*****Please see my Below on WHAT HAPPENED...could this be why or am I just being crazy because I can get no answers?? ***
I have an almost 2 year old daughter. (DOB 9/24/06). She has had some loose stool occasionally since she has been eating real food but lately it has been even worse! Last week she wenth through 4 diapers and outfits in a matter of 2 hours. Since Friday, she has been on the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast) and we were extremely cautious to follow it. She has been going on the potty and from what I saw, it looked like it was firming up - but her sitter called today and said it was just as loose as ever and it was also gritty...almost sandy. I am working with my pediatrician and she has an appointment tomorrow, but I am wondering if anyone else had any problems similar and maybe what kinds of questions I can ask her doctor? Thanks so so much! I am starting to get a little freaked out now!
After about a week of this going on we called the doctor and they put her on the BRAT diet - she has been on it since then. No dairy, no fat, no fun :( she still is not all the way better. The doctor sampled her stool and we have done allergy tests and nothing...then it dawned on me this morning (and she has another appointment with the doctor tomorrow) could it be the toothpaste? It did not even dawn on me until this last Friday when my Vegan friend reminded us why they don't use regular toothpaste...because of the flouride. And then this morning as every morning she was brushing her teeth and did a quick inhale when she had it in her mouth..could it be that she is ingesting too much toothpaste which is making her belly ache and then diarrhea? The doctor said she showed signs of food poisoning..which was weird to me because she did not throw up but had been pooping already for over a week...then today I thought maybe??????
It's been awhile since mine were that little but I seem to remember too much whole grain such as in cherrios can cause gritty poop. The Brats diet did help but it takes awhile.
Best of luck.
Peggy, Mom of 3, two boys 13& 10 and one girl 7
One additional thought -- no juice. Milk or water only. When my daughter stopped drinking juice, that problem was gone.
I will agree with Amanda, when my kids were little and they ate too much fruit, most particularly blueberries, they had that gritty loose poo. Also, what a lot of people don't realize is that most fruits that begin with a P--prunes, plums, pears, peaches act as a "laxative" of sorts. So if your little one has been going overboard on the P fruits that could be the cause. (There was another letter too but it's been too long and I can't remember what the pedi said.)
Good luck and I hope it's just an overabundance of fruit in her diet.
Hi, just wanted to let you know that my son started having the same issue since he turned two right after a stomach virus, We started the BRAT diet and Florastor Kids - Probiotic to help with the loose stool issues. He became serverly lactose intolerant and still to this day at 2 3/4 yr old can not have any milk protien. We did go through the food allergy testing because of the serverity and length of time that he has had this sandy loose stool. We were told that it is a servere lactose intolerant issue probably caused by the virus and that maybe sameday he will get over it. The only thing we can do is limit his diet and hope for the best. Good Luck. I know how hard it is.
I hate to say it, but it really sounds like C-DIF (short for C-Difficile). It is a bug that gets into the belly (passed fecal/orally) and causes major cramps and diarrhea (my 3 year old had it for over 3 months). It is usually a problem in hospitals and nursing homes, but can also be a problem if your little one has been on antibiotics lately. My daughter was on antibiotics for one thing or another this past winter for 3 weeks, which apparently broke down the natural (good) bacteria in the bowel, which let the C-Dif take over. It is horrible, stinky (literally) stuff, and needs medical attention ASAP. My daughter was finally helped after using a probiotic perscribed just for this. Good luck, and feel free to e-mail if you need more info. ____@____.com Make sure to mention it to your dr. He'll need a stool sample to test for it. S. PS...I hope it's just something else....
there is no need to worry. sometimes these stomache bugs can last awhile- the first day more then 4 times of loose stool you need to do the brat diet after 2 days the diarhea tends to taper off but can still happen- several times for up to 2 weeks. the main thing is just make sure she is getting enough liquids and is urinating. Good Luck!
I know with both my kids (2 and 5) that if they have a lot of fruit, especially apples, grapes, blueberries, or straight juice, that they will have stools like what you describe. Definately water down juice and try to limit fruits, but she may have some kind of allergy to certain foods. I would definately not let the doc. say it is not a big deal and make sure she is chekced out. It may be something simple that she will grow out of. Good luck!
I battled loose stool for 4 months, I tried limiting diet (fruits, juices, etc.) but to no avail. I finally realized that it was the mucous, my daughter had been sick (colds, etc.) off and on for those 4 months. Sooo, if you're daughter is producing a lot of mucous due to teething or has had a lot of colds recently, that could be the culprit.
It could also be a food allergy. If you suspect the allergy, just introduce 1 new food at a time so you can monitor it better.
I feel your pain, I was very tired of changing icky diapers by the end of it.
btw, frequency of the loose stools needs to be monitored so that she doesn't get dehydrated. More than 2 a day and you'll want to consult your ped. again.
I would definitely (may sound gross) save a stool for the doctor. My experience with my daughter was that she had a virus that had to run through its course. We had also found some sensitivities to foods which have gone away. That sometimes takes a while to get out of their systems. I had to watch what she drank too. She will be fine, but do see the doctor and explain when it started, what you have been doing and take a sample with you, if you can. I remember that first time mom thing and all the feelings. Also, note if there are any changes in her behavior and appetite and funny as it may sound, sleep patterns. Try to relax and I pray this ends soon for you. Please let us know what happens.
When my son was 2 years old he got runny stools that wouldn't go away, they were cultured and showed nothing, so what finally helped was buying organic yogurt that had the most cultures I could find (it was at Trader Joe's), to restore what's supposed to be in your intestines. I gave him vanilla flavor, to make it easy.
My daughter went through this when she turned two. She had the gritty poop also. I took a stool and urine sample to the doctor (thankfully I was able to get her to pee in a cup) and everything was fine. It finally stopped one it's own. Sorry I can't tell you more but hopefully it will just run it's course with your daughter also.
I had the same problem as a young child and it was due to food allergies. I was allergic to wheat flour. If that is your daughter's case then the toast would be aggravating her intestines. Just an idea, you might want to take her to an allergist and have it checked. Good luck!!
Hi C.,
I'd take a close look at her diet. I know my son has a difficult time processing wheat, though he's not celiac. There's so much processed junk in our food these days. Maybe her little digestive system is having a difficult time. I hope that helps.
blessings,
J.
Hi there, I see you got a lot of good feedback already but I have just another thought. My daughter went thru the same thing and it was just before and during she got her 2 year molars. I can't explain why but my pediatrician said it just happens with some kids. Another reason might be the heat, It makes it a bit more like for stomach bugs to go around and of course it effects her intake of fluids. If its higher than normal like more juice, will affect her stool. Hope this helps. L.
Dear C., You didn't say whether you have been giving your daughter milk to drink. Talk to your doctor and see if she could be lactose intolerant. Also add some yogurt to her diet as that will replace the acid bacillus in her bowel and may help some. N.
If she is just recently starting to eat "real" foods then definitely look into a possible food allergy. Something new in her diet?
We refer to that as "fruit poop" in our house! Definitely check her out, but keep an eye on her intake of apples, blueberries, grapes, juice, etc. My kid is a blueberry addict, and you can tell when she's gotten too many!
