Infantile diarrhea is among the top five pediatric emergency visits in early childhood.
In moderate to severe cases, the risk of dehydration and malnutrition of the infant and child increases.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO),
severe diarrhea
occurs due to severe dehydration, generalized bacterial infections (sepsis), malnutrition and immunosuppression that children may suffer from an underlying disease.
Diarrhea is defined as the presence of loose or liquid stools that occur
three or more times a day
(or more frequently than is normal for the person).
According to Mabel Carosella, pediatrician and medical director of the Belgrano R Pediatric Group, diarrhea in early childhood is among the five most frequent reasons for emergency consultation.
“Depending on the time of year,
they can be the main reason for visiting the pediatrician
.
In fact, 1 in 5 children with diarrhea usually present moderate or severe symptoms, which need a special approach,” she said.
Along these lines, Fernando Burgos, pediatrician and member of the Ibero-American Society of Microbiota, Probiotics and Prebiotics (SIAMP&P), assured that “diarrhea, worldwide, in developing countries, constitutes
the second cause of hospitalization, dehydration and death
, with a very high burden of disease.”
Furthermore, he explained that "although 8 out of 10 cases have a viral origin, whatever the cause, what is triggered is an
intestinal inflammatory process
that manifests itself in the child as diarrhea, and that produces a 'clinical intolerance' to the lactose".
On this point, gastroenterologist Silvina Balbarrey pointed out that in the case of acute diarrhea, young children are
temporarily unable to digest lactose
.
In fact, not being able to absorb and digest it can make the condition worse and last longer.
“In cases that do not receive breast milk, lactose-reduced or lactose-free milk is recommended, depending on the clinical picture, to benefit the evolution and shorten the process, avoiding complications related to the osmotic effect of lactose due to secondary intolerance,” she indicated.
Diarrhea is usually the result of an
infection of the digestive tract
, which can be caused by various bacterial, viral or parasitic organisms.
The infection is transmitted through contaminated food or drinking water, or from one person to another as a result of poor hygiene.
As for the symptoms, it generally presents with decreased appetite - which leads to weight loss -, weakness and lack of interest in food.
Different types of gravity
The condition is classified into different types of severity:
acute, prolonged and chronic
.
The first ones usually last between 7 and 10 days and are self-eliminating.
In this case, the primary recommendation is always
breastfeeding
, but for those cases in which the child is no longer breastfeeding, treatment includes changes in diet and lactose-free or lactose-reduced formula milk, with the aim of shortening the period, the frequency of bowel movements and their volume.
On the other hand, there are prolonged ones that
last more than 14 days and require treatment
.
And finally, chronic ones that last up to 1 month and usually have an underlying cause, such as immunoglobulin A (IGA) immunodeficiency, which is very common in children;
The deficiency of IGA, which is the first defense barrier in the digestive and respiratory mucosa, leads to recurrent infections, such as gastroenteritis.
National law 27,305, passed in 2016, known as the 'medicated milk law', requires social and prepaid insurance companies
to cover 100% of the consumption of medicated formula milk
, among which are those lactose-reduced or lactose-free.
With a medical prescription issued by the pediatrician or pediatric gastroenterologist, the law guarantees access to this lactose-free medicinal formula at no cost.
However, currently, the majority of families that need any of these medicinal formulas face difficulties, obstacles and delays in access.
A similar situation occurs with the regulation of the so-called 1,000-day law, which complements the guarantee of coverage of medicated milk.
Although Resolution 409/2022 of the Ministry of Labor expressly contemplates the coverage of lactose-free formulas for cases of diagnosis of intestinal insufficiency/intestinal failure due to malabsorption (as occurs in the case of different types of diarrhea), several prepaid medicine companies and social works
fail to comply with the regulations and do not provide effective coverage
for these medicated milks.
Various clinical studies reveal that the inclusion of lactose-free milk in infants and children with lactose intolerance due to diarrhea
not only reduces its duration but also its severity
.
These benefits are attributed to the ease with which the body assimilates lactose-free milks, which provide a source of essential nutrients without triggering adverse gastrointestinal responses.