Why Do Babies Have Diarrhea

Effects Of Baby Diarrhea

Diarrhea makes the body lose too much water and minerals called electrolytes. That leads to dehydration. Babies can get dehydrated very quickly — within a day or two after diarrhea starts — and it can be very dangerous, especially in newborns.

• Peeing less often
• Acting fussy or irritable
• No tears when they cry
• Unusual drowsiness or sluggishness
• Sunken soft spot on the top of the baby’s head
• Skin that isn’t as elastic as usual

Also, call the doctor if your baby has diarrhea and is less than 6 months old or has these symptoms:

• Fever of 102 degrees or higher
• Belly pain
• Blood or pus in their poop, or poop thats black, white, or red
• Sluggishness
• Vomiting

Diarrhea Combined With Dehydration: How Do I Know If My Baby Is Dehydrated

If you suspect your baby may be dehydrated, contact your doctor immediately. An electrolyte water solution may be suggested if dehydration is severe. Research indicates that diarrhea is especially serious when it results in dehydration.

Signs of baby dehydration include:

• No tears when crying
• Lack of wet diaper for 6 to 8 hours in an infant or only urinating a small amount of dark yellow urine
• Irritability
• Lethargy

Safety When Traveling With A Newborn

While you can travel with a newborn baby, including airplane travel, it doesn’t mean that you should. A lot depends on your baby’s age and health. It’s not about the oxygen levels, the pressurized cabin on the plane, or the effects of high altitude. There is no proven connection between airplane travel and SIDS.

Instead, most experts advise limiting newborns’ and younger infants’ exposure to large groups of people so that they don’t get sick. Traveling through an airport, onto an airplane , through another airport and then visiting a lot of peopleeven if they are family membersexposes your baby to viral illnesses and other infections. This exposure is the main issue to consider when you travel with a baby, especially by air.

Vaccine-preventable diseases are also a concern at this age, as babies haven’t had time to get vaccines and be fully protected against these illnesses. From measles and pertussis to the flu, it isn’t a good idea to expose a newborn baby or young infant to these diseases unnecessarily, whether in an airport or at your destination. Traveling by bus or train would also expose your baby to many unfamiliar people and diseases.

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When To Contact Your Doctor

Babies under 6 months old should always be checked by a doctor if they have vomiting and diarrhoea because they are at higher risk of dehydration.

If your baby is unwell , or if vomiting has lasted more than a day, get your doctors advice straightaway or call healthdirect to speak to a registered nurse on 1800 022 222 .

At The Doctor’s Office

If your doctor advises you to bring your baby in for a check-up, they will do a thorough evaluation of your baby to determine the best course of treatment.

For breastfeeding parents, the doctor may want to check your baby’s latch and breastfeeding technique. If you’re breastfeeding and your baby isn’t getting enough breast milk, you may be advised to consult with a lactation consultant and/or to supplement your baby with infant formula.

The doctor will also examine your child’s overall health. If the baby has an infection, the doctor may prescribe medicine to treat the illness.

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Diarrhoea In Babies And Children

It is safe to treat your child at home if they do not develop severe diarrhoea or dehydration.

You can reduce your childs symptoms at home by:

• continuing their normal milk feeds
• giving them plenty of small sips of water
• continuing to offer them small amounts of food – do not worry if your child does not want to eat for a day or two
• feeding them whole milk and fibre
• giving them liquid paracetamol to reduce a high temperature or tummy pains

When using liquid paracetamol, always read the label and use the correct dose. Keep all medicines out of your childs reach.

If your child has diarrhoea, do not give them:

• fruit juices or fizzy drinks
• medications to stop diarrhoea
• diluted formula

When preparing formula, always follow the packet instructions. It is not safe to dilute formula by adding extra water to it. Make up the bottles as normal and give your baby extra water or drinks in addition to their milk feeds.

When Should I Worry About Baby Diarrhea Does Baby Diarrhea Go Away On Its Own

Infants will likely experience baby diarrhea once in a while and it’s usually not serious. However, it’s important to recognize any potential warning signs and know when it’s best to contact your doctor.

When to call your doctor immediately

There are times when you should get your doc on the phone right away. If your baby has diarrhea and the following, its best to get them treated immediately.

• Is vomiting along with the diarrhea
• Has severe diarrhea or diarrhea that lasts several days
• Does not have wet diapers
• Has a rectal temperature of 100.4 °F or higher
• Has diarrhea that contains blood or mucus
• Seems to be in pain
• Is three months old or younger

Before you see your pediatrician about baby diarrhea

While understanding the signs associated with diarrhea is important, you should consider making a list of questions before you see your baby’s pediatrician to ensure you have all your bases covered.

• Write down all your baby’s issues and your concerns, including answers to these questions:
• When did you first notice your baby’s diarrhea?
• How often is your baby experiencing diarrhea in a day?
• Is it explosive diarrhea?

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Diarrhoea Symptoms In Babies And Children

Most babies have occasional loose stools or faeces and breastfed babies normally have looser stools than formula-fed babies. Its diarrhoea if they repeatedly pass unformed, watery stools.

Some children between the ages of 1 and 5 pass frequent, smelly, loose stools that may contain recognisable foods, such as carrots and peas. Usually, these children are otherwise perfectly healthy and are growing normally. The diarrhoea may be due to drinking too much cordial or sugary drinks, but you should check with your doctor. Sometimes the doctor cant find any cause.

Children may have large, runny, frequent or watery poos. The colour of the poo might vary from brown to green, and the smell can be quite offensive.

They may also have stomach cramps or pain.

Tips To Help With Toddlers Diarrhea

• Avoid prune, pear, and apple juice, which are high in the indigestible sugar called sorbitol.
• Avoid foods and drinks that contain high fructose corn syrup.
• Limit all juice intake to less than 4 ounces per day. Have water or milk to drink instead.
• Avoid foods with artificial sweeteners .
• Make sure the diet includes healthy fats, such as nuts or nut butters, eggs, dairy fat, and plant-based oils.
• If your child has skin irritation on his or her bottom due to frequent loose stools, clean the skin with lukewarm water, use a zinc oxide-based diaper ointment and allow your child to have time diaper-free with the skin exposed to air if/when possible.

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Other Causes Of Vomiting In Babies

In some cases, vomiting might be a sign of something other than gastroenteritis and in rare cases could be a sign of a serious illness.

In babies, the cause of diarrhoea and vomiting could also be swallowing air during feeding, a milk intolerance or reflux .

In older children, food allergies can cause vomiting in children . Food allergies can also cause other symptoms, such as a raised, red, itchy skin rash and swelling. The swelling will affect the face, around the eyes, lips, tongue or the roof of the mouth.

Vomiting can sometimes be a sign of other infections such as urinary tract infections , middle ear infections, pneumonia or meningitis . Contact your GP if your child is vomiting and has other signs of infection like a high temperature and irritability.

Appendicitis can cause vomiting. This is a painful swelling of the appendix, which causes severe stomach pain . If your child has tummy pain that’s gradually getting worse, contact your GP or NHS 111 immediately. You should call 999 for an ambulance if they have pain that gets worse quickly and spreads across their tummy.

Accidentally swallowing something poisonous can cause your child to vomit. If you think they have swallowed something dangerous like medicine, chemicals or button batteries, act quickly to get them to your nearest emergency department . Take the medicine or packaging with you.

Modify Your Babys Diet

One of the likely causes of your babys diarrhea is their diet. Try to improve the childs diet to see if the symptoms will subside. Begin by increasing your babys intake of breast milk or formula milk. Make sure they drink enough fluids to be properly hydrated.

Alternatively, you can feed the child vegetable purees from bananas, carrots, and potatoes. Rice water can be effective as well. You can also remove juices and cow’s milk from the child’s diet and see if that remedies the diarrhea. After recovery, the baby can go back to drinking these beverages.

Embrace the natural process of teething as a phase of your child’s development. If you notice your child having diarrhea in this period, you don’t need to be too alarmed as it usually clears up by itself in a few days. However, if the symptoms fail to subside in a week, call a doctor immediately.

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Diarrhea In Breastfed Babies: How To Tell

• Diarrhea in a breastfed baby is sometimes hard to tell.
• Normal breastfed stools are loose . Stools are yellow, but sometimes can be green. The green color is from bile. Runny stools can even be bordered by a water ring. These are all normal stools.
• Breastfed babies often pass more than 6 stools per day. Until 2 months of age, they may pass a stool after each feeding. But, if stools suddenly increase in number and looseness, suspect 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.

What Is Medical Condition Presents With Sudden

What medical condition presents with sudden-onset diarrhea that then persists, and no other symptoms? It may very well be microscopic colitis. However, it may also come with other symptoms: abdominal cramps, nausea and mild joint aches. But painless diarrhea is the key symptom of microscopic colitis.

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How To Treat Your Newborns Diarrhoea

• Try to keep baby home for plenty of rest .

• Carry on breast- or bottle-feeding your baby if they’re being sick, try feeding smaller amounts, more often.

• Baby diarrhoea leads to dehydration so try to top baby up with fluids more often. Give babies on formula small sips of cool boiled water between feeds in a separate bottle. Dont dilute their normal feed as this can affect their nutrition. If breastfeeding offer extra feeds throughout the day.

• Do not use anti-diarrhoea medicines for babies or infants unless directed by your GP.

If you are concerned or unsure, speak to a healthcare professional such as your GP, health visitor or public health nurse. If you feel your baby is unwell and you notice any signs of dehydration, fever, vomiting – or if diarrhoea has lasted more than 24 hours – always get your GPs advice. Our Careline team are also able to help.

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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What Is The Fastest Way To Get Rid Of A Fever

Suggestions to treat fever include:

What Can I Do To Prevent Diarrhea

Proper handwashing can reduce the spread of bacteria that may cause diarrhea.

A rotavirus vaccine can prevent diarrhea caused by rotaviruses. Ask your child’s healthcare provider which vaccines are right for your child.

When you travel, make sure anything your child eats and drinks is safe. This is even more important if you travel to developing countries.

Travel safety tips for drinking and eating include:

• Not drinking tap water or using it to brush teeth

• Not using ice made from tap water

• Not drinking unpasteurized milk

• Not eating raw fruits and vegetables unless you wash and peel them yourself

• Not eating raw or undercooked meat or fish

• Not eating food from street vendors or food trucks

Talk with your child’s healthcare provider before traveling.

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What Should I Do If My Child Has Diarrhea

Children with diarrhea need to keep drinking the right amount of fluids to avoid dehydration.

• If you are breastfeeding, keep feeding on demand. You can also offer your child the foods he or she usually eats.
• If you are formula feeding, do not dilute the formula. Continue formula feeding and offer your child the food he or she normally eats.
• If you’re not breastfeeding or formula feeding, offer your child a variety of fluids more frequently, in addition to the foods they normally eat.
• At any age, if your child is not taking other fluids well, offer an oral rehydration solution , in addition to the feeding recommendations above.

How Do Doctors Find The Cause Of Diarrhea

Doctors will:

• ask about what the child ate most recently, when symptoms began, and how often the diarrhea is happening
• ask specific questions about the diarrhea: Is it watery? Is there blood in the poop?
• do an exam
• sometimes, take a stool sample to send to a lab for analysis. This helps them find out which germ is causing the illness.

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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.

What Causes Diarrhoea And Vomiting In Babies And Toddlers

Gastroenteritis is the most common cause of vomiting and diarrhoea in babies and young children. Gastroenteritis is an infection of the gut usually caused by a virus or bacteria.

The symptoms can be unpleasant but your child will usually start to feel better after a few days .

Vomiting usually lasts for one to two days and stops within three days. Diarrhoea usually lasts for five to seven days and in most cases stops within two weeks .

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Causes Of Diarrhoea And Vomiting In Children

Diarrhoea and vomiting may be caused by many different things, including:

• a virus

• a sunken soft spot on a babys head
• few or no tears when they cry

If your baby becomes dehydrated they will need extra fluids. If you are breastfeeding, keep offering feeds and feed more often. If you are bottle feeding, offer clear fluids in between feeds. You can also give an oral rehydration fluid from your local pharmacy or chemist, or get a prescription from your doctor.

Immediate Action Required: Call 999 Or Go To A& e If You Or Your Child:

• vomit blood or have vomit that looks like ground coffee
• have green or yellow-green vomit
• might have swallowed something poisonous
• have a stiff neck and pain when looking at bright lights
• have a sudden, severe headache or stomach ache

Severe pain:

• always there and so bad it’s hard to think or talk
• you cannot sleep
• it’s very hard to move, get out of bed, go to the bathroom, wash or dress

Moderate pain:

• makes it hard to concentrate or sleep
• you can manage to get up, wash or dress

Mild pain:

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