Feeding A Baby With Diarrhea

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Feeding a baby with diarrhea can be nerve-wracking, as you may worry about irritating his gut and worsening his symptoms. This page suggests foods that may help "bind" your baby - and also lists some foods that are best avoided as his delicate intestines recover.

PLEASE NOTE:
The information given here does not replace professional medical advice. Babies with diarrhea can become dehydrated very quickly - if your baby has diarrhea, it is very important to consult your doctor, so that he can establish the cause of the problem and take the necessary action to treat it.

Feeding a baby with diarrhea - foods that can help

• Bananas
• infant rice cereal
• breast milk/formula
• dry toast
• cooked carrots
• pasta
• cooked white potato
• yogurt*
• applesauce (try our sugar free applesauce recipe)
• white grape juice

*Bio yogurt is particularly effective at helping stop diarrhea, because it contains the bacteria Lactobacillus, which is "friendly" to the gut.

Here's a recipe to make your own!

You may also find that your pediatrician recommends acidophilus supplements, which are usually available from most vitamin and health food stores.

Feeding a baby with diarrhea - foods to avoid

• Cow's milk-based formula - some pediatricians will suggest switching your baby to soy formula for a week or two, because babies can have difficulty in digesting cow's milk following a nasty bout of diarrhea
• dairy products, except for yogurt (due to the reasons given above)
• apple juice*
• pear juice
• cherry juice
• apricots
• peaches
• pears
• peas
• prunes (dried plums)
• plums

*Why is applesauce good for babies with diarrhea, when apple juice is considered bad?

It seems contradictory, doesn't it? But applesauce is made from the whole fruit, which means that it contains the pectin that firms stools - whereas apple juice contains a natural sugar called sorbitol. Sorbitol is known to either cause or aggravate diarrhea.

Feeding a baby with diarrhea - should I continue to breastfeed?

Yes - breastfeeding your baby when he has diarrhea actually helps him recover more quickly. However, you should avoid things like cola and coffee - these can pass to your baby through your milk and may worsen his symptoms.


The golden rule when feeding a baby with diarrhea is to give him small, frequent meals. It may take a while for his stools to become completely firn again, as babies intestines tend to heal fairly slowly. But if your baby's diarrhea seems persistent, or if you are at all concerned, then don't hesitate to seek medical advice.

Please click here for information about dealing with infant constipation or find out more about the connection between diaper rash and baby food.

Sources/more information:

www.webmd.com - Diarrhea in Babies
www.askdrsears.com
Dr Greene - Diarrhea and Infants