What To Give Baby For Diarrhea

Baby Diarrhea Treatment And Prevention Tips For Viral Diarrhea

Its not uncommon for babies to have diarrhea from time to time. While its usually not serious, its important to know about baby diarrhea treatment and how to avoid it in the future.

How to prevent viral diarrhea

Baby diarrhea can sometimes happen, so its important to take steps to avoid it:

• 1. Hand washing: Everyone who comes in contact with your baby should first thoroughly wash their hands for at least 20 seconds. Wash your babys hands often, too.
• 2. Disinfecting: Be sure to disinfect changing tables, toys, and other surface areas your baby touches. One of the best ways of disinfecting these areas is to clean with a mixture made with half a cup of bleach combined with a gallon of water.

How to treat viral diarrhea

To treat baby diarrhea that comes from a virus, keep these considerations in mind:

• 1. Top up formula or breast milk: Offer additional breast milk or formula to your babyits important to increase these liquids.
• 2. Consider an electrolyte solution: Ask your doctor about possibly giving your baby an oral rehydration solution. Electrolyte solutions quickly replace water and electrolytes baby would have lost from diarrhea. The high amounts of electrolyte sodium and balance of carbohydrates helps promote absorption of both fluids and electrolytes. Since theres tummy turmoil its best to choose one without the use of artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners.

3 things to avoid if your baby has viral diarrhea

How Do You Treat Diarrhea In Babies And Toddlers

Diarrhea will usually ease up on its own within a few days. In the meantime, your priority is helping your child stay hydrated and offering foods that will be gentle on her stomach, if she has an appetite. If your little one isnt vomiting or showing signs of dehydration, its fine to let her eat and drink as normal.

Check with your pediatrician about what to give your toddler for diarrhea and baby diarrhea treatments. Here are some things you can do for baby or toddler diarrhea:

For The First 4 Hours Of Oral Rehydration

If your child refuses to take the ORS by the cup or bottle, give the solution using a medicine dropper, a syringe, a small teaspoon or frozen pops.

If your child vomits, stop foods and other fluids, but continue to give the ORS using a spoon.

• Give 15 mL every 10 min to 15 min until the vomiting stops.
• Increase the amounts gradually until your child is able to drink the regular amounts.
• If your child continues vomiting for longer than 4 to 6 hours, take your child to the hospital.

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Preventing The Spread Of Infection

If a virus caused your childs diarrhea, do the following to prevent the spread to others:

• Make sure your child washes hands with soap and water after using the toilet and before eating.
• Wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer after touching your child and their eating utensils, dirty laundry or diapers .
• Keep your childs utensils, toys and dirty clothes away from others. Wash them in hot soapy water.
• Clean the toilet and hard surfaces often with disinfectant or an antimicrobial wipe. Let dry 15 seconds.

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Baby Diarrhoea Treatment And Care

The kind of treatment your babyâs doctor recommends will depend on their diagnosis of what is causing the diarrhoea in the first place and how severe it is.

There is no medication for diarrhoea triggered by a virus, which is the most common cause of baby diarrhoea. Diarrhoea caused by a virus tends to clear up on its own with time. With diarrhoea â besides keeping your baby comfortable and treating other symptoms like fever or tummy ache â itâs important to keep your child hydrated.

In some cases, your child’s doctor may want to run tests, for example by sending a stool sample to a laboratory to find out what kind of virus or bacteria is causing the illness.

If the doctor suspects that your babyâs diarrhoea has a cause other than a viral or bacterial infection, they may conduct further tests or refer your child to a specialist who can investigate the causes and recommend suitable treatment.

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After 4 Hours Until 24 Hours: Recovery Stage

• Keep giving your child the oral rehydration solution until diarrhea is less frequent.
• Continue feeding your child their regular diet if they are not vomiting.
• When vomiting decreases, its important to get your child to breastfeed as usual, drink formula or whole milk, or eat regular food in small, frequent feedings.

When Does A Baby Start To Have Diarrhea

If it lasts for 3 or more stools, the baby has diarrhea. If the stools contain mucus, blood or smell bad, this points to diarrhea. Other clues to diarrhea are poor eating, acting sick, or a fever. Formula-fed babies pass 1 to 8 stools per day during the first week. Then it starts to slow down to 1 to 4 per day. This lasts until 2 months of age.

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The Best Foods To Give Toddlers With Diarrhea

Although there is no specific recommendation of foods to give a toddler with diarrhea, there are a few foods and meal habits that may benefit your child.

Here are the best foods to give a toddler with diarrhea:

• whole grain ANYTHING: This provides more fiber and can provide bulk and firm-up stools.
• cooked vegetables such as carrots, green beans, squash, and asparagus
• bland foods
• starchy foods like pasta, white rice, baked potatoes
• salty foods with electrolytes like bone broth
• bananas
• pancakes
• healthy fats like butter, nut butter, and avocado Studies show that toddlers and children with diarrhea should get around 35-40% of calories from fat.

*Note, if your child already follows a high fiber diet, it may be beneficial to incorporate low fiber foods to see if symptoms resolve.

What Does Baby Diarrhea Look Like

Bottle-fed babies tend to have tan-brown poop, while breastfeed infants have loose, yellow, and seedy stool. So how can you tell the difference between baby diarrhea vs. normal poop? Start by examining the frequency of their bowel movementsnot just the texture.

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When a baby is very young it’s typical to see a bowel movement every time they eat or even more often. After a month, the dirty diapers should slow down to about three or four per day after two months, they can be as infrequent as one per day to one per week. But if your baby has diarrhea, they’ll poop two or three times more than normal.

In addition, baby diarrhea looks watery, and it usually comes in high volumes. The color can range from yellow to green to dark brown. Babies with diarrhea may also act agitated and fussy, and they might have trouble feeding. These side effects can occur with bottle-fed baby diarrhea and breastfed baby diarrhea.

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*why Is Applesauce Good For Babies With Diarrhea When Apple Juice Is Considered Bad

It seems contradictory, doesnt it?

But applesauce is made from the whole fruit, which means that it contains the pectin that firms stools whereas apple juice contains a natural sugar called sorbitol.

Sorbitol is known to either cause or aggravate diarrhea.

should I continue to breastfeed?

Yes breastfeeding your baby when he has diarrhea actually helps him recover more quickly.

However, you should avoid things like cola and coffee these can pass to your baby through your milk and may worsen his symptoms.

The golden rule when feeding a baby with diarrhea is to give him small, frequent meals.

It may take a while for his stools to become completely firm again, as babies intestines tend to heal fairly slowly.

But if your babys diarrhea seems persistent, or if you are at all concerned, then dont hesitate to seek medical advice.

Please for information about dealing with infant constipation or find out more about the connection between diaper rash and baby food.

Fluids To Treat Dehydration

If your child is mildly dehydrated, this may be treated by giving them rehydration drinks. Read the instructions carefully for advice about how to make up the drinks and about how much to give. The amount can depend on the age and the weight of your child. If rehydration drinks are not available for whatever reason, make sure you keep giving your child water, diluted fruit juice or some other suitable liquid. If you are breastfeeding, you should continue with this during this time. It is important that your child is rehydrated before they have any solid food.

Sometimes a child may need to be admitted to hospital for treatment if they are dehydrated. Treatment in hospital usually involves giving rehydration solution via a special tube called a nasogastric tube. This tube passes through your childs nose, down their throat and directly into their stomach. An alternative treatment is with fluids given directly into a vein .

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How To Cope With Side Effects Of Loperamide

What to do about:

• constipation â stop taking loperamide. If you have constipation, eat more fibre by having fresh fruit, vegetables and cereals, and drink plenty of water.â¯Try to exercise regularly, for example by going for a daily walk or run. If this does not help, talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
• feeling dizzy â if loperamide makes you feel dizzy when you stand up, try getting up very slowly or stay sitting down until you feel better. If you begin to feel dizzy, lie down so that you do not faint, then sit until you feel better. Avoid driving, cycling, or using tools or machines if you feel dizzy.
• feeling sick â try taking loperamide with or after a meal or snack. It may also help if you stick to simple meals and avoid rich or spicy food.
• headaches â make sure you rest and drink plenty of fluids. Do not drink too much alcohol. Ask your pharmacist to recommend a painkiller. Talk to your doctor if the headaches last longer than a week or are severe.
• farting â avoid foods that cause wind like lentils, beans and onions. It might also help to eat smaller and more frequent meals, eat and drink slowly, and exercise regularly. There are products you can buy from a pharmacy to help with wind. Loperamide can be bought mixed with simeticone, a medicine for wind.

How Can Parents Help

For kids who show signs of mild dehydration, doctors recommend giving oral rehydration solutions such as Pedialyte, Enfalyte, or a store brand. It has the right amount of water, sugar, and salt to help with dehydration. These are available in most grocery stores and drugstores without a prescription. Your doctor will tell you what kind to give, how much, and for how long.

Dont give kids with diarrhea sports drinks, soda, or full-strength juice. They have too much sugar and can make some symptoms worse. Also, dont give water alone.

In some cases, kids with severe diarrhea may need to get IV fluids at the hospital treat dehydration.

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Diet For Children With Diarrhea

In many cases, you can continue feeding your child as usual. The diarrhea will normally go away in time, without any changes or treatment. But while children have diarrhea, they should:

• Eat small meals throughout the day instead of 3 big meals.
• Eat some salty foods, such as pretzels and soup.

When necessary, changes in the diet may help. No specific diet is recommended. But children often do better with bland foods. Give your child foods such as:

• Baked or broiled beef, pork, chicken, fish, or turkey
• Cooked eggs
• Bananas and other fresh fruits
• Applesauce
• Bread products made from refined, white flour
• Pasta or white rice
• Cereals such as cream of wheat, farina, oatmeal, and cornflakes
• Pancakes and waffles made with white flour
• Cornbread, prepared or served with very little honey or syrup
• Cooked vegetables, such as carrots, green beans, mushrooms, beets, asparagus tips, acorn squash, and peeled zucchini
• Some desserts and snacks, such as Jell-O, popsicles, cakes, cookies, or sherbet
• Baked potatoes

In general, removing seeds and skins from these foods is best.

Use low-fat milk, cheese, or yogurt. If dairy products are making the diarrhea worse or causing gas and bloating, your child may need to stop eating or drinking dairy products for a few days.

Tips For Using Home Remedies For Diarrhea

Although medications can help cure diarrhea in babies, home remedies are the best approach to regulate an infants diarrhea because they are natural and easily available. While frequent breastfeeding is usually recommended to treat diarrhea in babies under the age of six months, home remedies for infants older than six months may include the BRAT diet in mashed form, baby cereals, and ORS combined with frequent breastfeeding. However, when introducing new foods as home cures, be cautious and monitor your babys reaction. If there is no improvement after a day or two, consult a doctor.

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Information About Diarrhea Medicine For Kids

• Generally, antibiotics are not used to treat infectious diarrhea in children.
• Always check with your doctor before giving your child over-the-counter diarrhea medications such as Imodium and Pepto-Bismol.
• For some types of infectious diarrhea, probiotics may be helpful. You can purchase probiotics over the counter in liquid and pill form. Make sure to buy the version that is “for children. Check with your doctor before using probiotics if your child is under age 3.
• Do not give any type of medication to children under age 3 without first consulting your physician.

A Pharmacist Can Help With Diarrhoea And Vomiting

Speak to a pharmacist if:

• you or your child have signs of dehydration such as dark, smelly pee or peeing less than usual
• you need to stop diarrhoea for a few hours

They may recommend:

• oral rehydration sachets you mix with water to make a drink
• medicine to stop diarrhoea for a few hours not suitable for children under 12

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Keeping Your Child Hydrated

Rehydration is really important during a diarrhea spell to prevent your child from getting dehydrated. If your baby is younger than 6 months old, keep her hydrated with breast milk or formula as water is not recommended for babies in the first six months. For babies and toddlers over 6 months old, you can keep giving the same liquids you would normally, like water, breast milk, or formula.

Your baby or toddlers healthcare provider may recommend you use a store-bought electrolyte solution to help keep your little one properly hydrated, and may offer specific instructions on how to do this. Here are some general guidelines on giving your child an electrolyte solution:

• For breastfed babies, you can continue to nurse as usual, as well as giving the electrolyte solution, unless your provider recommends just breastfeeding

• For formula-fed babies, you should stop offering formula and give only the electrolyte solution until the diarrhea and/or vomiting has stopped. Then you can go back to formula-feeding

• For older babies and toddlers who are eating solid foods, reintroduce your childs normal diet only once the diarrhea and/or vomiting have stopped. Until then give the electrolyte solution exclusively until the diarrhea has decreased. After 12 to 24 hours of giving the electrolyte solution, you can also offer certain bland and easily digestible foods including crackers, toast, rice, chicken, applesauce, pears, bananas, and gelatin.

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The Correlation Between Diarrhea And Teething

So does teething cause diarrhea? Not exactly. Despite what many mothers will tell you, teething does not directly cause diarrhea, says the American Academy of Pediatrics. Hard fact: Teething itself wont make your baby produce stinkier diapers.

But there are a few reasons why teething and diarrhea appear to be associated. Teething usually starts around 6 months of age. Mothers often begin offering their babies solid foods at about the same time. It can take a while for your babys sensitive digestive system to get used to new foods, which may cause a change in their stools, including diarrhea.

Also around this time, babies lose the antibodies they got from their mother at birth. Fewer antibodies , makes it more likely that theyll pick up an infection which may cause diarrhea.

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