Bowel movements of Infants and What You need To Know – Diarrhoea

While it is true that, a healthy bowel system is one of the major concerns of parents, for their babies and toddlers, especially till the stage when they can not clearly express and explain their discomfort and the extent of it, it is also true that there is very little parents can do in terms of preventive measures for bowel upsets or setting a routine for the same in infants.

Having said this, it is thus very important for parents to understand both constipation and Diarrhea as bowel troubles, which, if not taken care of timely, can lead to serious trouble in infants, because the baby’s intestines are sensitive in the first two years of his/ her life and are prone to severe damage in case of negligence.

Diarrhea in infants and toddlers

A significant loss of body fluid from the body through bowels is termed as diarrhea. But at the same time motions which are slightly loose than normal and occur a bit more frequently can not be termed as diarrhea. They are more aptly called loose motions.

As infants have a sensitive stomach, they tend to get infections which normally older children and adults are immune to. That is exactly why extra case of disinfecting things around babies is taken. We normally boil their bottles, milk and sterilize their bowls and spoons. It is best to keep them away from infected people and also best to introduce new food item slowly, observing body changes and reactions to the food introduced.

There are different forms of diarrhea seen in infants depending on their severity. These are-

Looseness
Sometimes stools become loose and more frequent than normal and the condition is called looseness. The first preference in this condition and the others should be, to take the baby to the doctor. But in case the doctor is not available, here are some things the parents can do at home –

• A breast fed baby should continue to be nursed as frequently and as much he/she wants. It is all the more better for the baby as the breast milk has minimum chances of infection and generally kids do well with breast milk.
• A baby who is on formula milk alone should immediately be shifted to formula milk which has been diluted to half. This means if the usual formula milk has been prepared for the baby, it is best in times of looseness to drain half the milk and replace it with equal amount of boiled water. If hungry due to dilution of the feed, the baby should be fed as often and on demand.
• A baby who is on formula milk as well as solid food should immediately be removed from all solid foods and the formula should be diluted to half till the time the baby starts to show signs of recovery. It should be noted that once the looseness begins to improve, first the normal strength of formula milk should be started, and then slowly the foods should be re-introduced, adding one food at a time, first one third quantity, next day two third of it and the third day the usual helping can be given.

Mild intestinal infection
If the movements were fine earlier and suddenly become loose, these are signs of a mild intestinal infection. These stools are likely to be numerous and the colour too would change, commonly to green with a different odour. It is best to show to doctor immediately as mild infections can be handled easily and if treated early, the child gets cured fast. The dietary changes would be the same as those for looseness.

Severe Intestinal Infection
A severe intestinal infection can be detected with the following symptoms- vary loose, watery stool, pus, blood in stool, vomiting, fever of 101 degree or more, sunken eyes and prostration.

In such a case if the doctor is not available, it is best to first replace formula and milk with the solution of one quarter water and one level tablespoonfuls of corn syrup. This can be safely given in 2-4 tea spoons slowly and as and when the baby wants for upto, 72 hours.

Chronic diarrhea
There are several digestive diseases which cause chronic diarrhea in infants and children. These are –

Cystic fibrosisdefine - in this problem, which is a hereditary disease, the symptoms are often misleading in early infancy and become prominent as solid foods are introduced. Some of the symptoms are-
• Protruding rectumdefine
• Foul smelling frequent bowel movements
• Mushy, greasy, foul smelling stool after introduction of solids
• Obstruction of intestines at birth by meconium
• Ravenous appetite
• But malnutrition sets in due to improper digestion
• Bronchial tubes secrete only dry mucus, thus infections can not be prevented
• Can be treated by adding a high protein, low fat, vitamin rich diet and also some pancreatic enzymes.

Celiac disease-characterized by loose, foul and frequent bowel movements. Not very prominent in first year of life, but becomes chronic in the second year. Infants with this condition have the following symptoms-
• Bad appetite
• Malnutrition
• Inability of intestines top digest fats
• Child feels miserable
• Inability to digest wheat
• Avoiding some foods completely is the best treatment for this problem.

Diarrhea if prolonged can seriously affect the digestive system in the long run, making the body intolerant to many foods forever and in many cases has also proved to be fatal. It is thus best to be well informed about it and at the slightest hint of the onset of this problem; it is advisable to immediately consult a doctor.