If your child is lactose intolerant, you may avoid serving milk or other dairy foods. But you may want to give dairy a chance. Why?

Patrice Tyson, MD
Pediatric Gastroenterologist

Rainbow GI

How do you get your kids to consume dairy when they can’t tolerate lactose?
“Kids can consume dairy in other ways, besides just drinking a glass of milk,” says Patrice Tyson, MD, pediatric gastroenterologist, UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital. “Many children can eat yogurt and aged cheeses, such as swiss, cheddar and parmesan, even though they are lactose intolerant.”

The calcium and vitamin D in dairy foods are important for bone mineral health. Dairy products contain other nutrients vital to growth, too.

Children need three servings of dairy products a day from ages 4 to 8 and four servings a day as adolescents, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) says. One serving is the equivalent of an 8-ounce glass of milk.

Although there is no cure for lactose intolerance, dietary changes can make a big difference in how children feel. The AAP recommends the following for lactose-intolerant kids.

 Learn their dairy limit. In time your kids will learn, by trial and error, how much milk or milk-based foods they can handle. Younger children with lactose intolerance should avoid foods containing lactose. Older children usually can eat small amounts of lactose-containing foods, particularly if the foods are eaten as part of a meal and not alone.

 Try over-the-counter lactase. Give your kids over-thecounterlactase right before each meal to help them digest foods containing lactose. These pills are available in a chewable form for kids.

 Offer kids lactose-free or lactose-reduced dairy. Lactosereduced milk has all the important health benefits of regular milk without the lactose. You can store it in the refrigerator the same length of time.

If you think your child has lactose intolerance, see your doctor. Your pediatrician may suggest taking the child off all dairy for two weeks to see if the classic signs go away. Symptoms, including lower abdominal pain or discomfort, bloating and gas, usually begin about 30 minutes to two hours after drinking or eating foods containing lactose.

“Lactose intolerance doesn’t have to make your child miserable,” says Dr. Tyson. “There are a lot of options out there for kids who are lactose intolerant, such as dietary changes and products to aid digestion. Talk with your pediatrician to find out what would work best for your child.”