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Almost every baby will have diarrhea at some point during the first year of her life. While most infants, especially breast-fed babies, have loose stools diarrhea can be distinguished fairly easily from normal bow movements.

Diarrhea is watery stool that is usually accompanied by a foul smelling odor. When infants have diarrhea, they tend to have very frequent bowel movements. Diarrhea in infants is often the same consistency as urine, but brown or greenish in color.

If your infant develops diarrhea, you should do the following to treat it.

1. Push fluids. If baby is old enough, water, pedialyte , Gatorade, and apple juice will help keep baby hydrated. Infants can have breast milk or formula, but should avoid cow's milk and other dairy products. Older infants can be offered Popsicles. The important thing is that your child gets plenty of fluids, now is not the time to worry about sugar and or nutrition.

2. Change your child's diaper as soon as she has a bow movement. Diarrhea is particularly acidic and sitting in it will cause diaper rash. As your child will be having frequent bow movements, you will also be wiping him more than usual, which can chap the skin. Use a diaper ointment to protect and soothe sensitive skin.

3. If your infant has begun eating baby foods, feed a her BRAT diet. BRAT which stands for Bread, rice, applesauce and toast is the diet most recommended by physicians for treating diarrhea. All of these foods will help bind baby and prevent her from having as many bow movements. Rice cereal, baby bananas and applesauce or apple juice can be fed to baby, but don't force foods. Don't start a baby with diarrhea on foods he has never had before. You don't want baby to have an averse reaction to a food in addition to diarrhea.

4. Call your doctor. If you are concerned your baby is not getting enough fluids; if she develops a bleeding diaper rash; or if the diarrhea persists for more than forty-eight hours. Dehydration can cause serious complications in infants; bleeding diaper rashes often need antibiotic treatment. Never be afraid to contact your pediatrician, that what he's there for! - Exit spell check

Learn more about this author, Laurie Feldman.
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