How to Prevent Infant Diarrhea

Diarrhea in infants can be difficult to identify because for many babies, loose, frequent, and even watery stools may be normal, especially among breastfed infants. Infants suffering from diarrhea typically experience a sudden change in the frequency and texture of their stools. Diarrhea causes discomfort and can lead to infant dehydration. Diarrhea is usually caused by a virus, bacterial infection, food intolerance or allergy, or parasite. You can take a number of steps to prevent infant diarrhea.

 Steps

1. Wash hands frequently. All caregivers should practice diligent hand washing and you should also wash the infant's hands. Always wash hands after changing or adjusting diapers and before and after food preparation. This can help stop the spread of viruses and bacterial infections.

• Run warm water.
• Moisten hands, and rub with soap for at least 15 seconds.
• Rinse with warm water.

2. Keep home surfaces clean. Diarrhea is highly contagious. A person experiencing diarrhea could touch a surface that you or the baby may touch. You can easily spread diarrhea causing viruses or bacteria by touching your baby's face or mouth. Babies also like to put their fingers and hands into their mouths.

Disinfect kitchen counters and appliances, bathroom fixtures and changing areas daily.

Clean baby toys regularly. This is especially important if other children have touched the toys.

3. Make sure the baby receives the rotavirus vaccine. Rotavirus is the most common cause of severe diarrhea in babies and small children. A pediatrician's office will usually administer the multi-dose oral vaccine at 2, 4 and 6 months of age.

4. Cut down on the amount of juice the baby drinks. Juices can loosen stools and cause or worsen diarrhea. Infants should not drink more than 4 oz. (118.3 ml) of juice daily.

5.Follow directions carefully when mixing formula. If you mix infant formula with too much or not enough water, it can cause diarrhea in infants.

• Be precise when you measure how much formula and water to use.
• Double check the directions on the formula package if you switch brands or need to use a new formula temporarily to make sure you use the correct amount of water.

6. Add yogurt with live cultures to the baby's diet. You can feed infants over 6 months old dairy products made from whole milk, but you should not feed younger infants yogurt. The live cultures can help decrease the length and severity of a diarrheal episode.

7. Identify food intolerances or allergies. Diarrhea may occur if your baby has a reaction or intolerance to a specific food or foods.

• Introduce solid foods 1 at a time. Wait 3 days to see if the baby shows any adverse reactions.
• Note which foods the baby does not tolerate well or any foods that cause an allergic reaction in the baby. You can have a pediatrician or allergist follow up with allergy testing to confirm your observations.
• Stop feeding these foods to the baby.
• Cut trigger foods from your diet if you are a breastfeeding mother as allergens in your diet may affect the baby.

8. Limit the amount of coffee, cola, and herbal teas you drink if you are breastfeeding. These beverages are linked to diarrhea in babies.