Infant is Unable to Absorb Nutrients
Finding out that your baby isn't gaining weight properly can have a devastating effect on new parents. In many cases, malabsorption has nothing to do with the way you're caring for your baby. Infants who can't absorb nutrients need specialized medical care. Many medical conditions can cause failure to thrive; sometimes simple dietary changes or taking nutritional supplements will solve the problem. Other times, your baby might need tube or intravenous feedings to ensure he gets the nutrition he needs to grow.
Some inherited or congenital conditions, such as celiac disease, can interfere with absorption of nutrients from food. Celiac disease -- an inherited inability to digest foods containing gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley -- is the most common cause of malabsorption, according to pediatric gastroenterologist Dr. Stefano Guandalini. Cystic fibrosis is the second most common genetic disorder leading to malabsorption. Chronic liver disease caused by conditions such as biliary atresia can also lead to malabsorption. Congenital lactose intolerance occurs much less frequently than lactose intolerance that develops after age 2; if your baby doesn't produce lactase, the enzyme that breaks down the milk sugar lactose, he can't absorb it.
Food allergies, particularly to cow's milk or soy, affect around 2 to 3 percent of infants, according to KidsHealth. Milk allergy can cause acute symptoms such as wheezing, vomiting or rash, but can also cause chronic symptoms. Milk allergy can damage the lining of the intestine, causing bleeding and making nutrient absorption difficult. Your baby will need a formula that doesn't contain milk proteins or a hypoallergenic formula, which breaks down the proteins in milk so that they're better absorbed.
Infants born with malformations of the gastrointestinal tract can also suffer from malabsorption. Most malformations are diagnosed shortly after birth, when vomiting or abdominal distention make it clear that food can't pass through the gastrointestinal tract. Children with short bowel syndrome that occurs naturally or as a result of surgery to remove diseased bowel after birth don't have enough surface area in the intestine to absorb adequate nutrients to thrive.
Avoiding foods that cause symptoms, such as milk or gluten-containing foods, and substituting specialized formulas allows allergic infants to gain weight and thrive. Taking supplements that replace enzymes needed to digest food can help resolve malabsorption if your baby has cystic fibrosis or congenital lactose intolerance. Infants who can't absorb nutrients directly might need formula feedings given directly into the stomach or small intestine via a tube or fluids given intravenously. Never give your baby any type of supplement or change his diet without discussing it first with his pediatrician.
A registered nurse with more than 25 years of experience in oncology, labor/delivery, neonatal intensive care, infertility and ophthalmology, Sharon Perkins has also coauthored and edited numerous health books for the Wiley "Dummies" series. Perkins also has extensive experience working in home health with medically fragile pediatric patients.