Lactose malabsorption in persistent diarrhea

ABSTRACT

One hundred and forty infants below 2 years of age suffering from diarrhea [70 persistent and 70 acute cases] were included in this study. Laboratory manifestations of lactose malabsorption [acidic stool and/or positive clinitest] were found in 40.7% of total diarrhea cases. The magnitude of this problem was 52.8% and 28.6% in persistent and acute diarrhea cases, respectively. The majority of cases with positive stool tests [45% of the acute and 54.1% of the persistent] were between 6 and 12 months of age. Malnutrition was significantly predominant in persistent cases with positive stool tests. Although there was no significant difference in feeding pattern between persistent and acute cases with positive stool tests, but it was observed that the majority of persistent cases with laboratory manifestations of lactose malabsorption were non-breast fed. The frequency distribution of various enteropathogens among diarrhea cases with lactose malabsorption was 25%, 20%, 15% in acute cases and 8.1%, 18.9% and 5.4% in persistent ones for rota virus, EPEC and protozoa [GL, EH], respectively