Baby Diarrhea
“Is Your Baby Having Too Many
Messy Diapers?”
Today we are going to wrap up our discussion about tummy upset in babies and young children and our topic will be ‘ what is it that causes those wet, messy diapers or diarrhea ? ‘.
A baby’s stool will be different colors, textures and odors depending upon your baby’s diet; formula, breast milk or solid foods.
But generally speaking, a baby’s stool is normally loose compared to older kids and a looser stool once in a while is no cause for alarm and is quite normal.
However frequent, very loose, profuse and/or explosive stools are not normal and this would be considered to be diarrhea.
[flashvideo file=http://lifechiropractic.s3.amazonaws.com/02.25.2014.baby.diarrhea.bi-1.m4v image=https://lifechiropracticcentre.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/baby.diarrhea.jpg width=500 height=305 /]Diarrhea in babies and young children can be caused by a number of different things such as:
1. A bacterial, viral or parasitic infection in the gut.
2. Food allergies including lactose intolerance.
3. Sensitivity to medications especially antibiotics.
4. Drinking too much fruit juice.
5. Stress.
Remember that stress is what causes spinal misalignments (subluxations) and when these affect the nerves to the digestive system, diarrhea can surely be the result.
And this is where the chiropractic adjustment can be of a huge benefit.
Sources of stress at this age can be birth trauma (forceps, vacuum assisted birth), falls off of change tables or an unhealthy environment in the home (ie. child abuse, parental substance abuse, spousal abuse etc.).
Foods that have been linked to diarrhea; dietetic candy or chewing gum, sugar substitutes such as sorbitol or other artificial sweeteners, fried foods, fast foods, high fat content foods, citrus fruits, some types of veggies (cabbage), too much dietary fibre, dairy (milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt), wheat/gluten and certain spices (crushed or hot red peppers especially).
Normally, this condition is self-limiting and will resolve itself within 2 or 3 days ( the most common cause is viral – also known as stomach flu or intestinal flu), BUT if it lasts more than that or your child has diarrhea all the time or it is accompanied by any of the following symptoms: fever (102 degrees F or more), abdominal pain or rigidity, vomiting, lethargy or dehydration, you need to call your family doc or get to emergency right away because it is probably more than just a simple case of the runs.
In older children if you notice blood or pus in their stool, this could be indicative of an inflammatory bowel disease such as IBS, Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis and this would initially require a medical consultation.
If you require any further information on this topic or any other health concerns you or your family may have, please contact us via email or at 905 335 LIFE (5433). Remember that consultations are always free of charge and family appointments are always available.
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