Diarrhea in children and babies has many causes; these include illness, infection, food sensitivity, antibiotics, and consuming too much fruit or fruit juice. Diarrhea may also be worsened by what the child eats or drinks. Some types of diarrhea may be relieved by changing the diet.

See also diarrhea.

In most cases, you should continue feeding your baby or child as usual. Bowel rest was once the treatment of choice, but now it is believed that continuing feeding will result in diarrhea that is easier to manage. Most children can keep up with the nutrients they lose through diarrhea, if they increase the amount of food they take in.

For babies, breastfeeding or formula feeding should almost always be continued.

Many children develop mild and temporary lactose intolerance. Continuing dairy foods may make the diarrhea last longer, but it can also allow a faster return to a regular diet. Babies who eat solid foods may continue to do so, as long as they can keep it down.

A full appetite is often the last behavior to return after an illness, and children should be allowed to take their time returning to normal eating habits. There is no specific diet that is recommended for diarrhea, but children usually tolerate bland foods better. Bulking agents, like starches, fresh fruits, and vegetables help create more solid stool. Fruit juices can loosen stool.

Fluid is very important because it is easy for a child with diarrhea to become dehydrated. Dehydration is a serious condition in babies and young children. Lost fluids need to be replaced. Replacing fluids (rehydration) through drinking can be used for all but the most seriously dehydrated children, or those who can't keep fluids down.

For most children, any fluid they normally drink should be adequate. Too much water alone, at any age, can be harmful, because water does not have any sugars or important electrolytes, such as sodium. Specific rehydration solutions include Rehydralyte and the World Health Organization’s Oral Rehydration Solution. Other products such as Pedialyte and Infalyte may help keep a child properly hydrated, and prevent dehydration. Some of these solutions are available at the supermarket or pharmacy and you do not need a prescription, although you should consult your physician for their use in infants.

Popsicles or Jello can be excellent sources of clear fluids, especially if the child is vomiting. You can get surprisingly large amounts of fluids into the child slowly this way, and avoid over-filling the stomach. This is especially important if the stomach is already irritated by an infection.

For most children, drinking more fluids is sufficient, but occasionally it is necessary to give fluid intravenously (by IV). Fluids given by IV are also faster to correct dehydration.

For some children, a return to their regular diet can also bring a return of diarrhea. This is usually due to mild difficulty the gut has in absorbing regular food. This type of diarrhea is usually different in character than diarrhea that came during the actual illness, and it is also brief and requires no treatment, as long as there are no other symptoms.

Diarrhea caused by antibiotics may be reduced by giving the child yogurt with live active cultures (look for a statement on the label). If the diarrhea persists, contact your health care provider to discuss changing or discontinuing the antibiotic. Do not discontinue antibiotic treatment without consulting your child's physician.

CONTACT YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IF:

• Diarrhea is severe, or lasts longer than 2-3 days.
• Diarrhea contains blood or mucous.
• Diarrhea keeps returning, or the child is losing weight.
• The child has signs of dehydration (call immediately).
• Diarrhea is accompanied by multiple vomiting episodes, fever, or abdominal cramping.
• Diarrhea develops within one week of travel outside of the US, or after a camping trip (the diarrhea may be due to bacteria or parasites and may require treatment).

Medication may be prescribed by your provider to help control the diarrhea. Over-the-counter medications for diarrhea may be either ineffective or potentially dangerous. Call your provider before using over-the-counter remedies.