A trial of lactose hydrolysed milk in Australian Aboriginal children.

Weight gains in 50 young Australian Aboriginal children were studied in a blind controlled hospital trial of reconstituted, lactose hydrolysed milk powder (test) and full-cream milk powder (control). The mean weight gains (+/- SEM) were 4.80 +/- 0.80 g kg-1 day-1 for children receiving the lactose hydrolysed milk, and 2.20 +/- 0.75 g kg-1 day-1 for those receiving the normal milk P less than 0.0125). Weight gain of infants (that is, those under one year of age) in the control group was less than 10% of that in the test group (P less than 0.0025). Weight gain was higher in children fed hydrolysed milk irrespective of percentage of Standard Weight for Age or the presence or absence of recognizable symptoms of lactose intolerance. Lactose malabsorption appears to be a major factor in the growth retardation of Aboriginal children. It is recommended that lactose hydrolysed milk replace normal milk in the supplementary feeding of Aboriginal infants and children.