Food Intolerance in Children
Food intolerance refers to difficulty digesting certain foods and adverse reactions to them.
Unlike food allergies, which involve the immune system, food intolerance primarily affects the digestive system.
🍞🥛 Common Food Intolerances
- 🥛 Lactose Intolerance: Difficulty digesting lactose, a sugar found in milk and dairy products.
- 🍯 Fructose Intolerance: Difficulty digesting fructose, a sugar found in fruits, honey, and certain sweeteners.
- 🌾 Gluten Sensitivity: Adverse reactions to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye.
- 🍬 Food Additives: Reactions to artificial colours, preservatives, and flavour enhancers (e.g., monosodium glutamate – MSG).
⚠️ Symptoms
- Abdominal pain and cramping
- Bloating and excessive gas
- Diarrhoea or constipation
- Nausea or reflux
- Headaches or migraines
- Fatigue and irritability
📌 Symptoms are usually dose-dependent (worse with larger amounts of the food) and appear hours later, unlike allergies which may trigger immediate reactions.
🔬 Diagnosis
- 📝 Medical History: Review of dietary habits and symptom patterns.
- 🥗 Elimination Diet: Removing suspected foods from the diet to observe symptom improvement.
- 🥛 Lactose Tolerance Test: To diagnose lactose intolerance.
- 💨 Hydrogen Breath Test: Used for lactose and fructose intolerance (measures hydrogen in breath after ingestion).
- 🌾 Gluten Challenge: To diagnose gluten sensitivity or coeliac disease (done under medical supervision).
🩺 Management
- 🚫 Avoidance: Eliminate or reduce intake of the offending food(s).
- 🥦 Dietary Modifications: Replace intolerant foods with alternatives (e.g., lactose-free milk, gluten-free bread).
- 💊 Enzyme Supplements: Lactase tablets can help some children digest dairy.
- 👩⚕️ Consult a Dietitian: To ensure balanced nutrition while avoiding intolerant foods.
🛡️ Prevention
- 📚 Educate Caregivers: Awareness of trigger foods and how to read food labels carefully.
- 🥄 Introduce Foods Gradually: Introduce one new food at a time in early childhood to spot problems quickly.
- 📝 Monitor Symptoms: Keep a food diary and discuss findings with healthcare providers.
📖 References
