These days, lactose allergies, or lactose intolerance, is fairly common – just about anyone you ask will know someone who suffers from this condition. But did you know that it’s also something that affects babies? It makes sense that anything that affects us as adults can also affect us as infants, and this is the reason for that lactose-free formula you see in the baby aisle of your supermarket.
Lactose allergies can cause a whole range of symptoms in babies and toddlers, and you need to be aware of what to look out for. The last thing you want is to be feeding your baby something that is causing them health problems, discomfort, and even pain. The aim here is to give you an idea of what to look for and what you can do to make your baby happier and healthier.
Let’s take a closer look at what this allergy can do to your baby and how you can help to alleviate any symptoms.
What should you be looking for?
Before rushing to the store to buy lactose-free formula, look for a few keys signs that your child has an allergy. This is almost entirely focused on digestion and bowel movements, as well as skin problems and conditions such as eczema. Your child could be very nauseous as well as have considerable tummy pain. You also want to keep an eye out for very loose and/or watery bowel movements. Excess gas, or flatulence, is another common sign of this allergy. If your baby or toddler can’t stop passing wind, you may have some lactose issues to deal with.
Make sure lactose definitely is the problem
The first thing you need to consider when looking at a lactose allergy is to make sure that it definitely is a lactose allergy, as it could be an intolerance to something else like gluten, for example. There is a straightforward way to ensure this. Figure out everything in your child’s diet that includes lactose, and cut it out for a week. Food products that have lactose include, but are not limited to, milk and milk products like yoghurt and chocolate, cheese, ice cream and dry milk powders.
Once you try cutting out foods that contain lactose for a week, be sure to monitor the results. The key thing here is to pay attention to all of your child’s symptoms, no matter how minor you may think they are. Lactose allergies can be dealt with very easily, but not if they are misdiagnosed from the start.
Free from lactose
So, you have gone through your checklist, have been monitoring any changes, and have concluded that your baby or toddler is allergic to lactose. Fear not; there are many ways to get your baby the proper nutrition if they are allergic to milk products. Lactose-free baby formula is made for exactly this reason. There is no reason to panic; with just a few small changes, you can make your baby’s life easier. The options available to parents nowadays are more than ever before, so take advantage of this.
The lactose-free formula is available to provide any of the missing nutrition your child needs without causing them the pain and discomfort that comes with regular formula. Cut out all the foods with lactose, and replace it with something that will give your child relief. Buy lactose-free formula, and you will see the difference it makes. If your child is already drinking cow’s milk, you can buy lactose-free alternatives or dairy-free milk, as well as dairy-free yoghurts and chocolate. Visit Mid-Day Squares For Lactose and Dairy Free Chocolates.
No need to panic
When your child is in pain, you will want to do anything you can to help ease their pain. As you can see, lactose allergies may cause your child to have some uncomfortable symptoms, but it is very manageable. It is definitely worth your while eliminating foods to see how your child handles lactose. In the end, lactose-free formula and lactose-free products are available should you need them.