WebMD Answers
Possibly, says Joel Levine, MD, PhD, a professor of pediatrics at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and chief of the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital in New York. Although it’s not recommended, some parents give infants fruit juice, which contains sorbitols (sugar alcohols) that the baby can’t absorb.
“Some babies have a lactose intolerance that makes them unable to absorb the lactose in milk,” Levine says. If your baby is on formula, ask your pediatrician about switching to a hypoallergenic version.
It’s possible for a baby to have trouble digesting some of the foods you eat that are transmitted in your breast milk. Legumes (such as beans, peas, and lentils) and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage), milk products, and caffeine (in coffee, tea, soft drinks, or chocolate) are common culprits. But before you change your diet substantially or eliminate any foods, check with your pediatrician so that neither you nor your baby miss out on important nutrients.
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