\The gastroenterologist in me cant help to cringe when she saw the
message about lactose intolerance not existing in babies.
Please allow me to clarify a few points:

1. It is possible for babies to have lactose intolerance under two years
of age!!!
        Although it is rare congenital lactose intolerance exists!.  In an
infant fed lactose containing milk it would present as profuse diarrhea
which would resolve when the baby is taken off lactose containing milk.

2.  Galactosemia IS NOT LACTOSE INTOLERANCE!!!  It is a defect in the
metabolism of galactose (one of the sugars making up lactose).  dany is
right it makes the babies very ill because of the accumulation of a by
product of galactose which poisons the baby.

3.  Most human babies produce lactase and can break down the lactose.
However Dany's statement that if you continue to eat milk products you
will continue to have the enzyme is not correct.  Everyones enzyme levels
decreases with age.  Thats why more elderly have problems digesting milk.
Some races are genetically predisposed to loose their lactase earlier:
asians and hispanics are examples of this problems and often lactose
containing foods are reduced because they cause problems not the other way
around.

4. Aquired lactose intolerance is very common
Any virus that affects the gut can cause this. The most common one in US
is Rotavirus.  It will affect breastfed babies less than formula fed
because of the protection BF confers and also decrease in severity of the
diseaseif a baby gets the diarrhea anyway.  The flu as in influenza has
nothing to do with that.  The condition is transient, about 2-3 weeks on
average until the baby's bowel heals.  It can be partial causing some
colicky behavior and looser and/or more frequent stools than usual in
babies who just had diarrhea.

5.  By the way BF babies can get sick just as anyone else.

Hope this helps clarify the apparent confusion about this condition.

Email me with any question.

Maryelle