Baby with Diarrhea

I always use the BRAT diet. Bananas, Rice, Applesauce & Toast. I helps because it's constipating type foods.
Good luck,
J.

My son had this twice - once at 9 months and the other at 2 1/2 years. The first time he had diarrhea for 11 days. I continued to breast feed and offer small amounts of pedialyte. His bottom was a mess. We coated it with Desitin (the real stuff and not the creamy kind). That worked best.

When he was older, we stuck to the B.R.A.T. diet like others have spoke. It did help solidify things a bit.

Hang it there. It's tough, but not abnormal. Just keep a close watch.

Take her off milk! Right away! dairy products goes right thru, I know milk for sure. Give her Pedialite so she doesn't dehydrate or water too, or dilute juice too. But try the first two first.

Is she eating solid foods yet? If so do the BRAT diet, banana, rice, applesauce and toast. That always worked for my kids.

There is a diarreaha virus that goes around and it's contagious, can't remember the name, but it does pass, it does take a while, I've heard it last anywhere from 7-14 days! Yike I know. It has to run it's course.

This is not normal. It is not okay for a child th have diarrhea for 5 days. Take your dughter to Childrens West in Minnetonka on 494 & 62 Call and tell them what is going on. If you can't get there right away, call them, or Children's Hospital (excellent staff), or even your local hospital. Ask to talk to the triage nurse, especially the pediatric nurse.

Explain to them what has been going on, what each visit has produced and who told you which information. From personal experience, if you end up going into a hospital or clinic, choose Children's. They will take proper care of your precious daughter.

Im betting she has rotovirus (basically how infants/toddlers get the flu). My son is getting over it right now.
CUT the milk, completely for at least a week. Switch her to pedialyte, you can water it down but dairy makes it worse. Feed her plenty of yogurt, there are cultures in there that help fight bad bacteria. You want to make sure she gets plenty of fluids, peidalyte or water. Keep feeding her, the more she eats the more she poops (horrible I know) the faster it gets out of her system.
Make sure and keep her butt lubed very well, it does get red an sore. also warm baths with baking soda help too.
This is our second round of roto in a year so were getting very knowledgable in this department.
Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions.

I would take her off the milk. We gave our son gatorade or Pedialyte and they both helped. Also I LOVE triple paste for the sore butt. I use it at the first sight of redness and it helps instantly. You can find it at any store but it's a bit pricey. Good luck and Congrats on #2!!!

make sure your're not giving her too much apple juice, that happened with my little girl. There has been a mild stomache bug going around throughout my school, it hopefully is as simple as something like that.

When my son was 4 months old he got the Rotavirus and his lasted for about a month and half because of the Dr. saying "oh it will pass". My son was never hospitalized for it and was never dehydreated because I gave him alot of liquids. The only things was that we had to take him off regular formula and put him on lactose free formula. He had to use that until he switched to regular milk. It seemed to messed his whol system up some how. The test is a poop culture. WE had to take so many samples of runny poops and return them to the lab. It was a messy test but at least we found out what it was. Good luck. Also pedialyte or a cheaper version of gatorade worked woders. The milk and juice only made it worse.

Your poor daughter! Our son had rotavirus when he was about 1 1/2, and it was a horrible experience. But like some of the others, we didn't have to be hospitalized because he was hydrated enough. But it lasted for 5 weeks...ick! You're right to trust your instincts. I agree with the BRAT diet, and to stay off milk & juice. (Many juices have high levels of sorbitol, which actually causes diarrhea in many kids...my son can't ever have straight juice and he's 4!) If it's still there and you're coming up on a week, you might want to specifically ask for a rotavirus test. It's gross (ours involved scooping samples into a vial at home, then bringing to the doc), but it's good to know. In the meantime, keep at the binding foods...even low-sodium rice cakes or thick rice cereal. For her bottom, in addition to the diaper rash ointment, you might want to layer on a healing ointment like Aquaphor. BUT, if there are red bumps, it could be a yeast infection from the moisture, and you might want to try some chlortrimozole cream for that. Hope she's better soon!

Hi K.,

It was always my understanding that dairy products can irritate diarrhea, but maybe since she is so young they want to keep her nourished with her milk? How about the possibility of a dairy allergy or lactose intolerance? Did anyone say anything about that? I would just keep track of her wet diapers. I can't remember what the exact standard is for babies, but for older children as long as they are wetting at least every 8 hours they are o.k. hydration-wise. Try vaseline for her bottom and wet paper towels (with just water) instead of wipes, which can be irritating to sore bottoms. Aveeno makes an oatmeal bath product that is soothing to soak in. Good luck!

Cindy

Our daughter only had one episode of GI illness, and I too took her to urgent care after a day of no diapers, worried that she was dehydrated. I felt like an idiot after they told me to keep breastfeeding, give her BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) only, NO MILK or milk products (she had been having milk, cottage cheese, etc). They didn't even recommend Pedialyte unless she was taking no other foods or breastmilk, and throwing up as well. Unless you think it might be Rotovirus, you are probably okay - and really, don't give her any milk.
Good luck,
T.

yeah, my son has had something very similar. We called the Doctor and he said that it will take a week or so. Also to keep your little one hydrated I was told that we could give him propel water. It doesn't have all the sugar as other drinks like gaterade but i would offer it only if she won't drink the pedialite.also no juice even if water down. that is acidic and will burn her even more. and i agree no milk. just make sure you coat her bottom with desitin. I like destin original because it will stick to the skin and seal out moisture that way. Hope things get better soon!

Like others who posted, take away all diary and then try the BRAT diet. Bananas, rice, applesauce and toast.
Good luck and watch VERY carfully for dehydration, it comes on very quickly....

Renee
WI

When my 3rd child was about a year old, she also went through a long bout of diarrhea. It was a virus that DID pass after about two weeks. I did the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce & toast) and found that holding off on her milk helped a lot. We gave her PediaLite. This kept her hydrated and it also stopped the frequency of the diarrhea. As far as her little bottom, I coated it with AquaPhor after warm baths and Desitin in between. I hope your little one is feeling better soon!

(Congratulations on baby #2!)

Sounds like the rotavirus, which is usually really nasty stinky diarrhea for days and days and eventually passes through the body.

Keep watching for dehydration it happens quickly as in fine at lunch time, could be needing to be rushed to the E.R by dinner time.

My daughter and I had some nasty virus last spring it was never confirmed rotavirus but my 5 year old at the time vomitted with diarrhea for 5 days and I did for 11 days. We both ended up in the hosptial twice each for dehydration.

My daughter was fine at dinner time and like 2 hours later couldn't walk up our stairs and was talking weird so I rushed her in.

I did everything they said waited 2 hours after vomitting to introduce fluid and only gave her a sip or two every 15min. It totally didn't work.

I've played that doctor game too where you bring them in and they say oh well they're fine and your gut instinct says NO they're not, just go somewhere else or take her back until they do something.

Try and find foods that are binding like applesauce, bananas, rice etc.. Stay away from milk and dairy. Don't worry about her food intake she can go a few days without food. Just make sure she's hydrated. A few sips every 10-15min. nothing ice cold. Gatorade, Pedialyte stuff like that works good.

After my daughter was finally better as in went 24 hours without a incident I still restricted all milk from her diet for a week afterwards.

My child had bad diarrhea and it was a virus and had to run it's course. What I did was the BRAT diet (bannana,rice,applesauce and plain toast) and I took his milk away for a day or so and gave him gatarade cause of the electro lights in it. I felt that once I got rid of the milk and did gatrade for a day it helped.

I don't know what clinic you take her too but, my Dr. had given me some diaper cream and it is called poop goop and the pharmacy makes it. It works great for soar butt's in like a day.

Hope this helps and she gets better soon!