Question
My cousin’s child has just been born, and initially, the child would always vomit after breastfeeding. Upon careful examination, it was found that the child has lactose intolerance. What is the difference between galactosemia and lactose intolerance?
Answer
Galactosemia is a disease caused by a congenital genetic defect, primarily due to the coding of 1-ndash, phosphogalactose ndash, and uridine nucleotide transferase. The lack of this enzyme causes galactose and its hydrolysis products to accumulate in the body, leading to severe symptoms such as liver enlargement and cataracts. These are two diseases with different etiologies. It can be said that lactose intolerance is mainly due to acquired factors, while galactosemia is congenital.