Baby's first year : Diarrhoea
A TO Z OF COMMON CONCERNS
- Diarrhoea
Very young babies (upto 3 months):
It is usual for babies to pass runny stools till the time they start eating solids. However, if your baby passes watery and greenish coloured stools, it is a sign of diarrhoea. Diarrhoea accompanied with vomiting is called gastro-enteritis.
It is very important for your baby to have plenty of fluids to drink as the fluids being lost through diarrhoea need to be replaced or the baby may get dehydrated. If you are breastfeeding, you may need to offer cool, boiled water between feeds. If bottlefeeding, you may be advised to make up diluted feeds for a few days.
If your baby has vomiting along with diarrhoea, has a dry mouth, sunken eyes or a sunken fontanelle, contact the doctor immediately.
Older children:
Your child is suffering from diarrhoea if she passes watery stools more frequently than normal. It is important to keep up the fluid intake to replace the lost fluids. You can get an oral rehydration mix from the pharmacist. In most cases, diarrhoea clears up on its own and the child is able to resume to normal diet soon.
If your child passes blood in her stools, has a sunken
fontanelle, sunken eyes, lethargy and dark,
concentrated urine - contact your doctor immediately as
your child could be dehydrated.
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