Loading...
Lactose intolerance is a clinical syndrome defined as the occurrence of one or more symptoms related to the gastrointestinal tract (e.g., abdominal pain or diarrhea) after ingestion of lactose-containing foods. Both primary lactase deficiency and secondary lactase deficiency can result in lactose intolerance. Congenital lactase deficiency is rare. The AAP recently released a clinical report about lactose intolerance. Highlights of the report include:
Primary lactase deficiency, the most common cause of lactose intolerance, is caused by the absence of lactase and affects 70% of the world’s population. The prevalence and age of onset vary by ethnicity; it is particularly common in Hispanic, black, Asian, American Indian, and Ashkenazi Jewish p…