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Lactose-Free Foods for Babies

A small percentage of babies are lactose intolerant -- unable to digest milk sugar, or lactose. Symptoms include diarrhea, gas and fussiness. These symptoms can be caused by a variety of conditions, so discuss your baby's condition with a doctor. According to Dr. Allen Greene, the author of "From First Kicks to First Steps," lactose intolerance is more common in premature babies, who are sometimes lactose intolerant until they begin to approach their original due dates. It also can be a temporary condition due to the infant having diarrhea. In most cases, lactose intolerance in babies disappears on its own by the second birthday. In the meantime, you can keep your baby healthy by using lactose-free foods.

  1. Formula

    • Most babies with lactose intolerance cannot be breast fed, since mother's milk contains lactose, or take a cow's milk formula. The baby is placed on a special lactose-free formula made with soy. These formulas are safe for your baby and they can be found in most grocery stores.

    Baby Foods

    • Most baby foods are lactose free, but some contain milk. Typically, these foods contain the words "cream" or "yogurt" on the front of the package. If the product contains milk, there should be a warning at the bottom of the ingredients list.

    Finger foods

    • As your baby approaches his first birthday, start exposing him to more foods. Lactose-free foods include fruits, vegetables, Cheerios, plain rice cakes, noodles, small pieces of tofu, hard-boiled eggs cut into small pieces, and crackers. If you want to give your baby other foods, read labels and look for milk or whey on the ingredients list. If the product is kosher, look for the term "Parve" or a "P" on the package, because it will be lactose free.

    Making your own foods

    • Replace milk with a soy or rice substitute when making your own foods. You might have to experiment, but usually you cannot tell the difference. These products can be found in most grocery stores in the dairy or health food sections.

    Warnings

    • Never try to re-introduce milk into your child's diet until you have discussed doing so with your baby's doctor. Try dairy slowly, keeping the baby on mostly lactose-free foods. Watch her carefully to see if symptoms return. If they do, immediately put her back on a lactose-free diet until your doctor says it is safe to try again.

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