How to Tell if Your Baby Has Diarrhea

Babe Diarrhea: A Parent's Guide to Causes and Treatments

Are y'all noticing actress watery poop in the diaper? Learn what causes the runs and how to end diarrhea in babies fast.

It's normal for babe stools to be soft and loose, particularly during an infant's first few months. Simply when your baby has diarrhea, chances are that you'll know it. "The poop will take a watery consistency and bowel movements will occur more frequently," says Shaista Safder, M.D., a pediatric gastroenterologist at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando. Babies with diarrhea may too have a fever or seem disinterested in eating. Acquire the potential causes for runny stool and how to stop babe diarrhea fast.

female parent changing diaper

Credit: Garnet Photo/Shutterstock

What Does Baby Diarrhea Look Similar?

Bottle-fed babies tend to have tan-chocolate-brown poop, while breastfeed infants have loose, xanthous, and seedy stool. So how can y'all tell the difference between babe diarrhea vs. normal poop? Beginning by examining the frequency of their bowel movements—not just the texture.

• RELATED: Breastfed Baby Poop: How It's Unlike and What's Normal

When a baby is very young (less than a month) it's typical to encounter a bowel motion every time they consume or even more often. After a month, the dirty diapers should slow down to most three or four per day; afterwards two months, they can be as exceptional as 1 per day to i per week. But if your baby has diarrhea, they'll poop ii or three times more than normal.

In addition, baby diarrhea looks watery, and information technology usually comes in high volumes. The color tin can range from xanthous to light-green to dark brown. Babies with diarrhea may also act agitated and fussy, and they might take trouble feeding. These side furnishings can occur with bottle-fed infant diarrhea and breastfed baby diarrhea.

Causes of Diarrhea in Babies

Diarrhea in babies has many potential causes. Here are some of the most mutual ones.

Viral infections. A rotavirus is the most mutual crusade of diarrhea in children ages 2 and younger. Fortunately, the number of children who get this abdominal infection has dropped significantly since the introduction of the oral rotavirus vaccine in 2006. "Vaccinated children tin still get rotavirus, but they tend to take milder symptoms and recover faster," says Dr. Safder.

Antibiotics. Almost 1 in x children who take antibiotics develop diarrhea, nausea, and stomach pain. "In addition to targeting bad bacteria, antibiotics kill off healthy bacteria in the gut, which can lead to stomach upset or diarrhea," says Iona Munjal, K.D., director of the Pediatric Antimicrobial Stewardship Programme at The Children's Hospital at Montefiore Medical Middle in Bronx, New York. If you think antibiotics are causing your baby's diarrhea, talk to your dr. before stopping the medication. Stopping antibiotics early on can lead to antibiotic resistance and cause a bacterial infection to return.

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Parasites. Infants in daycare centers have a higher risk of contracting giardia, an intestinal infection caused by parasites. Exposure occurs when babies put fecal-contaminated toys, food, their hands, or other objects into their mouths. Most children get meliorate without special handling.

Milk allergy. Up to 3 percent of children are allergic to milk proteins plant in dairy products, including well-nigh formulas, and breastfed babies tin develop allergies to milk proteins in the dairy products their moms eat. A infant with a milk protein allergy may vomit and develop hives, too every bit diarrhea. If your baby has a milk poly peptide allergy, your pediatrician may switch them to a special formula. Nursing moms may have to forgo dairy or foods containing milk protein.

Baby Diarrhea Treatments

Considering diarrhea is the body'due south mode of getting rid of germs, it'south best to permit the illness run its class without medicine. "You should never give antidiarrheal medication to a baby," says Dr. Safder, considering the U.S. Nutrient and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved these meds for babies. Instead, you can ease your picayune one'south discomfort with these tricks.

Offer lots of liquids. "Infants with diarrhea are particularly susceptible to aridity because, pound for pound, their small bodies lose liquids faster than [those of] older children or adults," says Rebecca Cherry, 1000.D., a pediatric gastroenterologist at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego. Because your baby is losing fluids from the diarrhea and probably isn't eating as much, you should offering them the breast or bottle more often, also as a pediatric oral rehydration beverage, if your doctor says it'southward okay. "Don't switch formulas without your doctor'due south consent and don't give fruit juice. Sugary drinks similar juice can worsen diarrhea symptoms," says Dr. Carmine. That'southward because some kids aren't able to digest the sugars easily.

• RELATED: What Causes Light-green Infant Poop?

Serve healthy foods. Babies who are eating solids tin go along with their normal foods. "There'due south no bear witness that the Deviling diet [bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast], commonly given for those with intestinal bug, is truly helpful. Plus, it lacks protein," notes Dr. Cherry. Instead, doctors at present recommend lean meats, such as chicken, in addition to starchier foods like oatmeal, whole-wheat staff of life, and crackers, likewise equally bite-size pretzels and crackers to help replenish lost sodium. "Probiotics found in yogurt or available in oral drops tin assistance restore healthy bacteria in the digestive tract," adds Dr. Safder.

Protect the bum. Acid in diarrhea, continuously soiled diapers, and frequent wipings tin lead to skin irritation and diaper rash. Dr. Cherry recommends irresolute your baby's diapers oft; using a soft washcloth and warm water, instead of wipes; and patting dry or air-drying your baby's buttocks. Apply a thick blanket of diaper ointment or other wet barrier, like petroleum jelly or zinc oxide, at each changing. Allow your md know if the rash doesn't meliorate or if information technology worsens afterward a few days. This oftentimes indicates a yeast infection, which requires treatment with a prescription or an over-the-counter antifungal foam.

• RELATED: Signs Your Baby Has Gas and How to Care for It

When to Call the Doctor

Does your infant have yellow watery diarrhea, green diarrhea, brown diarrhea, or anything in betwixt? Depending on the cause, these bowel movements may concluding between v and 14 days. Yous should call your pediatrician if your infant has any of the following symptoms.

• Signs of dehydration (a sunken fontanel, few wet diapers, dry out eyes when crying, dry mouth, sunken optics or lethargy)
• Mucus or foul odor in three or more than diarrhea stools (for infants i month of age or younger)
• Blood in the stool
• Severe diarrhea while taking antibiotics
• Fever (to a higher place 100.four degrees Fahrenheit for babies younger than 3 months; to a higher place 102 degrees Fahrenheit for ages 3 months to 12 months)

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Source: https://www.parents.com/baby/health/diarrhea/diarrhea-101/

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