Lactose intollerance in Asian Children

Clinical signs and symptoms Abdominal pain and cramps Abdominal distention Nausea and vomiting Diarrhea and flatulence Lactose intolerance sometimes may occur as a temporary condition if it is secondary to an intestinal infection. Secondary lactose intolerance usually occurs because there is some damage to the mucus lining of the intestinal tract. Reasons for this could be secondary to an intestinal infection with parasites, viruses or bacteria. Internationally adopted children, especially those of Asian descent, should have lactose intolerance high on the differential diagnosis radar, but other medical conditions need to be ruled out. Such medical causes are as follows: Parasitic intestinal infections with Giardia or cryptosporidium Viral gastroenteritis, with the routine stomach virus caused by Rotavirus Bacterial enteritis: salmonella and shigellosis Severe protein malnutrition Celiac disease Cystic fibrosis Toddler’s diarrhea secondary to excessive juice intake A very good dietary history needs to be obtained and appropriate medical examination and laboratory tests need to be ordered before a diagnosis is made or excluded. General clinical suspicion of lactose intolerance can be confirmed by a favorable response to withdrawal of lactose from the diet. There is also more sophisticated laboratory testing such as hydrogen breath test that can help in confirming the diagnosis. Intestinal biopsies and lactose tolerance tests are rarely indicated in the Pediatric population. Overall management of lactose intolerance is very simple: avoid milk products. Exclusion of milk from the diet should also be done even if the condition is a temporary one such a secondary to intestinal infections with Giardia. If the child is an infant, than Lacto-free formula should be prescribed. Older children may self-treat themselves by selectively eating foods that they can tolerate. All newly arrived children who complain of intestinal symptoms should have a work-up for intestinal, viral, and bacterial organisms before the diagnosis of lactose intolerance can be used to explain their symptoms. This is especially important if the child comes from an ethnic background where lactose intolerance in more prevalent in the adult population. by George Rogu M.D. Disclaimer The information and advice provided is intended to be general information, NOT as advice on how to deal with a particular child’s situation and or problem. If your child has a specific problem you need to ask your pediatrician about it – only after a careful history and physical exam can a medical diagnosis and/or treatment plan be made. This Web site does not constitute a physician-patient relationship. Article Source: http://www.adoptiondoctors.com/articles Adoptiondoctors.com is an innovative International Adoption Private Practice dedicated to helping parents and adoption agencies with the complex pre-adoption medical issues of internationally adopted children. We are the GO TO place for your Adoption related medical questions. All medical interactions are performed via, e-mail, express mail, telephone and fax. There is no need to make a live appointment or travel outside of you hometown. Blind referral and support services now available during your trip. Never feel like you are abandoned while you are overseas. Adoptiondoctors.com is just a computer click away. Post-Adoption general care can be performed by our International Adoption Medicine Physicians, Dr. George Rogu or Dr. James Reilly in their Adoption friendly, Private Medical Clinic in Commack, New York. For more info: visit Adoptiondoctors.com or call them at 631-499-4114.