Is My Daughter Lactose Intolerant?

My son had the same problem. He would SCREAM hours after drinking whole milk. On the advice of our doctor, we switched him to soy milk and he was instantly better. He could handle yogurt, cheese, ice cream, etc but could not handle whole milk. We gave him soy milk for 3 months, then switched back to whole milk gradually and he is just fine. His doctor said that his tummy may just not have been ready for the whole milk, but that soy milk has all the calcium and vitamins that he needed. Hope this helps!

My daughter had more loose poop with formula until we put her on soy formula. She seemed to do much better. Today, she's 3 and drinks milk with no problem. I would talk with your doctor as it could be a wide variety of things.

A lot of children (and adults) do not produce enzymes to digest dairy. This is problem that is easily fixed. Talk to a herbalist or a homeopath and they can suggest something. If you do it over the phone and they don't ask her age or her food intake, find another one. Just like MDs there are good ones and not so good ones :)

My oldest (biological) had trouble with milk and used soy formula until he was about a year and a half, then transitioned to milk with no problem. My youngest (AfrAmer, adopted, 21 months old) has the same problem and I have transitioned him from soy formula to soy milk for now. Although he doesn't seem to like milk, he does eat cheese and yogurt. Check with your pediatrician to be sure that it is lactose intolerance and not some other condition, before you make an investment in alternatives.

SAHM of seven

I would stay away from nut milk, as there is a higher chance she could have nut allergies. We were told to wait to give nut products until our son was 2. He is lactose intolerant. He throws up after any milk is given to him. We have switched to Lactaid Whole Milk and he's doing great. Good luck to you.

As an alternative milk goat is best, followed by soy & then rice & the nut milks. The rice & nut milks are mostly sugar so there is little nutritional value. The goat milk will give her the calcium and the fat that she will need in the coming years while she grows. Soy is good to. I would hold off on the others as a primary source and use them sparingly or while cooking since they are basically sugar and processed much more than soy. But it does not hurt to introdcue them so that she can become accustom to the taste & will be more likely to try and use them as she gets older.

I know you took care of this but I wanted to let you know that we used a soy milk for my granddaughter that was fortified for children.

I have helped people, both adults and childen, with a unique nutritional food supplement that has helped individuals with lots of allergies including lactose intolerant. These products are safe and effective even for little ones. I've given this to my granddauhter since she was a couple days old! Email me if you would like more information.--R. H.

I give my daughter silk soy milk enriched with DHA, she really likes it. She had a lot of gas and mucus in her stool so the allergist and I felt she should not have regular milk and this milk is working great. Good luck.

My daughter has a dairy allergy. She really loves the almond milk. It is the consistency of skim milk and comes in plain, vanilla or chocolate. We like the vanilla. It is a little sweeter, but great over the better non sugary cereal. We also use the soy milk on ocassion, but the kids don't like it as well. It also can cause my children to become constipated if they have too much. Just something to look out for if you go that route.

We didn't find out until my daughter was 3. She always was really gassy and spit up a lot. We knew there was something there, but not how bad. When she was older she got severe stomach aches and the excezma was terrible. All went away when we switched. I just don't know what is reccomended for a 13 month old.

Not that I have ANY clue, but several questions come to mind...
- Have you tried not giving her milk before bed? Just try water - at the age that she's at, if she's eating/drinking good during the day, then she shouldn't need milk before bed - or in the middle of the night.
- What happens when she wakes up at night? Is there a ritual that's been established - on purpose or inadvertently? Does she get a chance to calm herself?
- Has she gotten her 1 year molars yet? (UGH!)
- Does she sleep with the ability to roll on to her stomach or roll around a little to work out gas or BMs?
I hope these questions offered a little food for thought - I've got a 13 month old also and she gets up every now and then if she cannot find her pacifier, and she's just starting to cut her 1 year molars - it's going to be a long process!!
GOOD LUCK!!!

My son is almost 3 and it was not until about 6-9 months ago that I realized he was not handling dairy well. He has no signs except runny to mushy poop. We switched to Lactaid and his stools firmed up. They will get runny again if we give him too much other dairy though. A word of caution...we bought the Lactaid with added calcium and he actually got constipated for the first time in his life.

He was also pretty gasy/fussy as a baby on formula. Looking back, I wish I had tried something different. However, after doing some research and talking to the doctor, for newborns and infants it's much more common for them to have difficulty digesting the milk proteins rather than actually having lactose intolerance. If that's the case with your daughter, then the Lactaid will not help and Soy milk may be a better option. Supposedly the lactose intolerance develops as they get older. I don't know how accurate this info is, but I thought I would share what I was told.

I think if I was you I would buy the Whole Milk Lactaid and start there. If there is no change after a decent trial, then move on to the next thing. I hope you find something that helps. It's just no fun to see your child uncomfortable.

Goat's milk has different proteins, etc. so most people who are lactose intolerant can still drink it. My girls drink it instead of cow's milk and we get it fresh from a local dairy. But I've also done pretty extensive reading about raw milk. People who are lactose intolerant swear by it. They say they can drink it fine. It's also supposed to be much, much better for you. Of course you can get it in California since it's legal, have it shipped or find some underground dairies who sell it. I know it's illegal to sell it in ND for consumption by people, but you can buy it for pets.

My daughter (now 13) is completely missing in her system the enzyme that processes lactase proteins (most people with a lactose intolerance have a shortage of the enzyme). She has trouble with soy, and nut milk is NOT recommended for young children (high risk of developing allergy to nuts) so we did rice milk for a while, but she did not like it much and it was hard to find one that did not contain ingredients she was allergic to. After struggles with her diet and stomach issues for years, adjusting meds, etc., we have finally found in the last year a product that had drastically improved her life. It is like lactaid, but is a different product that is longer lasting (more of a timed release) so it only has to be taken once a day and not every time she eats. It is available in a children's formula, too and I get it at Walmart. If you would like specific info, please feel free to contact me.

This may not be the answer you are looking for but I will give you my 2 cents about milk. My family goes to a chiropractor religiously and we found out through allergy testing there that my son and I are dairy sensitive. It doesn't mean that we are allergic to dairy, per se, but that our bodies just don't like when we consume it. So, he recommended Rice Milk for our family. However, here is the part that you may not believe, milk is not really good for your body anyway. We only use Rice Milk to cook with or on cereal, not to drink because it does contain a lot of sugar. He says that we can get our daily calcium through other foods and vitamins. It is hard, I will admit, but we try our best and I don't think my kids are lacking anything because they don't drink milk. They drink water and watered down Juicey Juice instead. Everybody is different, but try a few days without any milk at all and see what happens.

I am lactose intolerant and have been ever since I was born. Of course back then they just labeled most babies as colic so my mom did not figure it out till I was 2 years old. I have good days and bad days and have learned to 'listen' to my body when it feels like I have had enough lactose. I drink goats milk and LactAid... I never liked the taste of soy milk but if you bring your daughter up on it she might be more open to try it.

My daughter was also lactose intolerant when she was born and we put her on formula. We used Parent Choice Lactose Free formula and it worked wonders. My daughter slept better and stopped 'throwing' up every time. Her pediatrician said that her stomach was not ready to handle lactose so if we cut it out of her diet right away as a newborn it may give time for her stomach to fully develop. My daughter is now 2 and is on whole milk with no problems! All she needed was that first year to be off anything with lactose in it so her stomach could became fully developed and able to digest milk.

*Edited... content removed* I don't think a lot pediatricians will address mild lactose issues or maybe it is hard to diagnose so you have to suggested it forcefully till you get an answer. This is why I have become part of a study and information service with a Children's Hospital about bring up lactose sensitive baby.

I can not have milk from supper (5pm) till breakfast otherwise I will get sick. So give her milk for lunch and try breakfast to see if she it upsets her. Also try giving her other foods that have Vitamin D and Calcium in it so that your daughter can get what she would otherwise get from the milk. Milk is not necessary, it is the good items in the milk that are necessary and you can got those from other foods. Liquid wise give her water, I put a little juice into so there is a variety of taste but it is mainly water just a enough juice to give the water a little kick.

Hello-

We have a 2 year old that we've been messing around with since she was 3 weeks old seeing if she's lactose intolerant or has a milk allergy. She's had skin tests done twice, blood tests, milk challenge test. It all comes back negative but she clearly gets gassy, constipated and can't sleep if she's had milk. We've seen a pediatric gastroenterologist and an allergist. We avoided all dairy for a year (casein is in a lot of foods you don't think about---breads, chicken mcnuggets, McDonald's fries, etc). After a year of that & being on Alimentum, we tried whole milk and that made her terribly sick with vomiting & diahhrea. She's now on rice milk that's enriched. We added more fats to her diet since the rice milk was low in fat by giving her dipping sauces and globbing on the Fleishman's. We had a dietitian work with us on this to adjust her diet to what a normal 1 year old would have. Now as a 2 year old, she still drinks rice milk and we've been slowly letting her try pizza and other dairy products. She had ice cream once and now won't touch it because she had such a tummy ache from it. We were even going to try lactose intolerant OTC medicines to try to help her enjoy dairy, but her gastro Dr told us they were useless. My best advice is to try to find a pediatric gastro Dr for testing and help with her diet. They really were helpful to us and had suggestions of things we never would have imagined. Good Luck!

Well, i'm lactose intolerant also, and i know when i was taking classes before i had my son, they told me if the mom is lactose intolerant most likely the child would be too. so i did try the milk formula just in case, but he was screaming a lot and had a lot of gas. so once i switched him to soy formula, he has been better. My stepson is also lactose intolerant (he's 6), and we give him soy milk. I know at his mom's house she gives him rice milk. I use the lactose free milk also. She may like the soy milk better. we give my stepson the vanilla soy milk, and he loves the taste! I hope this helps!!! :)

K.

Hi my daughter is lactose intolerant. We give her Lactaid. Horizon organic also has lactose free milk that we give her as well. I'm lactose intolerant and regular milk gives me gas and a stomach ache. My daughter started having those symptoms. When we switched her they went away.

Good Luck to you!

I would consult your pediatrician to see what he or she thinks is best for your daughter, but goat milk worked for my son. I would be careful of soy milk because many people who have problems with dairy are also allergic to soy. My son has since outgrown his problem with dairy, but is still allergic to soy. My concern with nut milk would also relate to allergies. I don't know anything about nut milk, but nuts are a very common food allergen. Good luck.

Lactose is the sugar that is naturally in milk. All animal milk has it, including humans. Some people lack the lactase enzyme needed to digest this sugar. Your daughter is still young and may over come this sensativety in the future. Many people who are lactose intolerant can have dairy foods like cheese and yogurt because the sugar is broken down during the processing.

Lactose intollerance is different than a milk allergy. Lactose intollerance usually results in a gassy, upset tummy and diarrhea. Milk allergy usually results in vomiting, hives, rashes, or breathing problems.

I know a fare amount about milk types (I'm a nutritonist).

I don't know a lot about nut milk but I would be leary because of food allergies. Almond, however, are not nuts and may be safe. These are relativly new to the market and I'm not sure how and if they are fortified.

Lactofree milk such as LactAid is your best option. It has all the same nutrition of regular milk. The down side is it's expensive.

Soy milk is an okay option but it does not contain the recommend fat that whole milk has. Soy is full of phytoestragens, which is a depateable choice for young children. There is some thought that plant estragens could be leading to early puberty (more research needs to be done) and other health risks. Soy is also high on the allergin list. Soy milk is usually fortified with calcium and vitamins. It is beleived that the calcium from soy isn't absorbed as well as natural calcium in milk.

Rice milk is a poor option. It usually isn't fortified very well.

Juice with calcium is also a poor option. Several studies have been done on it. The calcium sinks to the bottom of the container and it takes an industrial paint mixer to redistribute it. Juice is very high in fructose (a naturally occuring sugar in fruit) and calories.

Another option would be to buy lactase enzyme that you add to animal milk. This may be cheaper than buying lactose free milk.

A.,
It sounds like you've tried several things, but I wanted to enlighten you if you're not already on the benefits of raw milk. Many times, those who are lactose intolerant or even have a milk allergy can drink raw milk without ill consequences. I'll let you read and be the judge. You can go to www.realmilk.com and investigate and even find somewhere locally that you can purchase raw milk. Raw milk can not be sold in some states and in others, it can be sold, but only at the dairy itself, not in stores. In California, it can be sold in stores. It is not bad as some have made it out to be. You just have to know that your source is good and clean, etc. Hope this helps a little.

This sounds a lot like my son. I breastfeed him so it took me awhile to figure out why he was us with gas so often. I started keeping track of what I ate and what he ate and that helped. I started reading labels and didn't give him anything that had milk in it and it helped a lot. After I figured it out I was just finishing with breastfeeding (around a year old). I also did try the goats milk but that is expensive and didn't seem to help much than my friend told me about rice milk and that is what we used. At about 20mon. I slowing started introducing dairy into his diet and he has outgrown the lactose problem but I am certain that he had a lactose intolerance. The health nurse told me when I questioned it that there is not test for it but to try what I had done and if dairy bothers him it is a lactose intolerance. You can purchase rice milk and most grocery stores but Wal-Mart is the cheapest by a lot. You can either by it in the coolers by the milk or the Wal-Mart in West Bend also carries organic rice milk in the cereal aisle. My husband was worried about him having enough calcium and according to the labels rice milk and 2% have the same %of calcium. I stated giving my daughter rice milk at about 9mon. old, she wouldn't take a bottle and I didn't want to worry about formula (it also is expensive) and with my son having a lactose problem I was scared to try regular milk, she loves the rice milk and is doing really well with it. Good Luck

While I was breast feeding, I had to avoid dairy as it caused gas and what I assumed to be cramps in my daughter. I stopped breast feeding at six months, but she was not able to tolerate dairy formula until 9 months. She was able to drink milk at one year. However, after having the flu and pneumonia just before her 2nd birthday, she was no longer able to eat dairy products (other than yogurt). The doctor indicated that it was common after the stomache flu or a round of antibiotics to become temporarily lactose intolerant. He suggested that we wait a few months and try again. We did without success. In the end my daughter was diagnosed with Celiac Disease which means she is not able to tolerate gluten. When she does ingest gluten, the villi in her intestines are "attacked" by her body and it prevents her from absorbing all nutrients. The reason I mention this is that if someone has celiac disease and is ingesting gluten, they are almost always also lactose intolerant because the damage to the villi prevents them from being able to digest lactose. It may be something you want to check into. It may not be the cause. I know several parents with children who were simply lactose intolerant and they grew out of it by age 3. While my daughter was lactose intolerant (due to celiac disease) she was able to drink both soy and lactaid. She was also able to eat lactaid cottage cheese and yogurt. Hope this is helpful.

I know that you have already gotten a lot of responses. I would deffinetly ask her doctor. But you could also try Archer Farms Organic Lactose Free Milk... it all that we buy at our house! They sell it at Target and it is actually cheaper then the Lactaid brand which is not organic and the Organic brand which is not Lactose free. Best of luck and I hope you can find a Healthy option for you little one.

I would recomend Lactaid milk over soy milk for this reason : soy milk tastes a lot different from cow's milk/lactaid milk. So if you ever wanted to switch her from soy or lactaid to regular cow's milk, it will be a lot easier if she is already accustomed to the taste of lactaid rather than the sweeter taste of soy milk.

We put my son on soy milk at 1 1/2 yrs old because I suspected he was lactose intolerant, and it has been VERY hard to get him to drink lactiad milk instead now that he is used to the soy milk.

Also, kids sometimes will outgrow lactose intolerance, which is another reason to make it easy on yourself for switching to cow's milk later.

FYI if your daughter is lactose intolerant, when she starts solid food, she may be able to handle sharp cheddar cheese, which has a low lactose level content.

here is the best guide I have found for lactose intolerance:

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/stevecarper/perc...

and

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/stevecarper/guid...

Steve Carper, the author of the page, is a very nice guy- you can email him with questions and he will respond quickly. He's not an expert, just somebody who did a lot of research to help himself and others. (I don't know him personally, but I did email a few times).

It takes up to 14 days for the last traces of dairy to leave the system, so don't be surprised if you see immediate results and then increased results as the days go on.

I would definietly consider she may be intolerant. My husband and I are, and so we were cautious to start our daughter on whole milk. When we did try it, my daughter would be so uncomfortable & cry during the day as well as be up at night.. Her stools also changed - even with a very small amount. She gets a lot of dairy from cheese, yogurt, etc. We all use Rice Dream Rice Milk, but soy would be great too.

Another thing to consider would be her getting air from a bottle. You might try the ones with liners, that helped with my kids.
Lactose intolerance usually causes diarrhea.
My daughters were milk protein intolerant and had trouble with breastmilk. One was on soy and did fine and the other was allergic to soy and had to use Nutramigen.
The soy daughter ended up going to Silk Soy Milk at 1 because she didn't like whole milk at all. When she turned 2 we switched to skim and she was fine. Now they are both fine with Skim milk.
J.
Mom to 4, almost 5 through another adoption and hopefully more :o)