If my child is lactose intolerant, is there a benefit to giving him milk products?
A. Parents should understand that even if their child is clinically lactose intolerant, they can become lactose tolerant by ingesting small amounts of milk with meals and slowly increasing the amount of milk up to eight ounces a day. Each patient will have a different threshold for ingesting lactose without symptoms. Have your child take milk with meals and increase the amount of lactose until he experiences symptoms. Once the limit is identified, your child should ingest just below that amount so he gets adequate levels of dairy in his diet. Q. If my child isn’t ingesting any milk products, do I need to supplement his diet? A. When lactose is removed from a diet, even for brief periods of time, efforts should be made to supplement with calcium, vitamin D and protein. Dairy products without lactose, including live culture yogurt, many hard cheeses and some ice creams, can be great sources of calcium, vitamin D and protein. With the help of a nutritionist, patients can find a satisfacto
