There're certain diseases, under which children need a special feeding. One of them is lactase deficiency. This pathology is also called alactasia (a slight form - hypolactasia). It is characterized by the fact that organism feels an acute need for lactase - a ferment that contributes to splitting of basic carbohydrate of mother's milk - lactose.

Nutritious substances, contained in milk, are split by special ferments to simpler molecules, to help baby's organism to assimilate milk. Ferments are situated in spittle, digestive juices, bile, are produced by pancreas and fibers of intestinal wall. Small children's ferments' activity is not very high, as a rule, and increases in the process of their development. Under negative influences on a baby's organism, a baby's enzymatic systems become weak, and milk is digested worse.

The main energetic and structural part of breast milk is lactose. This is milk-sugar, which is a main substance in babies' nursing. Lactose is split by a special ferment-lactase - on smaller components, and due to this factor they can be absorbed by blood. If lactose doesn't split, it is left in bowels, causing dilution of stool and increase of aerogenesis. This way, auspicious conditions for propagation of pathogens appear.

Lactose intolerance can be primary and secondary. Primary one is caused by genetic defect and isn't connected with a baby's sex. It becomes apparent during transfer of changed gene to a baby from a father or mother.

Secondary lactase deficiency is more widespread, mainly hypolactasia. The reasons of its appearance may be: immaturity of enzymatic systems of alimentary canal of premature and slowed babies that passes with time; a baby's treatment with antibiotics and hormones; keen intestinal infections; general serious diseases; allergy on proteins of cow's milk and herbs.

Lactase deficiency becomes apparent since first days and weeks of baby's life with frequent, liquid, foamy stool with strong musty smell; gripes, tummy-rumbling and swelling, which appear 10-20 minutes after nursing. Sometimes frequent posseting, retching and weight loss take place.

Certainly, a doctor diagnoses a baby relying on parents' words, results of faeces tests and provocative test with lactose. As a reason of liquid evacuation under lactose deficiency - is a defect of lactose digestion, then the basic method of treatment is diet therapy with restriction of products, rich in milk-sugar. These are usual adapted or non-adapted milk formulas, sour cream, milk paps, puddings, acidophilin. Particularized manufactured products - low- and delactosed - take central place, especially for children before 1 year.

Low-lactosed formulas are mostl often recommended while secondary lactase deficiency; delactosed - while primary. If a baby shows sings of defect of digestion and absorbing nutritious substances, particularly fats, he gains weight slowly, is physically backward other babies, has unsteady excrements for a long time, then you can use delactosed formulas, based on hydrolyzates of protein.

Transfer of children on recommended formulas should be executed during 2-3 weeks. Change half of volume of nursing for breast feeding babies, and change formula completely for forced feeding babies. On 2-4th day a baby calms down, stops throwing up, diarrhea and wind disappear and, and since 5th day a baby begins gaining weight. If you use supplemental feeding without milk, then take care that ration of a baby's feeding is various and balanced. As for dairy produce, you can give also yoghurts, containing live bio-cultures, and cheese. It can be digested even under lactase deficiency. While prolonged milkless diet you need to add calcium to baby's food.

While hypolactasia, a full recovery can be reached for 2-3 months, as under this disease, lactose is accumulated in baby's cells in much more toxic concentrations, and more time is required to clean organism. After control tests, you can carefully add food, containing lactose, in your baby's ration. Write down a kind of supplementary feeding, its quantity and reaction of organism in a special food journal.

And the last thing young mothers should know. Not only lactose deficiency can serve as a reason of pains in stomach, posseting and diarrhea, these can be also intestinal infections, dysbacteriosis, wrong choice of supplementary feeding. So, you need to consult a professional to diagnose your baby and choose a method of treatment. Your task is to keep your baby to a diet, prescribed by doctor, keep a food diary and create comfortable conditions for your baby. Then recovery will surely come quicker and disease will probably go away for ever.