Chronic diarrhea in children has a long differential diagnosis, but the clinician can usually distinguish disease from functional diarrhea. A careful history will provide information on medical and dietary problem, growth disturbance, associated symptoms and signs. The extent of laboratory evaluation should be guided by common sense. In the absence of the worrisome historical items noted, or abnormal findings on examination or growth history, reassurance may be all that is required. This article reviewed the diagnostic approach and differential diagnosis of chronic diarrhea, and summarized common non pathologic conditions of chronic diarrhea such as chronic nonspecific diarrhea (toddler's diarrhea) and secondary lactase deficiency.
Child ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diarrhea ; Humans ; Infant ; Lactase ; Lactose Intolerance

OBJECTIVETo investigate relations between milk consumption and lactose intolerance (LI) in adults and to explore the effect of milk consumption on lactase activity.

METHODSTotal of 182 subjects aged 20-70 years were recruited and interviewed by questionnaires, and their accumulative cow's milk intake (AMI) was calculated. LI was evaluated by hydrogen breath test (HBT).

RESULTSA negative correlation was found between AMI and severity of observed LI symptom (r=-0.2884; P<0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis showed a negative correlation between LI and duration and frequency of milk consumption (OR, 0.317 and 0.465, respectively; both P<0.05) and a positive correlation between LI and amount of milk consumed per sitting (OR, 6.337; P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONLI is related to various milk consumption behaviors. Most Chinese adults with LI may tolerate moderate milk consumption <160 mL.

Adult ; Animals ; Breath Tests ; China ; epidemiology ; Drinking Behavior ; Humans ; Hydrogen ; Lactase ; metabolism ; Lactose ; Lactose Intolerance ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Milk ; Prevalence

Patients with a functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID) frequently report abdominal discomfort and bloating after ingesting specific foods. However, evidence on the relationship between foods and symptoms is lacking. In addition, the diagnosis of food hypersensitivity and food intolerance does not seem to be established yet. Food hypersensitivity can be divided into immunologically mediated and non-immunologically mediated forms. The immunologically mediated forms are specifically termed food allergies, whereas the non-immunologically mediated forms are referred to as food intolerances. Various diagnostic tools are required to make an accurate diagnosis of a food allergy or a food intolerance. First, a thorough examination of the history and basic tests to rule out other organic diseases are needed. Next, diagnostic tests for immunoglobulin E-mediated food allergies are required and diseases, such as celiac disease and lactose intolerance, should be differentiated. A diagnosis for non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is also required. A double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, dietary challenge test can be used for diagnosing NCGS and food intolerance. Diagnostic tests for food intolerance, in which scientific evidence is lacking, may result in a misdiagnosis of food hypersensitivity or food intolerance in patients with a FGID. Therefore, an accurate diagnosis of food hypersensitivity or food intolerance based on reliable tests is required.
Celiac Disease ; Diagnosis ; Diagnostic Errors ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Food Hypersensitivity ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; Glutens ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins ; Lactose Intolerance

PURPOSE: The three categories of failure to thrive are based on anthropometric measurements of weight, length, and head circumference for age. Type 1 is a failure to gain weight(FGW) due mainly to malnutrition. This study was performed to observe the clinical outcomes of infants with FGW, Type 1, among out-patients. METHODS: Between October 2002 and July 2003, data from the clinical outcomes of 83 consecutive patients at a Pediatric FGW Out-patients Clinic, all under 2 years of age, with inadequate growth or loss of body weight, was reviewed. This study concentrated on the Type 1 anthropometric category, with emphasis on the organic causes. FGW was defined as a weight loss for over two weeks in infants under 2 years of age. We observed four cases of breast feeding associated also as cases of misconception of diarrhea. RESULTS: Of the 87 cases, the eight most prevalent final diagnoses were gastrointestinal cow milk allergy(32.2%), breast feeding associated(16.1%), misconception of diarrhea(15.0%), lactose intolerance (15.0%), gastroesophageal reflux disease(GERD)(5.7%), laryngomalacia(3.4%), solid foods associated (1.1%), and other organic diseases(11.5%). The period from onset of symptom to diagnosis was 3.9+/-3.3 months, with over three months observed in 49.4% of patients. Although the birth weights were within a 10-90 percentile range in all patients, the body weight on diagnosis was below the 3 percentile in 63.8% of patinets. CONCLUSION: The most prevalent causes of FGW were gastrointestinal cow milk allergy, breast feeding associated, and misconception of diarrhea. The delayed diagnosis of FGW of over three months was frequently observed, and induced serious inadequate growth.
Anthropometry ; Birth Weight ; Body Weight ; Breast Feeding ; Delayed Diagnosis ; Diagnosis ; Diarrhea ; Failure to Thrive ; Gastroesophageal Reflux ; Head ; Humans ; Infant* ; Lactose Intolerance ; Malnutrition ; Milk ; Milk Hypersensitivity ; Outpatients* ; Weight Loss

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Lactose-free milk (LFM) is available for nutrient supply for those with lactose intolerance (LI). However, there are no consistent results of the efficacy of LFM in LI subjects. We aimed to examine the changes of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and hydrogen breath test (HBT) values after ingestion of lactose contained milk (LCM) vs. LFM. METHODS: From May 2015 to September 2015, thirty-five healthy adults with history of LCM-induced GI symptoms were recruited at a tertiary hospital. For the diagnosis of LI, HBT with LCM 550 mL (lactose 25 g) was performed every 20 minutes for 3 hours. The test was defined as "positive" when H2 peak exceeded 20 ppm above baseline values (DeltaH2>20 ppm). When the subjects are diagnosed as LI, the second HBT using LFM 550 mL (lactose 0 g) was performed 7 days later. Subjects were asked to complete a questionnaire about the occurrence and severity of GI symptoms. RESULTS: Among a total of 35 subjects, 31 were diagnosed with LI at first visit, and their LCM-related symptoms were abdominal pain (98.6%), borborygmus (96.8%), diarrhea (90.3%), and flatus (87.1%). The DeltaH2 value in subjects taking LCM (103.7+/-66.3 ppm) significantly decreased to 6.3+/-4.9 ppm after ingesting LFM (p<0.0001). There were also significant reduction in total symptom scores and the severity of each symptom when LCM was changed to LFM (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report that LFM reduce LCM-related GI symptoms and H2 production in Korean adults. LFM can be an effective alternative for LCM in adults with LI.
Abdominal Pain/pathology ; Adult ; Aged ; Animals ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Breath Tests ; Diarrhea/pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrogen/metabolism ; Lactose/chemistry/metabolism ; Lactose Intolerance/*diagnosis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Milk/chemistry ; Republic of Korea ; Severity of Illness Index ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Tertiary Care Centers

PURPOSE: Lactose intolerance (LI) is perceived to be frequent in Asia and has been reported to have considerable impact on dietary intake, nutritional status and the quality of life. We aimed to gather information from healthcare professionals on the perceived incidence, diagnosis and management of LI in 1 to 5 year old children in Southeast Asia. METHODS: An anonymous electronic survey was sent randomly among healthcare professionals registered in the database of the pediatric societies in Thailand, Indonesia, and Singapore between June and October 2016. RESULTS: In total, 259 health care professionals responded of which 45.5% (n=118) were from Thailand, 37.4% (n=97) from Indonesia and 16.9% (n=44) from Singapore. Of the participants who responded (n=248), primary LI prevalence among children 1 to 3 years of age was estimated to be less than 5% by 56.8%. However, about 18.9% (n=47) answered they did not know/unsure. Regarding secondary LI, 61.6% of respondents (n=153) estimated the prevalence to be less than 15%. But again, 10.8% (n=27) answered they did not know or unsure. Rotavirus gastroenteritis was ranked as the top cause for secondary LI. There was considerable heterogeneity in the diagnostic methods used. The majority of respondents (75%) recommended lactose-free milk to manage primary and secondary LI. CONCLUSION: More education/training of pediatricians on this topic and further epidemiological studies using a more systematic approach are required.
Anonyms and Pseudonyms ; Asia ; Asia, Southeastern ; Child* ; Delivery of Health Care ; Diagnosis ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Far East* ; Gastroenteritis ; Health Personnel ; Humans ; Incidence ; Indonesia ; Lactose Intolerance* ; Lactose* ; Milk ; Nutritional Status ; Population Characteristics ; Prevalence* ; Quality of Life ; Rotavirus ; Singapore ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Thailand