{"id":2950,"date":"2025-06-03T14:53:10","date_gmt":"2025-06-03T12:53:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lactolerance.fr\/blog\/?p=2950"},"modified":"2025-06-03T14:56:39","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T12:56:39","slug":"intolerance-lactose-bebes-allaites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lactolerance.fr\/blog\/en\/lactose-intolerance-babies-milk\/","title":{"rendered":"Lactose intolerance in babies: identifying and managing it"},"content":{"rendered":"

Does your baby suffer from colic, diarrhoea or regurgitation after feeding? Are you wondering whether this could be a sign of lactose intolerance<\/strong> ?<\/p>\n

It's a legitimate concern, but one that needs to be nuanced with precision and kindness.<\/p>\n

In infants, lactose intolerance is rare<\/strong>But it can cause real discomfort - and a lot of anxiety for parents. In this article, we take a look at the symptoms to watch out for<\/strong>the various causes<\/strong> possible and tailored solutions<\/strong>depending on whether the child is breast-fed or bottle-fed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What is lactose intolerance in babies?<\/h2>\n

Lactose intolerance occurs when a baby's body does not produce enough lactose. lactase<\/a><\/strong>the enzyme responsible for processing lactose. Without this enzyme, lactose<\/a> is not digested properly and can cause uncomfortable digestive problems.<\/p>\n

This intolerance is more common in adults, but can also affect some infants.<\/p>\n

However, it is important to distinguish between intolerance to lactose in cow's milk allergy<\/a>which is a more serious allergic reaction directly linked to the immune system.<\/p>\n

Lactose intolerance and cow's milk allergy: not to be confused<\/h3>\n

First of all, we need to distinguish between two concepts:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • \n

    Lactose intolerance<\/strong> inability to properly digest lactose (milk sugar), by lactase deficiency<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Allergy to cow's milk<\/strong> immune reaction to certain milk proteins, which can be severe and requires strict avoidance.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Ultimately, lactose intolerance in babies is much rarer than allergy<\/strong>and often temporary<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    How does lactose intolerance affect babies?<\/h2>\n

    Signs of lactose intolerance in infants can be varied and appear after meals.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Parents should be alert to the following signs:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Bloating<\/strong> The baby may have a swollen tummy, which can be painful.<\/li>\n
    • Gas and colic<\/strong> Gas: babies can suffer from excessive gas and abdominal colic.<\/li>\n
    • Diarrhoea :<\/strong> Diarrhoea is a common symptom of lactose intolerance.<\/li>\n
    • Frequent regurgitation<\/strong> Some lactose-intolerant babies may vomit after drinking milk.<\/li>\n
    • General discomfort<\/strong> The baby may cry more than usual and have trouble sleeping.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

       <\/p>\n

      What causes lactose intolerance in babies?<\/h2>\n

      In babies, lactose intolerance can be temporary or congenital.<\/strong><\/p>\n

      Intolerance temporary<\/strong><\/h4>\n

      It can occur after :<\/p>\n

        \n
      • \n

        a digestive infection (gastroenteritis),<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

      • \n

        inflammation of the intestinal mucosa.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        In these cases, the enzyme lactase is produced in insufficient quantities. It is reversible<\/strong> lactose digestion returns to normal once the intestine has healed.<\/p>\n

        Intolerance congenital<\/strong> (very rare)<\/h4>\n

        This is a genetic defect present from birth<\/strong>which completely prevents the production of lactase. It manifests itself in the first few hours of life, after the first milk intake. The diagnosis is made very early, and a lactose-free milk<\/strong> is then required on a permanent basis.<\/p>\n

        Breast-fed babies<\/h2>\n

        Lactose intolerance in breastfed babies is extremely rare<\/strong>Breast milk is perfectly suitable. However, some babies may have a form of lactose overload<\/strong> in the event of very frequent feeds, without access to milk at the end of the feed (richer in fat, less lactose).<\/p>\n

        \ud83d\udcdd In this case, a few adjustments to breastfeeding are all that's needed (spacing out feeds, emptying one breast completely before offering the other). Support from a lactation consultant may be useful.<\/em><\/p>\n

        Bottle-fed babies<\/h2>\n

        Some infant formulas contain lactose, others do not. If a baby has a known intolerance :<\/p>\n

          \n
        • \n

          You can opt for a lactose-free preparation<\/strong>,<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

        • \n

          Or a formula partially hydrolysed<\/strong> (easier to digest).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          In all cases, the choice of milk must be validated by a paediatrician<\/span><\/strong>because the objective remains to guarantee optimal growth and good nutritional intake<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

           <\/p>\n

          A word from LACTOLERANCE<\/h2>\n

          At LACTOLERANCE, we specialise in lactose digestion<\/strong>for young and old alike. Although our supplements are suitable for children aged 3 and over, we would like to emphasise the importance of informing and supporting families<\/strong> at the first sign of doubt.<\/p>\n

          \ud83d\udc76 For toddlers, support must be personalised, medical and caring<\/strong>. In the event of suspected lactose intolerance in infants, only a health professional<\/strong> will be able to make a diagnosis and propose appropriate solutions.<\/p>\n

          ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Does your baby suffer from colic, diarrhoea or regurgitation after feeding or bottle-feeding? Are you wondering if it could be lactose intolerance? It's a legitimate concern, but one that needs to be nuanced with precision and kindness. Lactose intolerance is rare in infants, but it can cause real discomfort [...].<\/p>","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2974,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2950","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gerer-au-quotidien"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lactolerance.fr\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2950","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lactolerance.fr\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lactolerance.fr\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lactolerance.fr\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lactolerance.fr\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2950"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.lactolerance.fr\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2950\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2978,"href":"https:\/\/www.lactolerance.fr\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2950\/revisions\/2978"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lactolerance.fr\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lactolerance.fr\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2950"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lactolerance.fr\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2950"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lactolerance.fr\/blog\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2950"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}