What is diarrhea?
Diarrhea is what occurs when your child’s bowel movements (BMs) become looser and come more often. Mild diarrhea is when your child has a few loose BMs. When the BMs are mucousy or bloody, the diarrhea is more severe.
When your child has diarrhea, it is important to make sure your child does not lose too much water. If your child has these signs, he or she could be dehydrated:
· Dry, sticky mouth.
· No tears.
· No urine in over 8 hours (over 12 hours if more than 1 year old).
· Dark Urine.
· Loose or doughy skin
Take care of the diarrhea can keep your child from losing too much water.
What is the cause?
Diarrhea is usually caused by a viral infection. Sometimes it is caused by bacteria or parasites. Sometimes a food allergy or drinking too much fruit juice may cause diarrhea. Also, diarrhea may result when antibiotics upset the natural balance of bacteria in the digestive tract.
What should I feed my child?
Extra fluids and diet changes work best. Note: One loose bowel movement can mean nothing. Don’t change your child’s diet until your child has had several loose bowel movements.
Taking Care of Watery (Severe) Diarrhea
If your baby is less than 1 year old and bottle-fed:
· Give him fluids more often than you would normally and as much as he wants. Fluids prevent dehydration.
· Give your baby Pedialyte or water instead of formula for 4 to 6 hours.
· After 4 to 6 hours, give your baby formula again. You may need soy formulas if the diarrhea is severe or doesn’t improve in 3 days.
· If your baby is over 4 months old, continue rice cereal, 1st or 2nd stage bananas, and mashed potatoes.
If your baby is less than 1 year old and breast-fed:
· Breast-feed more often
· If your baby is over 4 months old, continue rice cereal, 1st or 2nd stage bananas, and mashed potatoes.
· Offer Pedialyte or water between feedings only if your baby does not urinate as often as usual or has dark-colored urine.
If your child is over 1 year old:
· Give dried cereal, saltine crackers, yogurt, oatmeal, bread, noodles, mashed potatoes, cooked rice, applesauce, and bananas.
· Give water or Gatorade as the main fluids.
· Caution: If your child does not want to eat solid food, give your child milk or formula rather than water.
Taking Care of Mild Diarrhea
· Feed your child cereal, breads, crackers, rice, mashed potatoes, and noodles. (You can keep giving formula to your baby.)
· Stay away from all fruit juices. Have your child drink more water.
Call your child’s doctor right away if:
· Your child has not urinated in 8 hours (12 hours for older children) or has a very dry mouth or no tears.
· There is any blood in the diarrhea.
· Your child has had more than 8 BMs in the last 8 hours.
· The diarrhea is watery AND your child also throws up repeatedly.
· Your child starts acting very sick.
Call your child’s doctor during office hours if:
· There is mucus or pus in the BMs.
· Your child has a fever that lasts more that 3 days.
· The mild diarrhea lasts more than 2 weeks.
· You have other concerns or questions.
Diarrhea is what occurs when your child’s bowel movements (BMs) become looser and come more often. Mild diarrhea is when your child has a few loose BMs. When the BMs are mucousy or bloody, the diarrhea is more severe.
When your child has diarrhea, it is important to make sure your child does not lose too much water. If your child has these signs, he or she could be dehydrated:
· Dry, sticky mouth.
· No tears.
· No urine in over 8 hours (over 12 hours if more than 1 year old).
· Dark Urine.
· Loose or doughy skin
Take care of the diarrhea can keep your child from losing too much water.
What is the cause?
Diarrhea is usually caused by a viral infection. Sometimes it is caused by bacteria or parasites. Sometimes a food allergy or drinking too much fruit juice may cause diarrhea. Also, diarrhea may result when antibiotics upset the natural balance of bacteria in the digestive tract.
What should I feed my child?
Extra fluids and diet changes work best. Note: One loose bowel movement can mean nothing. Don’t change your child’s diet until your child has had several loose bowel movements.
Taking Care of Watery (Severe) Diarrhea
If your baby is less than 1 year old and bottle-fed:
· Give him fluids more often than you would normally and as much as he wants. Fluids prevent dehydration.
· Give your baby Pedialyte or water instead of formula for 4 to 6 hours.
· After 4 to 6 hours, give your baby formula again. You may need soy formulas if the diarrhea is severe or doesn’t improve in 3 days.
· If your baby is over 4 months old, continue rice cereal, 1st or 2nd stage bananas, and mashed potatoes.
If your baby is less than 1 year old and breast-fed:
· Breast-feed more often
· If your baby is over 4 months old, continue rice cereal, 1st or 2nd stage bananas, and mashed potatoes.
· Offer Pedialyte or water between feedings only if your baby does not urinate as often as usual or has dark-colored urine.
If your child is over 1 year old:
· Give dried cereal, saltine crackers, yogurt, oatmeal, bread, noodles, mashed potatoes, cooked rice, applesauce, and bananas.
· Give water or Gatorade as the main fluids.
· Caution: If your child does not want to eat solid food, give your child milk or formula rather than water.
Taking Care of Mild Diarrhea
· Feed your child cereal, breads, crackers, rice, mashed potatoes, and noodles. (You can keep giving formula to your baby.)
· Stay away from all fruit juices. Have your child drink more water.
Call your child’s doctor right away if:
· Your child has not urinated in 8 hours (12 hours for older children) or has a very dry mouth or no tears.
· There is any blood in the diarrhea.
· Your child has had more than 8 BMs in the last 8 hours.
· The diarrhea is watery AND your child also throws up repeatedly.
· Your child starts acting very sick.
Call your child’s doctor during office hours if:
· There is mucus or pus in the BMs.
· Your child has a fever that lasts more that 3 days.
· The mild diarrhea lasts more than 2 weeks.
· You have other concerns or questions.