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One‐third of children with lactose intolerance managed to achieve a regular diet at the three‐year follow‐up point
Author(s) -
YerushalmyFeler Anat,
Soback Hagai,
Lubetzky Ronit,
BenTov Amir,
DaliLevy Margalit,
Galai Tut,
Cohen Shlomi
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
acta paediatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/apa.14305
Subject(s) - medicine , lactose , lactose intolerance , hydrogen breath test , pediatrics , breath test , food science , chemistry , helicobacter pylori
Aim This study described outcomes following treatment for lactose intolerance, which is common in children. Methods The medical records of children aged 6–18 years who underwent lactose hydrogen breath testing at Dana‐Dwek Children's Hospital, Tel Aviv, Israel, from August 2012 to August 2014 were analysed. We compared 154 children with gastrointestinal symptoms and positive lactose hydrogen breath tests to 49 children with negative test results. Results Of the 154 children in the study group, 89 (57.8%) were advised to follow a lactose‐restricted diet, 32 (20.8%) were advised to avoid lactose completely, 18 (11.7%) were instructed to use substitute enzymes, and 15 (9.7%) did not receive specific recommendations. Only 11 patients (7.1%) received recommendations to add calcium‐rich foods or calcium supplements to their diet. Lactose reintroduction was attempted in 119 of 154 patients (77.3%), and 65 of 154 (42.2%) experienced clinical relapses. At the final follow‐up of 3.3 years, 62.3% of the study children were still observing a restricted diet. Older children and those who were symptomatic during lactose hydrogen breath testing were more likely to be on a prolonged restricted diet. Conclusion Our long‐term follow‐up of lactose‐intolerant children showed that only a third were able to achieve a regular diet.