocare’s Bifidobacterium infantis powder which costs £22.50 for 60g. Mail order from Biocare on 0121-433 3727. Lactazyme costs £9.20 for 15ml. Dosages will be given on the bottle.