The baby cries after eating
Food intolerance as the cause of abdominal pain, bloating or diarrhoea
Digestive problems in babies can have many causes. One of these is food intolerance. It is worth taking a close look at the baby's diet and patiently searching for the cause of the symptoms, especially if the complaints begin when complementary foods are introduced. Ready-made foods in particular contain a variety of ingredients that could be responsible for an intolerance. It is therefore important to know which symptoms are apparent and how the trigger can be found.
But what is a food intolerance? Simply explained: if food is not nourishing because important components cannot be digested, this is known as an intolerance. The symptoms of intolerance may correspond in part to allergies. However, the cause is different. It is therefore important to differentiate between the two.
Intolerance to sugars is common. However, intolerances can also exist for wheat and gluten (cereal protein). Lactose intolerance is particularly well known. The body cannot digest the sugar in milk. But fructose, the sugar in fruit, is also not properly metabolised by some people.
Lactose intolerance
The sugar in milk has to be broken down in the small intestine so that it can be digested further. To do this, the body needs the enzyme lactase.
If the enzyme that has to break down the lactose for further digestion is missing, this is known as lactose intolerance. This can be present from birth, develop after weaning, but can also occur later in life as a result of illness. The lactose is then not broken down in the small intestine. It travels to the large intestine. There it is broken down by bacteria. This bacterial digestion leaves gases in the intestine. Hydrogen, nitrogen and sometimes methane. These gases cause the symptoms of lactose intolerance: colicky abdominal pain, bubbling intestinal activity, but also intestinal sluggishness, flatulence and watery diarrhoea appear a few hours after ingesting food containing milk. Lactose intolerance usually only occurs with the introduction of complementary foods. Parents can still make the first step in the diagnosis themselves. If the abdominal pain or diarrhoea improves when the diet does not contain milk, the doctor will use additional test procedures to make sure that lactose intolerance is present. This can be done with an exhaled air test, a genetic test or with the help of a blood test that checks the sugar level in the blood.
If lactose intolerance is diagnosed, the symptoms can be remedied with a low-lactose diet. The missing enzyme can also be taken in the form of tablets. This prevents the symptoms if there is lactose in the food.
Fructose intolerance
Whether a fructose intolerance is relatively harmless or dangerous depends on where the fault lies in the digestive system.
The more harmless variant is usually present. In this case, patients can only absorb a small amount of fructose from food into the body via the intestine. However, the fructose that reaches the body can be processed and provides the body with energy, and the intestine reacts to the excessive amount of fructose with flatulence and diarrhoea. However, bloating and constipation can also be signs of this condition. These symptoms always occur a few hours after a meal.
If these symptoms occur in connection with the introduction of complementary foods containing fructose, the first step in the diagnosis will be a test procedure that parents can still carry out themselves: The baby is fed without fructose. If the symptoms improve, the doctor will check which type of fructose intolerance is present. The absorption disorder can be confirmed by testing the child's exhaled air.
This intolerance is primarily treated by limiting the amount of fructose in the diet. This is easy on the intestines and the symptoms are less severe.
More rarely, the problem lies behind intestinal absorption. A metabolic disorder prevents the absorbed fructose from being processed to such an extent that it can be channelled into the cells as an energy supplier. The enzyme that makes this metabolic process possible is missing. This leaves an intermediate product, known as "fructose-1-phosphate", which is then deposited in the organs as a "waste product". The intestines, kidneys and liver are affected.
Affected infants are not only characterised by flatulence and diarrhoea, but also by nausea, vomiting, sweating and clouding of consciousness. Their skin appears yellow in colour. It looks as if neonatal jaundice has returned. But they are no longer newborns. This symptomatology is therefore a warning sign. These children are recognisably unwell.
As long as the baby is breastfed or fed with an infant formula, there is no danger with this type of fructose intolerance. This is because this sugar is not found in breast milk. It is not added to infant formula. In this case, it is important that fructose intake is consistently avoided. The baby will then feel better and - despite this enzyme deficiency - can expect a good and long life.
As a birth centre manager, midwife and mother, I support women in coping better with their challenges during, before and after pregnancy.
To reach even more women, I started elternundbaby.com. I look forward to welcoming you here.
