What Are the Causes of Infant Diarrhea?

Many babies suffer from diarrhea at some point during infancy. Washing your hands, disinfecting surfaces in your home, rinsing fruits and vegetables and thoroughly cooking foods such as chicken can help prevent your baby from developing this condition. Most cases turn out to be mild, although serious cases requiring immediate medical care can occur.

Infectious Causes

• Bacteria, viruses and parasites can cause sudden bouts of diarrhea that usually last a few days. These gastrointestinal infections can be passed on through contact with contaminated objects, food, water or fecal matter. Several different viruses can cause stomach flu, which poses a high risk of dehydration in babies. Antibiotics for bacterial infections and exposure to bacteria found in undercooked foods and water supplies can result in diarrhea. Parasites, such as giardia, that cause diarrhea are mainly found in contaminated water.

Non-infectious Causes

• Causes of non-infectious diarrhea, which can last for several weeks, include gastrointestinal diseases such as celiac, food allergies and food intolerance. Cow's milk protein causes most food allergies, but foods such as eggs and nuts can also cause allergic reactions. Your baby could react to them if they're present in your breast milk or if you give her formula that contains cow's milk. Food intolerance, such as lactose intolerance, involves an abnormal reaction to certain foods and rarely occurs in babies.

Symptoms

• The main symptoms of diarrhea include abdominal pain and frequent, watery stool. Vomiting and fever usually occur before diarrhea during a stomach flu. Other symptoms of viral infections include aches and chills. Bacterial infections often cause severe diarrhea and also can lead to bloody stools, cramps and fever. Ear pulling and fussiness can accompany diarrhea caused by ear infections. Parasitic infections can cause greasy stools, bloating and gas. Food allergies can result in diarrhea, hives or a rash right after eating or within a couple hours. Diarrhea, abdominal cramps and bloating that occur shortly after eating or drinking can indicate a food intolerance.

Treatment

• Make sure your baby gets enough liquids to prevent dehydration, which can lead to a hospital stay. A pediatric electrolyte solution might help if he's unable to keep down formula or breast milk. If your baby can eat solids, continue to feed him a balanced diet to help his body fight infection. Feeding your baby yogurt with live cultures might keep mild and short diarrhea bouts. Antiparasitic medicines can be used to treat diarrhea caused by parasites.

Warning

• Call your pediatrician if your baby is less than 3 months old, or if her diarrhea doesn't improve after 24 hours if she is older. Also call if your baby runs a high fever, has black or bloody stools, shows dehydration signs such as crying without tears, or vomits frequently. Call the Poison Control Center at [phone] if diarrhea is accompanied by vomiting and you suspect that your baby swallowed a nonfood item such as medication. Call 911 if your baby has convulsions, difficulty breathing, falls unconscious or experiences lip or facial swelling.