Is It Safe When Pregnant Women Have Diarrhea Can It Affect the Baby

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

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

It's normal for baby stools to be soft and loose, especially during an infant's offset few months. But when your baby has diarrhea, chances are that y'all'll know it. "The poop volition 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 also take a fever or seem disinterested in eating. Learn the potential causes for runny stool and how to stop infant diarrhea fast.

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What Does Baby Diarrhea Await Like?

Bottle-fed babies tend to have tan-dark-brown poop, while breastfeed infants have loose, yellow, and seedy stool. So how tin you tell the difference between baby diarrhea vs. normal poop? Starting time by examining the frequency of their bowel movements—not just the texture.

• RELATED: Breastfed Babe Poop: How It's Different and What'southward Normal

When a baby is very young (less than a calendar month) it's typical to meet a bowel move every time they consume or even more often. After a month, the dingy diapers should deadening down to almost three or four per day; after two months, they tin exist as exceptional equally one per day to one per week. But if your baby has diarrhea, they'll poop two or three times more than normal.

In add-on, baby diarrhea looks watery, and information technology ordinarily comes in high volumes. The color tin can range from yellow to greenish to dark brown. Babies with diarrhea may also act agitated and fussy, and they might have trouble feeding. These side effects can occur with canteen-fed baby diarrhea and breastfed baby diarrhea.

Causes of Diarrhea in Babies

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

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

Antibiotics. About one in 10 children who accept antibiotics develop diarrhea, nausea, and tum pain. "In addition to targeting bad bacteria, antibiotics impale off healthy leaner in the gut, which can lead to stomach upset or diarrhea," says Iona Munjal, M.D., director of the Pediatric Antimicrobial Stewardship Programme at The Children's Infirmary at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, New York. If yous think antibiotics are causing your baby's diarrhea, talk to your doctor before stopping the medication. Stopping antibiotics early can lead to antibiotic resistance and crusade a bacterial infection to render.

• RELATED: The Baby Poop Guide: What's Normal, What's Not

Parasites. Infants in daycare centers accept a higher hazard of contracting giardia, an abdominal infection caused by parasites. Exposure occurs when babies put fecal-contaminated toys, food, their hands, or other objects into their mouths. Most children get better without special treatment.

Milk allergy. Upwards to 3 percent of children are allergic to milk proteins institute in dairy products, including most formulas, and breastfed babies can develop allergies to milk proteins in the dairy products their moms swallow. A infant with a milk protein allergy may vomit and develop hives, besides as diarrhea. If your baby has a milk protein allergy, your pediatrician may switch them to a special formula. Nursing moms may have to forgo dairy or foods containing milk protein.

Infant Diarrhea Treatments

Because diarrhea is the body's manner of getting rid of germs, it's all-time to let the disease run its class without medicine. "You should never give antidiarrheal medication to a infant," says Dr. Safder, because the U.Southward. Food and Drug Assistants (FDA) has not approved these meds for babies. Instead, you can ease your piffling ane'south discomfort with these tricks.

Offer lots of liquids. "Infants with diarrhea are specially susceptible to dehydration because, pound for pound, their small bodies lose liquids faster than [those of] older children or adults," says Rebecca Cherry, Thou.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 equally much, y'all should offer them the breast or bottle more often, as well as a pediatric oral rehydration drinkable, if your md says it'south okay. "Don't switch formulas without your doctor'south consent and don't give fruit juice. Sugary drinks similar juice tin can worsen diarrhea symptoms," says Dr. Cherry. That's 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 can continue with their normal foods. "At that place's no prove that the BRAT diet [bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast], commonly given for those with intestinal problems, is truly helpful. Plus, it lacks protein," notes Dr. Cherry. Instead, doctors at present recommend lean meats, such equally craven, in addition to starchier foods like oatmeal, whole-wheat bread, and crackers, also as bite-size pretzels and crackers to help replenish lost sodium. "Probiotics found in yogurt or available in oral drops tin can help restore good for you bacteria in the digestive tract," adds Dr. Safder.

Protect the bum. Acrid in diarrhea, continuously soiled diapers, and frequent wipings can pb to pare irritation and diaper rash. Dr. Reddish recommends irresolute your baby's diapers oft; using a soft washcloth and warm water, instead of wipes; and patting dry or air-drying your babe'south buttocks. Utilise a thick blanket of diaper ointment or other moisture barrier, like petroleum jelly or zinc oxide, at each irresolute. Let your doctor know if the rash doesn't improve or if it worsens after a few days. This often indicates a yeast infection, which requires handling with a prescription or an over-the-counter antifungal cream.

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

When to Call the Medico

Does your baby have yellow watery diarrhea, green diarrhea, brown diarrhea, or anything in between? Depending on the cause, these bowel movements may last between five and 14 days. You should call your pediatrician if your infant has any of the post-obit symptoms.

• Signs of dehydration (a sunken fontanel, few wet diapers, dry optics when crying, dry out oral fissure, sunken eyes or lethargy)
• Mucus or foul odour in 3 or more diarrhea stools (for infants one month of age or younger)
• Blood in the stool
• Severe diarrhea while taking antibiotics
• Fever (above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit for babies younger than three months; higher up 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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