Lactose intolerance in infants with diarhoea

ABSTRACT

Fifty cases of severe infantile diarrhoea and twenty normal infants served as controls were tested for their ability to digest lactose using the simple screening tests of measuring the PH and reducing sugar in the stools. Ten positive cases were rechallenged by lactose load test and the results were compared. The incidence of lactose intolerance was found to be 58% in infants with severe diarrhoea and it is found to be higher in matnourished compared to those of good nutritional status. The tests for lactose intolerance used in this work, namely the PH and reducing sugar of the stools go hand and were indentical to lactose load. Thus simple detection of reducing sugar and measurement of PH of stools can establish the diagnosis