galactosemia

American  

[guh-lak-tuh-see-mee-uh] / gəˌlæk təˈsi mi ə /

noun

Pathology.

1. an inherited disorder characterized by the inability to metabolize galactose and requiring a galactose-free diet to avoid consequent intellectual disability and eye, spleen, and liver abnormalities.

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Other Word Forms

• galactosemic adjective

Etymology

Origin of galactosemia

First recorded in 1930–35; galactose + -emia

Example Sentences

Only babies born with a rare hereditary disease called galactosemia are completely unable to digest lactose.

From Salon • Sep. 30, 2022

"All formulas, unless they are specifically for a child with galactosemia, should be lactose-based," she said.

From Salon • Sep. 30, 2022

Babies with a disorder known as galactosemia, for example, are unable to digest lactose, the main sugar found in milk-based formulas and breast milk.

From Washington Post • May 18, 2022

Infants with an uncommon condition called classic galactosemia are unable to metabolize sugar in breast milk and need to be fed formula, Feldman-Winter said.

From Seattle Times • May 18, 2022

The cells used by Molecular Biologists Carl Merril, Mark Geier and John Petricciani at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. were taken from a victim of the hereditary disease called galactosemia.

From Time Magazine Archive