To be a bit peeved my BF baby (who is now 2.5) is lactose intolerant

[soon2bmumof3]

Just that really. Isn't BF meant to protect against things like that? He was EBF for 13mnths :-(

Anyone - he had blood tests as I said above which were clear for casein allergy and a faecal sample has confirmed lactose intolerance.

Chin up - my MIL has much the same attitude to my breastfeeding, not that I ever listened. It may not guarantee anything, but it lowers the chances of problems occurring and that's good enough for me. Plus you saved all that money on not buying formula or bottles or teats, and all that time that would otherwise have been spent sterilising and warming bottles and mixing food and all the rest of it. So it was definitely not a waste of time or effort!

Your little one may be lactose-intolerant, but you may have saved him from any number of other nasties later in life. My family has a tendency to suffer from ear infections and hearing problems, so I was absolutely determined to breastfeed come what may. I have three children aged 0, 4 and 8 and they have had one ear infection between the lot of them so far. If this is still the case in twenty years' time, I will be toasting my boobs in the finest champagne and nominating them for a peerage!!!

YANBU, it's not a guarantee! Some of the sickliest kids I've known have been breastfed.

Thanks Anony. We have asthma, hay fever and eczema in the family so I suppose I should suck this one up and be glad he's not got any of those.

Am expecting twins in 8 weeks and hope to breastfeed them so I shall soldier on with trying! ( altho if they struggle to gain weight too I'll be getting them tested)

Not got any of those so far anyway!

Copied from Lakeshore Medical Clinic Breastfeeding Medicine Facebook page.

"Human milk has lots of lactose. The higher the percentage of lactose in the milk, the larger the overall size of the brain for that species. And since lactose is a sugar found in high concentrations in human milk, and human milk is created to meet the needs of the human baby, it is incredibly rare (not to mention bad for the species) to have an infant who is lactose intolerant.
As we age past the time of physiologic weaning, we sometimes lose the enzyme (lactase) that breaks down lactose. Makes sense- no human milk, no need for lactase, and then we become "lactose intolerant."
Babies getting lactose intolerant because of lactase deficiency- exceptionally rare. Adults with lactose intolerance- not so rare."

Your DS may have cows milk protein intolerance, rather than allergy, in which case allergy tests will be normal. It is much more common than LI in children.

If you exclude lactose from his diet, he will stop producing (much) lactase and become lactose intolerant, even if he is not now. It is therefore worth trying to continue dairy products that don't contain cow's milk, so see whether he is ok on these. If he is, he has CMP intolerance, not LI.