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9 Month Old Child Is Lactose Intolerance. Having Runny And Loose Bowel Movement. What Treatment Should Be Done?
Question: i have an 9 month old daughter who has lactose intolerance.From the month of May she did not gain weight and her weight is around 6.5 kg(dob:10.10.11). She has been having runny,loose bowel movement since XXXXXXX We gave normigyl for a week as prescribed by doctor but as soon as we stopped(gave for 7 days as prescribed by the doctor) again the bowel movement is runny and loose.Even during the dosage period, her bowel movement was around 6 times a day.
Hello XXXXXXX
Thanks for posting your query.
As per the information provided by you your daughter seems to have following issues
1. Lactose intolerance causing her failure to grow well.
2. Acute gastroenteritis progressing to persistent diarrhoea and malnutrition causing cessation of weight gain .
Presently the more important problem to solve at the earliest is the diarrhoea .
Normigyl is an antibiotic usually given in bacterial diarrhoeas but many times the diarrhoea could be viral or due to a resistant bacteria in which case it might show no or partial response.
Hence I would advise you to first get her stool routine , culture and antibiotic sensitivity test done which will confirm the exact cause of the diarrhoea and the most suitable antibiotic.
Also you should consult her pediatrician for a revaluation and discuss about starting a probiotic ( enterogermina ) and multivitamin & zinc supplements ( becozinc or zinconia etc)for faster and complete healing of her gut.
Meanwhile you should give her frequent feedings either lactose free formulas ( like nusobee etc) and give oral rehydration solution for replenishing the loss of fluid and minerals which are very important for weight as well as immunity.
So first and foremost I would advise you to consult her pediatrician , get her stool test done and start probiotics and zinc and oral rehydration.
Her present weight might be less than recommended for her age but that is likely to increase or catch up once she recovers fully .
Do ask your doctor to monitor it on a growth chart continuously weekly or monthly for next few months to know if she is growing adequately.
Hope I have answered your query.
I'll be available for any follow up queries.
Regards
Thanks for posting your query.
As per the information provided by you your daughter seems to have following issues
1. Lactose intolerance causing her failure to grow well.
2. Acute gastroenteritis progressing to persistent diarrhoea and malnutrition causing cessation of weight gain .
Presently the more important problem to solve at the earliest is the diarrhoea .
Normigyl is an antibiotic usually given in bacterial diarrhoeas but many times the diarrhoea could be viral or due to a resistant bacteria in which case it might show no or partial response.
Hence I would advise you to first get her stool routine , culture and antibiotic sensitivity test done which will confirm the exact cause of the diarrhoea and the most suitable antibiotic.
Also you should consult her pediatrician for a revaluation and discuss about starting a probiotic ( enterogermina ) and multivitamin & zinc supplements ( becozinc or zinconia etc)for faster and complete healing of her gut.
Meanwhile you should give her frequent feedings either lactose free formulas ( like nusobee etc) and give oral rehydration solution for replenishing the loss of fluid and minerals which are very important for weight as well as immunity.
So first and foremost I would advise you to consult her pediatrician , get her stool test done and start probiotics and zinc and oral rehydration.
Her present weight might be less than recommended for her age but that is likely to increase or catch up once she recovers fully .
Do ask your doctor to monitor it on a growth chart continuously weekly or monthly for next few months to know if she is growing adequately.
Hope I have answered your query.
I'll be available for any follow up queries.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thanks doctor.. Just to add, We have already done her routine and culture stool test. the report says that there is no bacteria or viral infection but it shows REDUCING SUBSTANCE as POSITIVE. She is already on Nusobee and lactose free foods. Will curd and ghee a problem and please let us know what other solids should be avoided in such cases. Pls let us know what is the ideal weight for her age( 9 Months) her height is 67.5 Cms.
Hello ,
Thanks for the follow up .
Considering that your daughter is suffering from lactose intolerance triggered gastrointestinal upset the best treatment is to avoid lactose containing foods.
Another less preferable option is to consider lactase enzyme supplements if the problem persists even after strict diet restriction .
Yes curds and ghee too contain lactose though in lesser amount than milk .
Try to avoid the following list of foods
- Milk
- Cream
- Cheese
- Butter/ghee
- White Breads
- Cereals
- Egg Substitutes and Powdered Eggs
- Yogourt(curds)
- Dips and Spreads
- Ice Cream and Sherbet
- Pudding and Custards
- Caramel, Toffee and Butterscotch
- Milk Chocolate
- Cream soups and dehydrated soup mixes
- Cheese flavored products of any kind
- Some sugar substitutes
- Whey based Protein powders and drinks
Now considering the ideal weight for age at 9 months would be approximately 8.5 kg but then it should correspond with a height of around 71 cm . So though her weight for age is low her weight for height is appropriate suggestive of long term malnutrition causing stunted growth.
This can be as a result of the lactose intolerance and even avoiding all foods can cause calcium and vitamin deficiency .
Please do not worry as infants will triple their birth weight at their first birthday so she can catch up and weight about 8-9 kg till 1 yr of age .
So make sure your pediatrician prescribes her calcium vitamin d and other multivitamin and mineral supplements for proper growth.
If she is already on supplements then consider lactase enzyme supplements as the last resort .
Do discuss the above with your doctor before taking any further steps.
Hope I have answered your query.
Kindly accept my answer if you have no further queries .
Regards
Thanks for the follow up .
Considering that your daughter is suffering from lactose intolerance triggered gastrointestinal upset the best treatment is to avoid lactose containing foods.
Another less preferable option is to consider lactase enzyme supplements if the problem persists even after strict diet restriction .
Yes curds and ghee too contain lactose though in lesser amount than milk .
Try to avoid the following list of foods
- Milk
- Cream
- Cheese
- Butter/ghee
- White Breads
- Cereals
- Egg Substitutes and Powdered Eggs
- Yogourt(curds)
- Dips and Spreads
- Ice Cream and Sherbet
- Pudding and Custards
- Caramel, Toffee and Butterscotch
- Milk Chocolate
- Cream soups and dehydrated soup mixes
- Cheese flavored products of any kind
- Some sugar substitutes
- Whey based Protein powders and drinks
Now considering the ideal weight for age at 9 months would be approximately 8.5 kg but then it should correspond with a height of around 71 cm . So though her weight for age is low her weight for height is appropriate suggestive of long term malnutrition causing stunted growth.
This can be as a result of the lactose intolerance and even avoiding all foods can cause calcium and vitamin deficiency .
Please do not worry as infants will triple their birth weight at their first birthday so she can catch up and weight about 8-9 kg till 1 yr of age .
So make sure your pediatrician prescribes her calcium vitamin d and other multivitamin and mineral supplements for proper growth.
If she is already on supplements then consider lactase enzyme supplements as the last resort .
Do discuss the above with your doctor before taking any further steps.
Hope I have answered your query.
Kindly accept my answer if you have no further queries .
Regards
Note: For further follow up on digestive issues share your reports here and Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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