Lactose intolerance is a condition that most commonly affects adults, but has been known to affect children as well. If your child has gastrointestinal symptoms after drinking milk or eating some sort of dairy then they may have lactose intolerance. Symptoms include stomach ache, nausea, diarrhea, gas and bloating. The most common cause of lactose intolerance in young children is thru injury or illness to the gastrointestinal system.

There are several tests that can be used to diagnose a child with lactose intolerance many of them are the same tests used on adults but one is designed especially for infants and young children called the stool acidity test. In the stool acidity test a sample is tested to measure the amount of acid in the stools. Undigested lactose is fermented by bacteria in the large intestine; this creates lactic acid and other acids that can be detected in the stools. Doctors may also be able to detect glucose in the stools from the undigested lactose.

For older children the same tests that are used on adults may be used. These tests are not used on very young children because the higher amounts of lactose used to produce results may be harmful to small children. In the lactose tolerance test a child is given a liquid containing lactose, their blood is then tested to see if their blood glucose rises, if it does this means the small intestine is absorbing lactose, in lactose intolerant children the blood glucose level will not rise. This test requires several blood draws so it may not be ideal for young children.

A final test, the hydrogen breath test does not require blood draws so it may be a better choice for a younger child. In this test a child again drinks a lactose drink, after having the amount of hydrogen measured in their breath. The hydrogen level is then measured every fifteen minutes thereafter, to check for large increases in hydrogen levels which will indicate that the lactose did not digest properly.

Regardless of what test for lactose intolerance you child has if they test positive they will be placed on a lactose reduced or lactose free diet. A careful diet with plenty of calcium alternatives or supplements is the key to reducing your child’s symptoms and ensuring good health.