Find out more about lactose intolerance and milk allergies in babies and children, including the causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.

Encourage healthy eating habits for kids by shopping healthy and planning meals to minimise temper tantrums at the dinner table and keep fussy eaters happy.

Medical Understanding lactose intolerance Understanding lactose intolerance Lactose intolerance is a set of symptoms caused by the body’s inability to digest lactose properly

Lactase deficient people do not have enough lactase, the enzyme that helps break down lactose and they suffer from lactose intolerance. The main symptoms of lactose intolerance are bloating and wind. 

Symptoms of lactose intolerance include bloating, gas, abdominal pain and diarrhoea.

Lactose intolerance is poorly understood in the Australian community. There are lots of myths and misunderstandings about it, especially when it comes to babies. Primary (or true) lactose intolerance is an extremely rare genetic condition and lactose intolerance is very different to intolerance or allergy to cows' milk protein. This article explains the differences between lactose intolerance and other conditions such as food allergies and lactose overload and dispels some of the myths about lactose intolerance in babies.

Food intolerance symptoms in children and teens include bloating, diarrhoea and stomach pain. If you think your child has food intolerance, talk to your GP.

A food allergy is an immune response triggered by eating specific foods that cause certain well known symptoms to develop.

Around 1 in 20 infants and 1 in 100 adults are allergic to food. Severe reactions result in difficulty breathing, severe rashes, swelling of the face or throat, dizziness, stomach upset or a drop in blood pressure (shock) and loss of consciousness.

Cow's milk is a common cause of food allergy in infants. In Australia and New Zealand around 2 per cent (1 in 50) infants are allergic to cow's milk and other dairy products. Although most children outgrow cow's milk allergy by the age of 3-5 years, in some people cow's milk allergy may not resolve.