Factors that may cause malabsorption syndrome include:

• damage to the intestine from infection, inflammation, trauma, or surgery
• prolonged use of antibiotics
• other conditions such as celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, chronic pancreatitis, or cystic fibrosis
• lactase deficiency, or lactose intolerance
• certain defects that are congenital, or present at birth, such as biliary atresia, when the bile ducts don’t develop normally and prevent the flow of bile from the liver
• diseases of the gallbladder, liver, or pancreas
• parasitic diseases
• radiation therapy, which may injure the lining of the intestine
• certain drugs that may injure the lining of the intestine, such as tetracycline, colchicine, orcholestyramine