Any anomaly in the condition of a newborn baby, be it a runny nose, cough, or, as in our case, diarrhea, invariably frightens new parents. However, practice shows that often worry about a baby’s loose stool is in vain, and pathology often turns out to be a variant of the norm.
What to do if you think your newborn has diarrhea? In this article we will tell you what a baby’s stool should be like and how to give him first aid if indigestion is really present.
On the topic: loose stools in a breastfed baby
Norm
How to distinguish diarrhea in a newborn from normal, healthy stool? First of all, you need to understand that the baby feeds exclusively on milk, that is, liquid food. This means that feces simply cannot be shaped into the usual sausage; this form will only appear when the baby begins to receive complementary foods.
- According to the norm, a baby’s feces have a liquid or mushy consistency; they are yellow or greenish in color interspersed with cheesy lumps
- Baby’s feces tend to oxidize, so if you find green feces in an old diaper, don’t be alarmed.
- In addition, in the first days of life, the child rids the intestines of original feces - meconium. Meconium is black-green in color and looks really scary, however, this is also normal.
- Breastfed babies can have bowel movements up to 8 times a day, literally after every feeding. Among the “artificial” ones - somewhat less often
- And the opposite situation is that there is no need to worry if there is no bowel movement for several days. Sometimes mother’s milk is completely absorbed in the baby’s body, and there is simply nothing for feces to form from.
- A slight deviation from the norm (noticeable liquefaction of stool) is typical for the third or fourth day of a baby’s life. This condition is called “transient dysbiosis”. It is caused by the colonization of the previously sterile intestine by microflora and does not last more than a few days
- The smell of feces of a newborn baby is quite specific, sour.
- The weight of the result of one bowel movement is about 15 grams
- There should be no foreign matter in the feces, except for the remains of undigested milk. That is, the presence of blood, mucus, foam is an alarming symptom
- The tummy feels soft and not bloated
- The baby himself is active, in a good mood, does not refuse food
We have looked at the options for the norm. How can you tell if a newborn has diarrhea?
Pathology
Here's how to spot diarrhea in a newborn:
- Baby has bowel movements about twice as often as usual
- The tummy is swollen, and gases are difficult to pass
- The child twists his legs and presses them to his stomach
- Appetite becomes noticeably worse
- Frequent heavy regurgitation or even vomiting is possible
- Temperature may rise
- The baby is capricious and crying
- And this is what diarrhea looks like in a newborn: the stool is watery and may contain impurities such as blood, mucus, and foam. There is a sharp, unpleasant odor.
When to see a doctor?
Diarrhea in an infant may indicate the presence of serious diseases that pose a threat to the baby’s life. The reasons for immediately contacting a doctor are the following circumstances:
- sudden deterioration in the child’s condition in the absence of any visible provoking factors;
- increase in body temperature to +38 degrees and above;
- the occurrence of profuse and very frequent diarrhea;
- frequent vomiting;
- crying without tears and other evidence of dehydration in the form of sunken eyes, dry lips, lethargy, drowsiness, sunken fontanel, etc.;
- abnormally thin stool consistency with increased mucus content, foam, and copious gases;
- slowing down weight gain or even losing it;
- the presence of streaks of blood in the stool;
- the occurrence of skin rashes, especially in the form of flaky marks;
- the occurrence of diarrhea after recent use of any medications.
Causes
What can cause diarrhea in a newborn? We should start with the fact that the baby’s digestive system is far from perfect, and therefore deviation in the form of dysbiosis is far from a rare phenomenon. Some pediatricians are of the opinion that this condition is not worth treating; therapy will only slow down the process of formation of normal intestinal microflora. All processes of the gastrointestinal tract characteristic of an adult are finally formed only by three to five years of life. Why else would a newborn get diarrhea? The following reasons are far from being so harmless.
Dysbacteriosis
We will start with dysbiosis, which we have already mentioned. It can develop not only due to intestinal imperfections, but also as a result of taking antibacterial drugs, both by the baby and the nursing mother.
Signs:
- Temperature within normal limits
- No vomiting
- Bloated tummy
- Stools are green in color and may contain mucus.
Treatment:
What to do if a newborn baby has diarrhea due to dysbiosis? The main therapy in this case will be taking medications containing live beneficial bacteria that can restore the normal balance of microflora in the intestines. Taking medications can be avoided by offering your baby fermented milk formula, which also contains beneficial bacteria. You can find out why a child has diarrhea with mucus by reading our other article.
Lactase deficiency
Applies to bottle-fed children. From birth, the baby may not produce or produce insufficient quantities of the enzyme responsible for the breakdown of cow's milk protein. In this case, the gastrointestinal tract will react to the irritant with indigestion.
Signs:
- Normal temperature
- A good appetite
- But at the same time the child has loose stools with foam
- No progress in weight gain
Treatment:
How to treat diarrhea in a newborn baby in case of lactase deficiency? The answer is simple - eliminate the irritant. Switch your child to a lactose-free (soy) formula.
It is worth mentioning another reason for loose stools in babies, which is characterized by symptoms similar to the previous ones. We are talking about a situation when the baby is breastfed, and, due to the fact that the mother often changes breasts during feeding, she does not receive enough nutritious, “hind” milk. "Foremilk" is more watery, it, for the most part, plays the role of drinking. If the baby eats this way, the mother will also experience foamy diarrhea and little weight gain.
Reaction to a new product in the diet
Or in the diet of a nursing mother. It happens that the baby’s body reacts to the innovation with a slight digestive upset.
Signs:
- Temperature is normal
- Appetite is normal
- There are no pathological impurities in the stool
Treatment:
It’s very simple - it’s best to postpone the introduction of a product to which the body has given such a reaction.
Intestinal infection
If a mother does not wash her hands thoroughly and does not properly treat pacifiers and bottles, even a newborn baby can become infected with an intestinal infection. The causative agents of the disease can be viruses, bacteria or fungi.
Signs:
- In this case, diarrhea in a newborn may include mucus, blood, and an unpleasant odor. There may be a change in the color of the stool.
- Temperature rises to fairly high levels
- Lethargy, moodiness
- Refusal to eat
- Vomiting, excessive regurgitation
Treatment:
The doctor decides how to treat diarrhea in a newborn in case of an intestinal infection, since treatment is carried out only in a hospital, after the causative agent of the disease has been identified. Depending on the pathogen, antibacterial, antiviral or antifungal therapy is prescribed.
Find out what to do if your child has vomiting and diarrhea on our website.
Against the background of ARVI, colds
In addition to the cough and runny nose characteristic of colds and acute respiratory viral infections, the baby’s body can react in the form of stool disorder.
Signs:
- Heat
- Cough
- Runny nose
- Weakness and moodiness
- Refusal to eat
- Possible vomiting
- Stools are liquid, with a lot of foam
Treatment:
Antiviral drugs are usually used to treat this type of diarrhea in newborns.
Abnormalities of internal organs or appendicitis
With congenital anomalies of the development of internal organs such as the intestines or pancreas, stool disorder begins suddenly and has no prerequisites for this.
Signs:
- Loose stools with blood and mucus
- Sleep and appetite disorders
- The temperature may rise once or twice
- Bloating
- Rare vomiting
Treatment:
How to stop diarrhea in a newborn with pathology of internal organs? The decision is made by the doctor, since in this case the treatment is also carried out exclusively in a hospital under the supervision of a specialist.
What to do if an infant has diarrhea?
If a child has diarrhea, the main thing is to understand the principle of action to eliminate it:
- prevent dehydration;
- stop diarrhea safely and effectively.
When stool loosens, an infant loses a lot of fluid. To avoid dehydration, the baby is given a special saline solution or plain water. When breastfeeding, continue to feed on demand, and between feedings give 1-2 tsp. water or Regidron solution every 5-10 minutes. It is better for artificial people to make the mixture twice as thin by mixing it with a 1:1 solution of Regidron.
Medicines for diarrhea
Several groups of drugs help stop diarrhea and cure disorders in the gastrointestinal tract.
- Probiotics – Linex, Bifidumbacterin – restore the balance of intestinal microflora.
- Antibiotics for infectious diseases - Amoxicillin - suppress fungi, bacteria, viruses that provoke inflammatory processes in the intestines and irritate its mucous membrane.
- Enterosorbents - Smecta - absorb harmful substances that provoke stool disorder and remove them out.
Smecta is taken to absorb harmful substances
Folk remedies
Infants can be given herbal decoctions. Folk remedies will not only help get rid of diarrhea, but will also have a positive effect on the growing body as a whole.
Congee
Thoroughly washed rice in the amount of 1 tbsp. l. pour 500 ml of water, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 30-35 minutes. Strain the broth and give the baby 1 tsp. 3-5 times a day. The product helps slow down intestinal contractions, absorbs gases and soothes irritated mucous membranes.
Rice water is taken to soothe the mucous membrane
Oak bark decoction
Boil 1 tsp in 300 ml of boiling water for 10 minutes. crushed oak bark. Leave for half an hour, strain and give the baby a sip at intervals of 1-2 hours. The decoction has an astringent effect and helps get rid of diarrhea in a short time.
Chicory flower decoction
Place dried chicory flowers in boiling water and boil for 7 minutes. Take 1 tsp for 0.5 liters of boiling water. raw materials. Leave the broth for an hour, strain. Give the child water every 2-3 hours, giving him 1 tsp. herbal medicine. The product has an antimicrobial effect, which allows it to be used for infectious diseases of the stomach and intestines.
Chicory has antimicrobial properties
Blueberry infusion
Brew 1 tsp in a glass of boiling water. dried blueberries, leave for 30 minutes. Infusion is to be given to the baby every hour, 1 sip at a time. A drink made from dry fruits binds well, suppressing diarrhea in chronic and acute forms.
Chamomile tea
Brew 2 tbsp. l. chamomile in 500 ml of boiling water, let it brew for an hour. Infants should drink strained tea instead of water throughout the day. Chamomile inhibits staphylococcus, removes toxins from the body, eliminates pain, and promotes normal gas discharge.
Chamomile is excellent for removing toxins from the body
Diarrhea is a dangerous condition for a small organism. Large and frequent bowel movements can cause dehydration, which can be fatal.
Diarrhea has a number of causes - from a violation of the diet by the mother or early complementary feeding to infectious and viral infections. If a child has green diarrhea mixed with mucus, streaks of blood and an unpleasant odor, it is important to show the baby to a doctor. Probiotics, enterosorbents, and folk remedies - astringent herbal infusions, decoctions and teas will help stop pathological stool liquefaction.
General recommendations
- During diarrhea, it is important to prevent the baby from losing fluid. Therefore, put your baby to your breast more often if he is breastfed. Offer a bottle of boiled water to a bottle-fed newborn. To avoid dehydration, the child should drink 5 ml every fifteen minutes. If there is no vomiting, the total volume of fluid can be safely increased. Water-salt solutions adapted for children’s age (Oralit) are useful for preventing dehydration.
- What else can you give a newborn for diarrhea? Of course, it’s too early for him to take antidiarrheal drugs, but sorbents will come in handy. When choosing an enterosorbent suitable for a baby, parents should be very careful so as not to harm the baby. According to the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM, France), it became known that Smecta®, a product that parents often used in infants, may contain lead impurities and there is a risk of lead passing into the blood of a child under 2 years of age. - years of treatment with this drug. As a result, doctors in France are not recommended to prescribe this drug and its generics to children under 2 years of age, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers for the treatment of acute diarrhea. The Russian Union of Pediatric Centers sent doctors a warning from the French regulator with recommendations to use Russian drugs instead of Smecta for young children, for example, the drug of first choice is Enterosgel, which meets the main safety requirement - it works only in the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract and does not penetrate through the mucous membrane into the bloodstream.
- And yet, how to stop diarrhea in a newborn, for whom many medications are still contraindicated? Such a wonderful folk remedy as rice water will come to the aid of mom. It can be used to treat diarrhea in very young children. If you decide to use this recipe, avoid using Smecta, since rice water is an excellent natural sorbent. In addition, it has a fixing effect and gives a feeling of fullness.
Find out more about how to stop diarrhea in a child on our website.
Treatment
If diarrhea is caused by a viral infection, and in addition to frequent trips to the toilet, there are all the signs of a viral illness, you should not feed the child antiviral drugs, they do not help and their effectiveness has not been clinically proven. Antibiotics are also inappropriate because they have no effect on viruses. No special treatment is required; it is enough to provide the child with the right help and prevent dehydration. If diarrhea is the result of food poisoning or intestinal infection, the treatment approach should be the same.
First of all, you should make sure that the baby is not dehydrated.
If a child does not pee for 6 hours, if he cries with dry eyes, without tears, if he has blue circles under his eyes, sharpened facial features, dry lips, tongue, dry mucous membranes - these are very alarming symptoms. Immediate medical attention is required, you need to call an ambulance.
To prevent such a dangerous condition, parents’ actions in case of diarrhea must be coordinated and clear:
- The child definitely needs to drink. And drink a lot. All drinks should be warm, about 20 degrees, so that the liquid is absorbed and absorbed by the body as quickly as possible. If a child refuses to drink from a cup, he should be fed with a spoon, little by little but often. If he does not drink from a spoon, as children under 7-9 months often do, then you need to draw the liquid into a disposable syringe without a needle and drink from it drip-wise. If the baby resists this method, you should not wait and persuade, you should immediately call an ambulance so that you can administer liquid to the child by drip.
- The child needs to restore the balance of salts . To do this, Komarovsky advises using ready-made pharmaceutical sachets with oral rehydration products. "Smecta" is suitable, you can buy "Regidron" or "Humana-Electrolyte" . These drugs must be in every family's home medicine cabinet. If diarrhea has already occurred, and there are no such drugs, you can use a recipe that has received full approval from the World Health Organization: add a teaspoon of salt and the same amount of soda to a liter of water. You can also give your child this solution.
- Need control over secretions. What you drink should stand out. As long as the baby, who has not yet reached the age of one, wears diapers, the mother has nothing to worry about. At any time, she can measure the amount the child drinks, and after 3 hours weigh his used diaper on an electronic kitchen scale to understand whether the water is being excreted normally. If the child is already using the potty, control will also not be difficult. But a 2-year-old child, who has most likely already mastered the toilet, will have to follow on his heels.
- The child does not need food. You should not try to feed him at any cost. Diarrhea will go away much faster if the baby is hungry. You should give food only when he asks for it. If you have diarrhea, you should not eat fatty or sweet foods, drink carbonated drinks and milk. It is better to give porridge, mashed potatoes, crackers from yeast-free bread, vegetable soup with lean broth.
- Activated carbon - in the correct dosage. Another useful drug that should be in your home medicine cabinet. Parents should remember that activated carbon is dosed at 1 tablet for every 10 kilograms of body weight at a time. Thus, a child weighing 10 kilograms is given 1 tablet, and a baby whose weight is 15 kilograms is given 1.5 tablets. Modern medicine recommends modern enterosorbents, which are easier to take. If the financial capabilities of the family allow, you can buy and keep Enterosgel in the first aid kit for such cases.
Diarrhea is a common manifestation of a digestive system disorder in young children. This phenomenon is observed due to the underdevelopment of the immune and digestive systems. Taking medications, changes in diet, and failure to comply with sanitary standards immediately cause diarrhea in an infant without fever, but with other associated symptoms. Parents need to recognize the cause of the problem in time and eliminate it in a short time.
