Diarrhoea is one of the most common disease conditions in children. By extension, this means it is one that is most often treated by parents at home themselves which is not a bad thing at all. Indeed we encourage parents to start the treatment of diarrhoea immediately at home.This is because diarrhoea diseases in children can quickly progress leading to dehydration and deaths.
Just FYI Diarrhoeal disease is the second leading cause of death in children under five years old. 1.2 million children will die from diarrhoea and related diseases this year!!! That’s an astronomic figure! Most people who die from diarrhoea actually die from severe dehydration and fluid loss. Hence the need to begin treatment – replacing the lost fluid and electrolytes as soon as possible.
However, from experience I have noticed some common, popular but very dangerous practices by parents in their treatment of diarrhoea. These practices often cause more grievous harms at times than the diarrhoea itself. So I want to remind parents on the right treatment of diarrhoea in children at home. I will give us this information in 3 DOs; 3 DON’Ts and WHEN TO GO TO HOSPITAL!
Before I do that, let me quickly explain what diarrhoea is. I have been asked many times to prescribe treatment for diarrhoea by mums; only to discover the child does not even have diarrhoea at all! So, a brief introduction about diarrhoea so we are all on the same page.
What is Diarrhoea?
Diarrhoea is defined as the passage of three or more loose or liquid stools per day (or more frequent passage than is normal for the individual).
What IS NOT Diarrhoea?
Frequent passing of formed stools is not diarrhoea, nor is the passing of loose, “pasty” stools by breastfed babies.
What causes Diarrhoea?
Diarrhoea is usually a symptom of an infection in the intestinal tract, which can be caused by a variety of bacterial, viral and parasitic organisms. Infection is spread through contaminated food or drinking-water, or from person-to-person as a result of poor hygiene.
What are the types of Diarrhoea?
There are three clinical types of diarrhoea:
- acute watery diarrhoea – lasts several hours or days, and includes cholera;
- acute bloody diarrhoea – also called dysentery; and
- persistent diarrhoea – lasts 14 days or longer.
What makes diarrhoea dangerous is DEHYDRATION which can lead to death when severe.
How do I know my child is dehydrated or getting dehydrated from diarrhoea?
Symptoms of mild to moderate dehydration include thirst, decreased urine volume, urine that is darker than usual, tiredness, lack of tears when crying, headache, dry mouth, and dizziness when standing.
In moderate to severe dehydration, there may be no urine output at all. Other symptoms in these states include lethargy or extreme sleepiness,seizures, sunken fontanel (soft spot) in infants,fainting, and sunken eyes.
The most important thing to do in Diarrhoea is to prevent dehydration.
In other words to rehydrate by replacing the water and salts (electrolytes) that are being lost during the diarrhea which brings me to do the DOs and DON’Ts in treating Diarrhoea.
1. DO GIVE FLUIDS
Give fluids and lots of fluids but not just any fluid. The best fluids to give depending on what is easily available to you when the diarrhoea starts include:
a). The Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS).
The Oral Rehydration Salt is bought as formulated in sachets and then constituted by mixing with the exact volume of clean, safe, drinking water recommended on the sachet. It is usually 1 Litre in most cases. If you don’t have a measuring jug with label of what 1Litre is, you can use 5 average cups of water. Each cup is about 200ml.
Method for mixing oral rehydration salts (ORS):
Wash your hands.
Measure 1 liter, or the correct amount for the packet used, of clean drinking water (boiled and cooled if possible) into a clean container.
Pour all the powder from one packet into the water and mix well until the powder has completely dissolved.
After each loose stool give the following amount of ORS:
A child of less than 24 months – Half a cup
A child of between 2 and 10 years – One cup
A child of 10 years or more – As much as wanted
b) The Salt-Sugar-Solution (SSS)
Preparing 1 (one) Litre solution using Salt, Sugar and Water at Home Mix an oral rehydration solution using one of the following recipes; depending on ingredients and container availability.
Ingredients:
- Half (1/2) teaspoon of Salt
- Six (6) teaspoons of Sugar
- One Litre of clean drinking or boiled water and then cooled – 5 cupfuls (each cup about 200 ml.)
Preparation Method:
Stir the mixture till the salt and sugar dissolve. This is the updated recipe by UNICEF.
Most fluids that a child normally takes can be also be used. Other fluids that normally contain salt, apart from ORS solution and SSS such salted drinks (e.g. salted rice water or a salted yoghurt drink), vegetable or chicken soup with salt can also be used.
Fluids that do not contain salt but are still suitable to give during diarrhoea include plain water, water in which a cereal has been cooked (e.g. unsalted rice water), unsalted soup, yoghurt drinks without salt, green coconut water, weak tea (unsweetened) and unsweetened fresh fruit juice.
Unsuitable fluids (DO NOT GIVE PLEASE)
A few fluids are potentially dangerous and should be avoided during diarrhoea. Especially important are drinks sweetened with sugar, which worsen the diarrhoea and cause other bad effects. Some examples are: commercial carbonated beverages(coke, fanta and such like), commercial fruit juices and sweetened tea.
Other fluids to avoid are those with stimulant, diuretic or purgative effects, for example coffee and some medicinal teas or infusions.
How much fluid to give?
The general rule is: give as much fluid as the child or adult wants until diarrhoea stops. As a guide, after each loose stool, give:
- Children under 2 years of age: 50-100 ml (a quarter to half a large cup) of fluid;
- Children aged 2 up to 10 years: 100-200 ml (a half to one large cup);
- Older children and adults: as much fluid as they want.
2. DO GIVE ZINC SUPPLEMENTS
Give supplemental zinc (10 – 20 mg) to the child, every day for 10 to 14 days.
Zinc can be given as a syrup or as dispersible tablets, whichever formulation is available and affordable.
By giving zinc as soon as diarrhoea starts, the duration and severity of the episode as well as the risk of dehydration will be reduced.
By continuing zinc supplementation for 10 to 14 days, the zinc lost during diarrhoea is fully replaced and the risk of the child having new episodes of diarrhoea in the following 2 to 3 months is reduced.
Some ORS sachets are now prepackaged with the Zinc supplements. If not, you can ask your healthcare providers to prescribe the Zinc supplements.
3. DO (CONTINUE TO) GIVE FOOD
Continue to feed the child, to prevent malnutrition. The infant usual diet should be continued during diarrhoea and increased afterwards.
Food should never be withheld and the child’s usual foods should not be diluted.
Breastfeeding should always be continued.
The aim is to give as much nutrient rich food as the child will accept.
Most children with watery diarrhoea regain their appetite after dehydration is corrected, whereas those with bloody diarrhoea often eat poorly until the illness resolves.
These children should be encouraged to resume normal feeding as soon as possible. When food is given, sufficient nutrients are usually absorbed to support continued growth and weight gain.
Continued feeding also speeds the recovery of normal intestinal function, including the ability to digest and absorb various nutrients. In general, foods suitable for a child with diarrhoea are the same as those required by healthy children.
THE DON’TS
- DO NOT GIVE DRUGS TO STOP THE DIARRHOEA
Examples of such “anti-diarrhoea” drugs popular with Mums in Nigeria include DIASTOP, LOMOTIL and others in same family.
“Antidiarrhoeal” drugs and anti-emetics have no practical benefits for children with acute or persistent diarrhoea. They do not prevent dehydration or improve nutritional status, which should be the main objectives of treatment. Some have dangerous, and sometimes fatal, side-effects.
These drugs should never be given to children below 5 years . - DO NOT GIVE ANTIBIOTICS ROUTINELY FOR DIARRHOEA
Examples of popular antibiotics Mums ROUTINELY use for diarrhoea, which is a wrong and dangerous practice, are FLAGYL, TETRACYCLINE, SEPTRIN.
Please DO NOT use antibiotics except prescribed by a Doctor for specific cases.Most diarrhoea in children are caused by viruses and DO NOT need antibiotics.The antibiotics can create unwanted side effects and in addition make your baby develop antibiotics resistance; which means the antibiotics will not work when it is now rightly needed. This can put a baby in serious danger from dying.DON’T GIVE CHILDREN TETRACYCLINE…..It will cause greenish-brownish staining of their teeth permanently. Pregnant women too should avoid tetracycline.There are instances for which antibiotics can be used in diarrhoea but only your healthcare providers should authorize such use.Moreover, even for potentially responsive infections, selecting an effective antimicrobial requires knowledge of the likely sensitivity of the causative agent, information that is usually unavailable to parents.In addition, use of antimicrobials adds to the cost of treatment, risks adverse reactions and enhances the development of resistant bacteria.
Antimicrobials are reliably helpful only for children with bloody diarrhoea (probable shigellosis), suspected cholera with severe dehydration, and serious non-intestinal infections such as pneumonia. Anti-protozoal drugs are rarely indicated.
- DON’T WITHHOLD FOOD
Diarrhoea can cause malnutrition or worsen malnutrition in already healthy children.Food should never be withheld and the child’s usual foods should not be diluted.Give what you will normally give if the child is healthy.You may want to avoid spicy or milk or vegetables during the initial phase of diarrhoea but give other foods as tolerated by the child.Indeed give extra food after the diarrhoea episodes to prevent malnutrition.
WHEN TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL
Take the child to the hospital or a health worker if there are signs of dehydration or other problems.
The mother should take her child to a health worker if the child:
- starts to pass many watery stools;
- has repeated vomiting;
- becomes very thirsty;
- is eating or drinking poorly;
- develops a fever;
- has blood in the stool; or
- the child does not get better in three days.
I believe it is very clear now what to do and not do in treating diarrhoea. Please let us follow these simple instructions so we can look forward to reducing 1.2 million deaths of children every year from diarrhoea to zero! Please join us in meeting this goal by doing your part.
I will love to read your comments and questions.
Ref:
www.rehydrationprojectrehydrate.org
WHO:The Treatment of diarrhoea : a manual for physicians and other senior health workers.
Very informative.Thanks a million.
Thank you for reading!
This is very informative.
My baby of 8 months just started passing out watery stools with melon-like seeds in it today. And quite usually, she stooled 3 times today alone. I hope to start administering ORL and Zinc to her in the morning. If not for the fact that all the Pharmacies and chemist shops were closed before I got winked of this development, I would have bought flagyl and tetracycline for her.
I am happy you find this useful. For urgent answers to your questions, join our Facebook group
Thank u so much…I have learnt a lot from this article..
You are welcome. Please check out our other articles, health tips, Podcasts and YouTube channels for more information.
Dr please help me, I have administered flagyl already to my 1 year 4months daughter due to purging. And since then she was unable to poo , always feeling weak and can’t eat anything.please what should I do
You should always take sick children to the hospital. You should not use Flagyl or any antibiotics for diarrhoea if a doctor has not prescribed it for you. For urgent questions, please post directly to our Facebook group
Thank you so much, especially on the flagyl, tetracycline et Al!
Kindly DO NOT give antibiotics to children eg Flagyl or tetracycline when they have diarrhoea. These are dangerous practices. Please read the article well.
Thanks Doc, God bless you.
I took my baby to the health center on Tuesday and we were told to do test and the result is not malaria,the doctor prescibe ORS,malaria tablet,zinc and ibuprofen and have been giving my baby the drugs even if he did not like to take drugs I force him to but he keeps throwing up everything I put in his mouth…I don’t know what to do again…pls help me Doc…
You should take him back to the hospital and the doctor can admit. You can post urgent questions to our Facebook group
Thanks a lot doc. I wanted to get flagyl now for my one year baby. Then on a second thought I decided to research about it… thank God I came across your posts doc. Thanks a bunch
I am glad you did. For urgent questions, you can get answers by posting on our Ask The Paediatricians Facebook group here
My I month old baby is having Diarrhoea what can I give him
It is very unusual for a newborn to have diarrhoea. Do not mistake their semiformed stools for diarrhoea. We recommend you breastfeed your baby exclusively. Do not give water or formula or any druugs not prescribed by a doctor. For more information, get a copy of the FTM companion here FTM companion
My baby of 8 month old passing out watery stool about 3 days ago and after i want for misabortion I take misoferm pls ma what can I do to stop the stool
Give ORS and oral zinc. If no improvement, please go to the hospital. Kindly do family planning to avoid having to abort. You can read more about family planning here ATP Group Discussion – Family planning (Dr. Rotimi Adesanya)
Thanks for the information Doc..I really appreciate. Please I would like to ask, what can I do to stop my 2yr old baby from vomiting the anti malaria drug given to her (P Alaxin tablets) as prescribed by the pediatrician yesterday. ?
Waiting for your response pls. .
I wrote an entire article on it here – medications refusing child – winning strategies Read and apply! All the best!
Please doc, I noticed that my a month plus baby grunts for a while, squeezing her body and then passes gas or stool before getting relieved and cries for no reason more often than usual for the past few days. Stool is slimy at times. Please what do you advise?
That is normal and you don’t need to do anything.
So helpful.thanks ma
Thank you!
Goodafternoon Doc,please Ma my baby of 6-7weeks has been having a wateringstool very yellowish ND seeds e.g melon ND the poop smells,ND her stomach is allows making noise
That is not diarrhoea but perfectly normal stools for a baby on exclusive breastfeeding. Just keep breastfeeding exclusively – no water and nothing else. Read more on the articles on breastfeeding here
Thanks Dr for this piece.
Can 6-8weeks old baby have diarrhea?
how would this symptoms be detected since they are always on diapers?
My baby of 6 weeks stools like 5 times daily, yellowish, seedlike, watery stool.
should I be concerned?
Note he eats n sleeps well
That’s not diarrhoea…that prfectly normal stools for babies on exclusive breastfeeding and they can pass those stools 8 – 12 times a day and still normal!
Ma my baby of six months started passing greenish stool up to 7timesa day especially after each meal,my concern now is DAT her appetite has drastically reduced,not feeing the way she should and sometimes throwing up while being fed pls wat dou suggest
Monic, I think your baby is sick and you should take the child to the hospital to see a doctor as soon as possible.
Please ma, my baby of two months was stooling, I went to a pharmacy shop and they gave me flagyl with septrin.. please am just seeing your write up now. Please hope no problem for using the two drugs and the two have finished.. Please help me ma
What is the definition of your two months old stooling? Please don’t confuse the number of times and the semiformed stools of babies on breast milk as diarrhoea. That is NOT STOOLING OR DIARRHOEA. You should give your baby breast milk only. Don’t be taking your child to a Pharmacy if you have concerns. Always go to the hospital. If you have any questions that need urgent answers, please post on our Ask The Paediatricians Facebook group here
Very useful information! Thankyou so much Ma… was about giving my 1year and 7 months old son Flagyl but decided to check on line,and I saw this. I have given him ORS and Zinc tablet (10g, that’s half tab) hope its ok for him? Or should I give him 20g?
Thank you Ebi! You can give 20mg. Well done! The Zinc is not only helpful for this current episode but will protect against another episode of diarrhoea and pneumonia as well.
Thank you so much doc, this was really a helpful information as I literally forgot what to give a child that has diarrhoea because it’s been long I treated that illness in my home
We are glad to be of help. For any urgent answers, you can post your questions on our Ask The Paediatricians Facebook group
Thanks Dr. For this is very informative!
Hi doc my nine year old girl has a watery stool and is going to the toilet 3 to 4 times for two days now
Kindly help.
GIVE ORS AND ORAL ZINC. READ THIS ARTICLE FOR MORE INFORMATION,
Hi doctor,thanks a lot for this info. My one year old baby has been passing stools more frequently than before since the 9th of April. I started giving her zinc tab once a day after the third day. I noticed that she poos like an hour after each meal,the poo isn’t watery but it’s not solid like before. But she doesn’t poo in the night. She is eating and drinking water well. I have since stopped giving her the zinc tablet. What do i do pls
If your baby is not passing watery stools, she does not have diarrhoea and there is no need to give ORS and oral zinc in the first place. Passing frequent but normal stools IS NOT diarrhoea. So no need to worry and no need to give ORS and oral Zinc.
Hello Dr
My baby of 10weeks took Rota 1 vaccine and have been passing out seed like stools with mucus for 7days now. She poo like 5 to 6 times a day. Sometimes the stool is scanty. She feed well
How are you feeding your baby? Exclusive breastfeeding or formula via bottle? Rotavirus vaccine is not the cause of the mucoid stools. Ensure you are breastfeeding exclusively and no formula or bottle feeding and no drugs too unless if prescribed by a doctor. Stooling 5 – 6 times a day is normal but it should not be having mucus or blood.
Hi doctor my baby 1 year old has been passing foul smelling loose stool with mucus mix with blood stain. I gave ors and zinc but he’s not taking the ors. Please what should I do again
You should take him to the hospital. As stated in the article, children with bloody diarrhoea has to be taken to the hospital as the child will need antibiotics.
Thanks for this information, Dr. My 8 months old son has been passing watery stool since 11/05, Thur. At first, it was paste-like, four times (his normal poo is once daily, in the morning). It turned watery on Fri and I started ORS and 20 mg zinc sulphate on Fri. Before now, he takes pap (maize and sorghum) and NAN 2 thrice, noodles plus egg or rice and boiled egg or sweet potato plus fried egg once, natural orange juice or avocado once, and breast milk as he demands, especially from 6pm till 7am (he sucks a lot through the night) being a working-class mum. I took him to the hospital on Sat (third day), though not dehydrated, he was given 250 ml IVF. The Dr said she wanted to be on the safe side. By Sun, his poo has reduced to twice daily and paste-like but I noticed that breast milk triggers his bowel movement the more. I’ve stopped all food except the pap plus one milk spoon of NAN 2 per feeding. I’ve also reduced the breastfeeding. Hoping things will improve or I’ll have to consult his pediatrician tomorrow, he comes to the hospital once a week.
Well we hope so. Please do not reduce the breast milk.Paste-like stools even if more frequent is not diarrhoea. It is watery stools that is diarrhoea.
You may also want to pay more attention to what the child is eating and hygiene around preparation. As children also tend to mouth objects to rub their gums while teething, pay attention to sterilization of toys and feeding utensils and keeping the environment clean. Wash the child’s hands often as well. Diarrhoea reduces gradually and there is no need to reduce his feeds (should increase actually – please read the article!!) at all but you can reduce the formula till the bowel has fully healed.
Thanks Doctor for the article, I have really learnt a lot but my question is, I was told to reduce breastfeeding my nine months old baby because she’s having loose stools (yellowish colour) like 4 to 5 times in a day. Please how true is this
No, that is not true. Breastfeeding is not the cause of the yellowish stools and there is nothing wrong with yellowish stools as long as it is not watery. You should be breastfeeding in addition to giving the complementary food. Read more about appropriate feeding of the baby here INFANT FEEDING 1000 DAYS – PODCAST
Thank you doc,my baby has been passing frequent loose and most times yellowish and greenish mixture stool for almost 2months now,he is 6months plus now,he was breast fed exclusively for 6monts,and has refused to accept any other food except breastmilk,he is not dehydrated or sick but am worried,thank you.
You are not feeding the baby properly and that greenish stools are what we call starvation stools. You should start complementary feeding. Read more here INFANT FEEDING IN THE FIRST 1000 DAYS
Ma,
My 3 years old son poos once a day. It is not well formed but mushy. can i give zinc?
That is normal stool and not diarrhoea. There is no need to give Zinc or ORS! Kindly read the article again to see what qualifies as diarrhoea
Thank you
Hello Doctor thanks for this write up i noticed on sunday my one year old daughter has been stooling than usual n it is yellowish with egusi like seed and also slimy so today went to a pharmacy and was given emgyl to give her which i did but now that i read your post can i start giving her the zinc and ors
Please stop the flagyl antibiotics. Diarrhoea in children does not need any antibiotics. If it is watery stools, just give ORS and oral Zinc.
Thanks a lot for all you do for us mothers.
Please my baby is 11 weeks and 5 days, I noticed he passed a watery stool(sinks completely into the diaper) this afternoon and night, very little, and he cries and stretches his legs. But earlier this morning he passed normal stool like every other day…. Could he be having diarrhea? Aside that, he is very active, eats well, his tummy is soft and not distended. Please help me, I’m worried….. If it’s diarrhea what should I do, if not, what could it be? We are on EBF.
There is nothing to do …keep breastfeeding exclusively but pay attention to hygiene and make sure you are not using any drugs or giving your baby any medications that can affect the baby’s stools.
Tnks for the article ma.My son of 1yr n 4month has been passing out watery stool since Friday..he is nt eating well and I av bin giving him zinc since Friday but no improvement.at first his poo was greenish and watery but now it yellow bt still stooling.he poos like 5times a day.i started with flight dis evening by after reading ur article I guess I shld stop.pls advice me on wat to do.and lastly I think he is teething bt the stooling is too much.
It is not teething. It is good to stop the flagyl and give the ORS. If your child is not better or you are worried, please take the child to the hospital for further evaluation. For questions requiring immediate or fast responses, kindly always post on our Ask The Paediatricians Facebook Group Wall
Ma thank you for this article, it has been helpful to my son after following your advice
You are welcome Iddo. Keep reading and keep learning.
Good morning Dr. Pls my baby of 2months has been stool for like 5-6 times a day and d poop is much and also spills from d diaper. And I notice a lot of mucus in d poop pls what should I do, cos she’s loosing weight. She spills milk alot. Exculsive breastfeeding. Am so worried
Are you sure you are not giving water or any other medications? If you are you should stop. All you need to do is to give breast milk only and stop any other things you are doing.
Pls Doctor, my baby of 1yr 11months was given erythromycin for cough and 2days after he started stooling in a watery form.I gave him flagyl and it stopped bin watery bt still soft,almost 3wks now. He eats well and nt feeling feverish bt poo when he takes tea,fried plantain and milk. What can I do?
Please STOP antibiotics abuse….if you read the article you will see that you should not give antibiotics when a child has diarrhoea. If a child has diarrhoea with certain foods or drugs, it may mean the child is allergic to them and the solution is to avoid the agent instead of giving more drugs or see your doctor first.
Pls doc, my baby of 3 weeks usually poo 2 to 3 times daily but watery, and it seems she’s reducing in stature. What can be done?
Breastfeed your baby exclusively and on demand. Please note that newborn babies are usually semi-formed and that is not diarrhoea.
God will continue to blesss you for us all. U helped a worried mum. Tjank you for this article it was helpful.
I am so glad it was helpful for you Sophie
Good evening ma,,, pls ma my 5.5month have been watery stooling since Tuesday and loosing weight can i give her ORS MA
Yes you can give her the ORS and oral Zinc. Please read the full article to know how to prevent diarrhoea and signs that indicate going to the hospital.
Thanks Dr. For this is very informative!
Thank you Florence
my baby of six months started watery greenish mucus or catarrh like stool three wks ago then he was 5 months and a week old.when it started he pooped like 7/8 times daily I gave him ORS but later took him to hospital when there was no changes after a week he was given ORS and antibiotics after two wks it reduced to 3/4 times daily still watery pls what should I do cos this is given me concern .he’s on exclusive and will start complimentary foods tomorrow
You should be patient…diarrhoea may not disappear immediately but keep giving the ORS. If still worried, go back to the hospital for follow-up evaluation by the doctors. Ensure that you are maintaining good personal and environmental hygiene especially regular handwashing. All the best!
Thanks Dr. Very helpful information. Please can ORS be administered to an exclusively breastfed baby?, she is just 8weeks old. If it has been administered already can she continue being breastfed exclusively?
NO!!! An exclusively breastfed baby can not have diarrhoea. Their stools are usually semi-solid (soft and can be like melon soup) that is not diarrhoea!!! Such babies can pass stools up to 12 times a day normally and that is not diarrhoea!!! Please give only breastmilk in babies below 6 months!! If you think the baby has any diarrhoea, see a doctor first because they usually dont. I have a feeling you are mistaken the normal sem-formed stools in these babies for diarrhoea!!!
Thank you doctor, my baby of 5 months passed watery poo 4 times two days ago, I started zinc and ORS for him yesterday morning, but he still pooed 4 times and as at 11am Nigerian time today he has pooed 3 times again, though not much, what can I do? Thank you ma
Simply continue the ORS and oral Zinc. The stools will eventually stop and there is no need to worry. The most important thing is to keep the child hydrated. It may take a few days before the diarrhoea stops.
Hi doc, my baby of 2yrs 4month have been passing watery stool since last week monday,we took him to the hospital on tuesday and was told it was viral infection. He was given Enterogemina and ORS for 5 days but he is still passing the stool, we took him back yesterday for stool test review and we were told nothing was found in the stool and was given the same medication for another 5days.. My concern is anytime he wants to pass the stool,he cries though sometimes it comes out in bits. Please for how long will this continue? We were told about handwashing and we have been sticking to it. Help a worried mum.
Hi Acute diarrhoea can last up to 10 – 14 days so no need to worry…Just keep giving the ORS. I am not sure what other medications you are giving but I don’t think it is necessary. Oral ZInc is the only medications recommended. If the diarrhoea lasted for more than 14 days, please see a Paediatrician for further management.
Good day Dr,my 3 month 3 week baby on EBF start vomiting on Sunday evening anytime I breastfeed him,on Monday morning I took him to hospital , he was given ORS,zinc, Chlorphenamine maleate , Saccharomyces boulardii and an injection to stop the vomit. The vomiting has stoped BT he poo now greenish.
I came online to read your write up on diarrhoea and I came acrooss this arcticle and you said that EBF don’t have diarrhoea ,in my own baby case what’s d problem with him ?
Hi Deyoola…babies on exclusive breastfeeding rarely have diarrhoea. Hope you are not giving water? Secondly hope you are maintaining good hygiene including regular washing of your hands and those carying the baby? EBF protects the baby but you should also make sure you maintain good hygiene and baby is not exposed to ill persons. Babies will have diarrhoea if exposed to germs unncessarily. Keep washing your hands and also keep close monitor on what you eat and what the baby put in the mouth eg if you are using dummies that fall on the floor often.
Good day Dr, please my 4yr old was running temperature and had cough for days so we took her to the hospital ran tests for typhoid, full blood count. Results was negative for typhoid and no infection. So doc prescribed malaria treatment. She was given injection for malaria alongside coated, septrin and paracetamol. During the cause of treatment she started vomiting and stooling watery stool, went back to the hospital and was given flagyl, ors and zinc that was on Tuesday but she’s still having diarrhoea and vomiting. Please help me I’m worried cuz I have a toddler in the house and won’t want anyone else getting infected
You should have just taken her back to the hospital. For quick immediate answers to such questions in future; please post your questions on our Facebook group – htttps://www.facebook.com/groups/askthepaed
Hello docs, my baby is 1year 2 month his stool became loose and i noticed a little blood in it so i took to to the hospital and some test was run on him we find out he had maleria and typhoid which was treated and also i gave ORS and zinc tablet for the loosed stool. Even though he eat and plays normal now am still worried because his stool is still loose
Diarrhoea may take a while to resolve. There is no need to worry just keep giving the ORS and oral zinc as long as the child is having loose stools and Zinc should be given for 10days
Thanks for the pieces.Please Ma,has for my 7monthand2weeks baby he started with cough and catarrh our doctor recommend Amoxicillin but on the second day he started stooling watery 4times daily though he do poo up to 3 time sometimes 4time because he is big he do eat very well and at the same time vomiting so I started giving him ORS and zinc. Now it’s up to 4day the watery stool and vomiting had not stop and he is also having high temperature with it. Have also given him antimalarial which he completed yesterday and he will be completing the dosage for the Amoxicillin today but still their has been a little change like the watery stool has reduced to 2wce daily and for the vomiting it has reduced to not vomiting all but little but the high temperature is still there. so when I called a friend of mine that she is a pharmacist this morning she told me to give him flagyl but I disagreed and decide to check online then i saw your post.please what should I do next.
You need to take the child back to the doctor since he is still having fever. For questions requiring immediate answers, always post on our Facebook Group! All the best!
Thanks doc…when I gave birth to my baby of 12 weeks old,I wasn’t lactating so it was Nan 1 that he ate for a month plus then I stopped it and started exclusive breastfeeding for him but ever since I started he poops immediately after breastfeeding and this has been going on for about 6weeks now…I honestly don’t know if it is normal it not although I don’t think the poops are watering bt it is frequent… thanks you ma!
That is perfectly normal and there is no need to worry. Keep breastfeeding exclusively.
Thank you Dr u just save my day! My 6months old baby ve been stooling for days now, and its watery. Though he sucks a lot but after sucking he stools and its giving me concern! I gave him ORS and a tablet of zinc but his reaction was as if the zinc wants to chock him so I discontinue! After reading ur post I had to force him to take zinc hope it will help to reduce the watery stooling? Plz help a first time mom
Thank you Helen. Yes, your baby should be fine! All the best. Please take note of when to take the child to the hospital!
Hello Doctor, just finished reading your write up on diarrhea. Thanks for the informative post. Please my daughter will clock 3months on 17th of January,sje is exclusively breastfed and has never had a case of diarrhea but since a week now,she has been drooling much and putting her hands in her mouth from time to time. She is currently undergoing treatment for bronchial asthma and Augmentin is among the drugs given. Just this afternoon,dhe stRted passing watery stool dat sink totally into the diaper and she’s done that three times between 12pm and 8pm. Now to my questions, fo I stop the Augmentin for her? Can she take zinc or ORS? Could the diarrhea be as a result of the hands put into the mouth always
Really Bronchial Asthma at 3 months? Sounds too far-fetched? Do you mean bronchiolitis? Augumentin have side effects of watery stools! You should not give ORS and oral Zinc. Kindly see the Paediatrician or whoever is treating your child with the Augumentin about your concerns first. I am not sure your child needs the antibiotics in the first place. The drooling is common in babies who are about to start cutting their teeth and is nothing to worry about
Thank you Doc now I know what to do on my baby of a year and seven months who is suffering from acute diarrhoea, but I want to know I long is it suppose to last for the purging to stop?
It may take up to 10 – 14 days. Just keep giving the ORS and Oral Zinc and if you noticed any of the signs to take to the hospital, please do so immediately!
Hello ma,my baby was given amoxicillin clav two weeks ago in the hospital after complaining about a blocked nostrils.. but immediately i administered the antibiotics,the poo of my baby changed,smelly and seedlike nature and he stools about 3-4times daily…he sucks well,no temperature and very active as before but i got flagyl today and had administered it twice for him..and having read all what is here,i want to ask if the flagyl could be discontinue and what do you suggest ma?
Kindly STOP the flagyl and never abuse antibiotics. The loose stools is side effect of the amoxil antibiotics. If you have read the drug leaflet you would have known that this is a possible side effects of the antibiotics.
Good afternoon Dr, my daughter of 3 years started vomiting and stooling on Sunday which I commenced ors, zinc and antibiotics but it continued and on Tuesday the brother of 1year joined and I took them to see a pediatrician who prescribe another antibiotics (Marcfrx, ORS and Flora Norm) but the vomiting and stooling increased and they were taken to another Dr the next day who gave then drip and IV antibiotics which they taken for 3 doses but my concern is that the vomiting and loose stool is still much and am getting confused plus the duration it has taken too. What should I do or that I’ve missed out. Thank you ma
Hi Nnenna….I understand your concern but it is good that you are already with the Paediatrician at the hospital. I am sure they are doing the right thing and your babies will be fine. Please be patient with them. Subsequently always ask urgent questions on our Ask The Paediatricians Facebook group
Thank you Doc for this information. Please can i give my baby Flora norm (saccharomyces). He has diarrhea for two days now.
I will not recommend that at this stage. We usually reserve that for chronic diarrhoea
Pls ma if my six month old baby is having diarrhoea can i give both zinc supplement and ORS
Yes….please read the article for DETAILED information
Good eveninv doc
My baby has been drooling for a week now and it’s watery stool.it start 2 weeks ago I took him to the hospital he was given flagyl and zinc but still no improvement so i have him combantrin one tablet because he is one year and 2 weeks old and hasnt be dewormed.the watery stool stopped after i gave him it became pasty. He started 3days later again.i am confused and heart broken. Each time he eats the next time is he starts pooing. Please help doc what can I do to help I’m so worried
Stooling I guess you meant? Flagyl is inappropriate – please read the article first. You need to know why your child is having frequent diarrhoea first? could it be food allergy or intolerance? Could it be hygiene related or methods of food preparation and storage? Kindly see a doctor for further evaluation along this line.
Good evening doc, please my baby of 7months and 3weeks is teething and also stooling, her stool is greenish in colour. She was feeling feverish on Thursday and she couldn’t sleep because of the fever and she also cried all through the night so I took her to hospital and doc prescribed Augmentin,coartem,Nose,paracetamol, ORS,Zinc and she was also given two injection that same day. My fear was since she started taken the Augmentin the watery stool has increased to something else and she doesn’t eat any food even breaks milk…..please doc help me because my baby is very weak and the stooling is becoming much.
Hi Cynthia. We always say teething does not cause diarrhoea. That is a myth!! A child who has fever and diarrhoea is sick not because of teething and it is good that you take her to see a doctor at the hospital. Augumentin has side effects of worsening diarrhoea. From what you just said, this baby is having complications of dehydration from the diarrhoea hence the weakness and also couple with not eating; not sure the child is even taking the ORS. So kindly take the child back to the hospital immediately as they need to admit the child and commence on intravenous fluids to rehydrate. Please treat as very urgent!
Pls ma I noticed my baby 1year and two months stool mucus and smelling poo and vomit every month and she did not eat well . very skinny loose weight every time instead of adding. Still on breastmilk.Please ma help me what can I do.
You should take her to see a doctor preferably a Paediatrician immediately to avoid malnutrition if not already present. The child should be on other food apart from breastfeeding.
Hello Dr I have twin boys that are 3 and ¹/² months old we are on breast milk and nan 1 but have being stooling yellowish watery stool with melonlike look and have no appetite for nan 1 again though I have placed them on ors and abidec multivitamin. Pls whatelse should k do thanks ma
You may want to keep them on breast milk only if you are lactating well. You can exclusively breastfeed twins and also maintain good hygiene especially handwashing. Bottle feeding is high risk for diarrhoea. Ensure you sterilise and don’t give leftover rewarmed milk but best to exclusively breastfeed.
Hello ma,My 4 months old baby has been passing a kinda greenish seedlike stool for 14 days now, She does it like 3-4 times daily so i took her to the hospital and complained to my doctor who recommended zinc and albegyl but the stooling continued (not watery tho) i called him again to give him update and he recommended flagyl but still the same thing…Don’t know what to do. She is on EBF and she is sucking well and playing.
This is normal in babies on breast milk and your baby does not need all those antibiotics so please stop them. The greenish colour may be from the food you eat or it may be a sign of inadequate feeding (what we called starvation stools). So please keep breastfeeding and ensure that the baby empties one breast first before switching to another.
Hello Doc; I have a 3months old who is both breastfed and formula fed. He started passing watery stool 2days ago. Please what can I give him?
Nothing….STOP formula feeding and just breastfeed exclusively. Formula feeding especially via bottle is the reason for the diarrhoea.
Thanks for this piece doc. My 1 year 5months son has been passing a greenish Mucus stool with little blood for 4 days now and I’ve been giving him ORS but it still did not stop. I’m worried MA, pls what do I do next.
That is dysentery and as stated in the article, the child will need antibiotics so kindly take him to the hospital for treatment by your doctor.
Thank you for the information doc. Pls ma my baby of 6month and 3day have been passaging light green melon like watery stool for the past 3days, the frequency is increasing everyday and after sucking. She was given ORS and zinc tablet in the hospital which but she vomit it .cefuroxime suspension was given to us today, she has only take the first dose but no changes.what should I do pls help a worry mum.she is active and sucking well and the stooling is after she suck.she is not take any food expect breast milk although water she as been introduced to her when she is 5month 3weeks.thank you ma .
She does not need all those medications as what you described is normal stools in a baby on EBF. The greenish part is that of inadequate breastfeeding. Perhaps the water you are giving is diluting the breast milk further as breast milk is 80% water already. Just keep breastfeeding and also introduce complimentary feeding now that your baby is 6 months. For details on how to go about it, visit our Facebook group Ask The Paediatricians and do the UNIT course on Complimentary feeding in our UNITS session. You can also read this article here INFANT FEEDING IN THE FIRST 1000 DAYS
Hello Doc thanks for your write up . My son 1year and 7 month has been stooling for days I already administer flagyl n anti zinc today before I saw the write up. But as at this evening the bombom is red and it is paining him seriously the penis is red like irritation around the region . I don’t know wot to do pls help me . Washing the bombom he is crying wearing pampers he is crying
This is more than diarrhoea. There is infection going on around the private areas that will require treatment with most likely antifungal and/or antibiotics. You really need to take him to the hospital for the medications prescription by your doctors. You can continue ORS and oral Zinc for the diarrrhoea but the infection around the bum needs more treatment
Pls ma my baby has been running stool for three times in a day since two month ago and we have use different drugs but is still the same pls ma what can i do bcos is making me sick and my baby is not gaining weight as I want, he his 4month and 2weeks.
Please take him to the hospital and stop all self medications. Your baby should be on exclusive breastfeeding and this will protect your baby against diarrhoea and I hope you are not mistaking the soft semi-formed stools of newborns with diarrhoea as well. Please see a Paediatrician for further evaluation and management
My 3 month old baby has diarrhoea and the the pharmacist I met gave me floranorm and ORS.
Are you sure it is diarrhoea? It is rare for babies on exclusive breastfeeding to have diarrhoea except you are giving formula with bottle which has risk of contamination. Please stop formula and breastfeed exclusively. Pay attention to hygiene and wash your hands regularly as well. If your baby is not better please see a Paediatrician
Ma, my daughter of 2months plus has been stooling for 4days now. I have been to health centre and also have gone to see my paediatrician. Was told to use ORS and Zinc Sulphate which I have. But she doesn’t like to drink the ORS. The stooling is now very watery unlike before. Am really worried. She has been on formula from birth due to some reasons. What should I do now?
Take her to the hospital since she is not taking the ORS so she can be placed on intravenous fluids (drip) so as to avoid her developing dehydration. Kindly do it as urgent. It is clearly stated in the section on when to go to the hospital.
God bless u Doc, pls i noticed whenever i eat egusi soup i will stool watery feaces and my baby will also have watery stool. should i stop eating such? can wat i eat cause diarrhoea fo my baby?
Well it could be food allergy or intolerance. You can stop and see if it makes any difference
Good Morning Doc. You can see am not sleeping as a result of my 2 year old son. He started stooling at about 5 am on Friday. We introduced flagy and ORS during the day. He has stool for about 5 time and not much stooling. Just small small stooling like that but watering and we introduced Zinc at about 5 pm same day. He is still stooling and crying each time he want to stool. We observed he feels pains on his anus. What do I do at this point in time. Should I stop the flagy? And continue with the ORS and Zinc.
STOP the flagyl and continue with the ORS a d oral Zinc. Kindly take him to see a doctor for further evaluation in view of the pain he is having in the anus.
Thanks Doctor for this information. I was worried about my 2 years old who has been vomiting all evening and was trying to get solution since its late at night and I stumbled on this million dollar info here. I know far better now. I was already guilty of some of the DON’T s. Thank You so very much .
Thank you for this awesome feedback. I’m happy you found it very helpful. Are you aware we also have our mobile app now? DOWNLOAD OUR FREE ATP MOBILE APP
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Thank you doctor,I was worried Abt my 7month 3weeks baby has been stooling for 10days now .I Ave been given him zinc and ors and d doctor administer amoxil ,lonart dispersal and paracetamol anyway d stooling had reduced but am still worried .pls help God bless u ma/ sir
Just be patient. I am not sure why the antibiotics though as it can make the diarrhoea worse. Diarrhoea in children are mostly viral and do not require antibiotics.
Good morning doc, thank you for this information. My 13months old child stool for like 5 times a day and always feel like vomiting whenever you want to give him food but he will not vomit. He will finish the food without vomiting itI started giving him ors but he’s taking it small small. He takes the zinc and flora norm without vomiting them. but the watery poo continue. Am worried pls help me
Just keep giving the ORS. If the diarrhoea has not stopped in 10 days; then see a doctor. It is also important to maintain hygiene especially washing hands with soap and water and also ensure the food hygiene is good as well. Do not feed via bottle and do not give left over foods.
GoodDay ma, I just came across your post today and it has been very informative. This is my first child, and he is 2 months old now. At his two weeks, he started passing out foamy stool with melon-like seeds, I went to the health center the nurse said it could be Jedi Jedi and that only herbal mixture could cure it. I started giving him the herbal mixture for two weeks now, the his stool sometimes would look greenish, it is watery and contains mucus. I had to stop giving the herbal, meanwhile I am on exclusive breast feeding. He stools when he sucks. What should I do ma. Should I discontinue EBF? Is he having diarrhea? Pls what should I do he is just 2 months old. Thanks
Melon-like stools is normal for babies on exclusive breastfeeding.Kindly STOP the herbal mixture. You should just keep breastfeeding excllusively
Good morning Dr,God will continue to bless you for all your good work.
My baby of 2 years is passing out watery stool, mucus and bloody stain Since Friday, I gave her zinc and flagyl she didn’t take the ORs I did for her.On Since sunday she has bèen on augmentin and I stopped the flagyl ,but this early hour she was grunting and holding her stomach as if she’s having constipation again.And her stool is not watery again but still have bloody stain.What cause grunting or stomach pain in dysentery?
You really need to take her to the hospital for further evaluation preferably by a Paediatrician.
Hello Doc, My 10 months old had sepsis, malaria with chronic diarrhea 3 weeks ago and was treated with injection at the hospital, the diarrhea and fever stopped, but now about 4 days ago the diarrhea started again with foul-smelling odour and I have been giving him ORS, Zinc and floranorm. What else can I give him again Doctor?
You really need to take him back to the hospital for follow up review with your doctor
Gud evening doc,pls my girl of 3 years having been stoolingfor about 10 days a nurse ask me to give her nah flagy amoxicillin and ors bt d stool didn’t stop complain again and d ask me to stop the amoxicillin and continue with d flagy and ors but didn’t stop again so I called a pharmacy friend and she said I should buy augmentin bt I started to give her zinc yesterday nice with ors bt d purging has not stop nt watering again bt soft somehow den I came on line to check if I can give augmentin again bt presently I give her flagy ors and zinc thanks ma
When a child has diarrhoea; please do not give antibiotics and don’t do self medications. STOP all antibiotics and give just ORS and oral ZInc. The diarrhoea will stop not necessarily immediately. The most important thing is to keep giving the ORS and replacing the fluid the child is losing. What kills is not the watery stools but dehydration. I really encourage you to read this article in full as I have explained what and what not to do in a child who has diarrhoea. There is also the section on when to take to the hospitals.
Hi Dr. Good evening… My daughter started stooling yesterday been on Thursday n I administered ORS almost immediately. I had to take her to the hospital today because she was getting weak and I was getting scared too. And the paediatrican prescribed Miraxim, zinc, flora Norm and ORS. And when ever I give her the drugs she throws up but she’s taking the ORS and the stooling has reduced.
Kindly continue the ORS and then see your paediatrician if the vomiting persisted
Thanks for the help you render to us mothers.
Please my baby is 11 weeks 5 days. I noticed that he passed watery stool (sinks completely), very little this afternoon and in the evening and he cries and stretches his leg. Although he passed normal stool this morning like every other day. Please could it be diarrhea, if yes, please what should I do. And if not, what could it be? He is active, eats well and his tummy is soft and not distended. We are on EBF.
Also can what I eat cause diarrhea for my baby?
That is not diarrhoea. Keep breastfeeding exclusively and avoid giving water or drugs or taking any yourself that can affect the stools of your baby.
Thanks doc, i feel so much pain while reading this cos i lost my daughter of 10months 2yrs ago due to ingorant of this.thanks so much for the infor
Awww Blessing…I am so sorry for your loss. I am happy you have learnt how to do things better next time. Stick with ATP and you can also download our mobile app and/or join our Facebook community to ask questions directly to our doctors
Am guilty of so many don’t here thanks for this wonder information I will do better of my 15 month old baby with this information
That’s great Monica!
Very helpful information, thanks .
You are welcome
My son of 4month 3weeks has been Stooling, sometimes yellow seedy mucus. Sometimes greenish. Sometimes urine like stool. For 3days. I went to the hospital, and test was run and it said no infection or malaria. And he his running temperature. The doctor gave us antibiotics and Lonart and ors. The stool has not stopped. Am worried. His on ebf
Greenish stools is suggestive of starvation or inadequate feeding. You just need to keep breastfeeding exclusively…Make sure you breastfeed on demand.
Gud day doc my frd baby have be pooing watering poo since four days now,and sometimes when ever she feed her,d baby will vommit ,,she went to clinic they gave her zinc,ors, flagyi ,anti diarrhea mixed,,amoxillin,,
We don’t recommend use of antibiotics for diarrhoea in children. The flagyl can contribute to the vomiting. Continue to give the ORS and oral Zinc. It may take up to 2 weeks for the diarrhoea to resolve completely
Morning doc,,my baby is 7months ,+she poo more than 5times aday and d poo is watering and sometimes when I feed her she will vommit d food,,I went to pharmacy they gave me zinc,,ors and anti diarrhea mixed and antibiotics ,,there were little blood in d poo before,,but since I start giving her d drugs,,there is not blood in d poo again,,but d poo is still watering and he drinks alot of water while eating ,,pls wat should I do
Just continue and complete the treatment. Diarrhoea may last up to 14 days before it stops completely. Also pay attention to hygiene – wash your hands and ensure that the child’s food preparation is hygienic not using bottles or giving left over food.
Good day doctor, I have a 4weeks old baby, she has been stooling watery yellowish stool that sinks into the diaper but has no smell, it started since she was 2 weeks till now, she poos up to 5-6 times a day, and she has been on exclusive breastfeeding right from birth, she has never tasted water and drugs. please ma I’m worrie,d thanks.
That sounds like normal stools in newborn to me rather than diarrhoea. Keep breastfeeding exclusively and pay attention to anything you are eating yourself and any medications you are taking that could affect the baby’s stools.
pls my baby of 4months is stooling going to two weeks now, yellow like melon she is on EBF buh ido give her water once in two weeks.what can I do pls
Please stop giving water; that is not EBF. Don’t give water at all. The baby does not need extra water as 80% of breast milk is already water o! The stools is normal for babies on breast milk.
Thank you doctor for your care and love for infants.
Please my baby has been passing out greenish watery poo that sink into the diaper. It started the midnight to Sunday and the poo that time was partly solid but still have water, then it became totally green and watery. He refused food through out Sunday but later in the evening he took rice, he also drinks alot of water, he seems not very active as he use to be. Do I need to go to the hospital or get ors and zinc first? He breastfeed very well. He is 8 months and 3 weeks old. Thanks
I will appreciate it if you can send the reply to my mail ma. Thanks
Greenish stools are due to inadequate feeding or what is called starvation stools. You can give ORS and oral Zinc first for the diarrhoea but more importantly you need to feed the baby. Breast milk is no longer sufficient for an 8 months old baby. I think you should get notification via email of this answer. However for fastest response to your question, kindly post on our ATP Facebook group from Mondays to Saturdays 24 hours service.
Good day doc,pls my 4month+baby is stooling going two weeks now,and she is on Ebf ,but ido give water at times pls can I give her zin and ors .cox I think she is loosing small small weight.thanks
If you give water your baby is not on EBF and that may explain why your baby is having diarrhoea and losing weight. Kindly breastfeed exclusively – NO WATER and nothing – just breast milk only. It will protect your baby against the diarrhoea and weight loss. DO the right thing to enjoy the full benefits of breastfeeding!
Good afternoon doctor, my baby will be one year next month. He started stooling like 4 to 5 times in a day and it is watery since Monday i bought zinc tab on wednesday, I also prepared ORS for him on Friday but there is no any improvement. What should i do ma?
The article contains the list of criteria for taking the baby to the hospital. If your baby is not dehydrated and is drinking the ORS, simply continue. The diarrhoea will eventually stop. The most important thing is that the child is not dehydrated. If that should happen; please take him to the hospital. For faster response; please post on our Facebook group ATP Facebook group
Thanks for you good work Doctor.please you said we should stick to ORS and Zinc for the treatment of diarrhea,what if the baby is persistently stooling despite the admistration of ORS and Zinc for two days.thanks Doc.
The article has the section on when to go to the hospital…..If the baby is still tolerating the ORS and not vomiting; keep giving ORS and oral Zinc. If the baby is dehydrated, vomiting, not tolerating ORS or has blood in the stools that is when you should go to the hospital. It may take up to 10 days for acute diarrhoea to resolve.
Good evening Ma. Thanks a million for this thoughtful information. God bless you Ma.
My baby of 4 months and 3 weeks old poops while I’m breastfeeding or immediately after breastfeeding him. The poop is greenish with seeds and a bit slimy. It’s been over a week now. He feeds well, and sleeps well, though I gave him ORS on Saturday evening up until Sunday afternoon but no improvement. What else should I do?
There is no need to give ORS for this as this is not diarrhoea. Indeed your ORS water is diluting the breast milk further and making the baby not to be getting adequate calories. Greenish stools are more likely from inadequate feeding. Please breastfeed baby exclusively and ensure that your baby empties one breast before switching to the next so the baby can take both the fore and hind milk.
Good evening Ma. Thanks you for this thoughtful information. God bless you Ma.
My baby of 3 months old poops while I’m breastfeeding or immediately after breastfeeding her. The poop is greenish with seeds and a bit slimy. It’s been over a week now. She feeds well, and sleeps well, I was told to boil red flower for her to drink the water but no improvement. I was told she has what is called “kurga” in Hausa . Please what else should I do?
Please don’t!! Just keep breastfeeding exclusively and ensure that the baby empties one breast before switching to another. Please do not give water and ensure that you pay attention to anything you are eating or drugs you are taking that could be passing via you to the baby. Please do not give water or any drugs including herbs to the baby.
What about Flora norm? Can I give my 16 months old Flora norm,he’s pooped watery stool 8 tomrd today?
No unless your doctor prescribed the floranom…Give ORS and oral Zinc.
My 15 months old have been passing watery stools for 7 days now, kept giving zinc and ors but no improvement. Antibiotics was prescribed but Dr. Gbemi’s warning on avoiding antibiotics for children kept ringing in my head.
I just kept giving ors and zinc, it’s the 9th day now and the stooling has seized.
Now I have learnt never to use flagyl for diarrhea, to continue the zinc even when the stooling has seized and when to see a doctor. This was quite insightful.
Thank you so much for this amazing feedback. Keep reading other articles and keep learning.
Good day Doc.
Thanks so much for this ma!
My girl of 9years has poo for like 5 times today, watery poo. Some months ago the twins sister complained of having stomach upset and the next thing is watery poo, I took her to the hospital then, the doctor gave her some drugs, Zinc and flaggyl was part of the drug given to her. So when she started her own today I gave her Zinc and flaggyl, as she has poo like 5times today. It was after given her the drug that I checked online now and I saw your article that Zinc and flaggyl should not be combined. Please ma, what should I do?
Please note, she is very active and eating very well she only has running nose and the mucor coming out is very thick and yellowish.
Kindly advice on what to do ma, God bless.
Kindly STOP the flagyl. You should only use antibiotics if there is blood in the stools and prescribed by a doctor. Give ORS and oral Zinc only for diarrhoea. If you need answers that are fast to ongoing health issues; please ask in our Facebook group or download ATP mobile app and post there.
Good evening ma,my baby of 23 months have been passing mucus/mucus like stool since yesterday. The pharmacist gave us Diastop,which was one of the drugs you warned against in the write up. I’ve been giving her Zinc since yesterday she refused the ORS I prepared for her but she is taking enough fluid and she’s not weak, please ma what do you advise ma?
Keep giving the ORS (a little sip at a time) and the oral Zinc. There is no need to worry. The diarrhoea will eventually stop. It is good that you are not using the Diastop. Well done!
Good evening Doc, your writeup has been very help and insightful, well done.
Please my baby is 7 months 3weeks old, she started watery stool a week ago. She stool 5times a day, no running temperature, she plays well. I am a first time parent and I was told its teething. Pls kindly advice.
Also she hardly eats normal food except custard mixed with turn-brown. Please if u have any writeup on babies who dont, kindly share
Teething does not make a child have diarrhoea. You can give ORS and oral Zinc for the diarrhoea and make sure you pay attention to hygiene. For more information, kindly read about infant feeding here
It’s hard to say
To say what? Please ask a complete question.
Good evening ma,
Thanks for the article. My baby of 4 months has been passing out yellowish watery stool (each watery stool is not much) since two days now. The stool sinks into the diaper with just little particules left on the diaper,he’s on EBF. Can I give him ORS Ma?
N.B: Presently, I’m on high BP drug, though the watery stool is 3 times in a day.
I think you should continue exclusive breastfeeding and see your doctor and read about the effects of the medications you are using on the stools. There is no need to give ORS.
Doctor I appreciate your info my baby is 2yrs and 5months his is stoolling for 2days kw yellowish with seed I gave him flagyl and tetracycline.his temperature is normal he drinks alot of water eat well and touch his teeth most time since he started stoolling my worry is how to stop the stoolling pls what will I give him tanks
Please STOP the drugs, You should NEVER give tetracycline to children as it is going to stain the teeth permanently brown. Please the read the article to the end if you have not. You don’t need to stop the stools if watery. It will stop by itself…What you need to do is give ORS and oral Zinc only.
Good afternoon Dr. My baby 3 month she started stooling four days ago anytime I breastfeed her she will it out, greenish with watering I have given her zink tab and floranorm
A 3 month old on exclusive breastfeeding should not be having diarrhoea. You should breastfeed your baby and do not give water; just breast milk only. You should also breastfeed on demand as greenish stools is a reflection of inadequate feeding.
My baby has been purging ND vomiting since last Monday I didn’t use anything so on Friday it’s ws very serious so I took her to clinic d doctor gave her injection nd medicine p alaxin diastop ND amoxicillin den also gav us ORS ND injection to stop the vomit but I notice her Tommy is big without eating ND it sounds ND she takes to much water pls ma help me d poo is too much she has loose weight
You should take your daughter to a hospital with a Paediatrician. There are some wrong approach in the treatment the child was given. We don’t recommend use of diastop in treatment of children with diarrhoea. Please READ the article and since your child is vomiting, the most appropriate thing is to admit and rehydrate the child and correct any electrolytes which may be responsible for the abdominal distension eg low potassium. You can go to government hospitals with a Paediatrician eg general or teaching hospitals.
Thank you so much doc
My 7 months old has been passing watery stools since on Monday, we took her to the hospital, she was tested and infection was confirmed. we were given ORS, zinc tablet, loxagyl & one other antibiotics suspension to take but uptil today being Friday, the watery stool has not stopped, do we need to take her back to the hospital or wait till she finishes her medications?
Thank you
You should take back to the hospital. For fast questions and answers, please post on our Facebook group.
My 5years old is vomiting like 3times within an hour. Pls can I give him Exeline Electrolyte and floraNorms.
You can but if he keeps vomiting then take him to the hospital.
Well done for all the good work ma.
My baby of a year,one month had low grade fever and diarrhea,he was admitted due to dehydration,though a test was run with his blood and poo which I was told there’s no sign of infection.
The doctor said it’s viral diarrhea and will stop on its own.
Before we got discharged the poo has thickened and he’s already playing but up till now he still poo like 5 to 6 times a day which mostly happen after eating ,and sometimes watery, he’s playing well but my fear is ,is this normal as today is the 16th day the diarrhea started.
The diarrhea started shortly after I weaned him,does this has to do with the weaning ma?
As long as the poo is not watery, there is no need to worry. Make sure you are also maintaining good hygiene as well when preparing your baby’s food and don’t bottle feed complementary feeding.
Pls doctor my baby of a 6weeks passes a a yellow stool missed with a very light green and a jelly/slippery particles,sometimes a bit foamy.is it a cause for alarm?
It is not. Keep breastfeeding exclusively
Good day doctor,
My 7months old baby is pooing 6-7 times a day, it is sometimes mouldy, mouldy with transparent jelly like, transparent yellow. He is supper active, and eating very well. He always poo immediately after a meal. What could be the cause?
It is not clear what you meant by mouldy stools. It is better if you see a doctor for further evaluation. The stools may be a reflection of what the child is being fed with. There is nothing wrong with baby passing stools after feed as long as the stools are not watery.
Good day Doctor,
Your article was really helpful, but I have some concerns kindly assist.
My baby had blood transfusion a month ago, upon discharge he was administered oral antibiotics and since then his poo has been watery sometimes slimy and more frequent like 4 to 5 times daily.
I administered 0.5mg of flagyl once, hope this will not have any effect on him. He is 3months old, and on EBF.
Thanks
Please STOP the flagyl. Avoid self medication and continue breastfeeding only. The antibiotics given may have side effects of diarrhoea and may be responsible for the loose stools. Once the medications have stopped; the diarrhoea will stop by itself.
Thank you very much for this article. Was about to administer Flagyl before deciding to research using Nigerian cases as a reference.
So helpful.
God bless you doc and the ATP team.
You are welcome. Please reading our articles and for fast response to questions; join our Facebook group where you can ask your questions Monday to Saturdays and get answers within 72 hours
Good day Doc, I must applaud your efforts in doing this and responding to every concern. Thank you.
My 4 year old son is very picky with food. However he loves some particular food especially jollof rice. He had some at a friends place with some juice at about 4.30pm. Few hours later he threw up the rice from his sleep around 6pm, I rinsed his face and mouth. After a while around 8pm he passed watery stool once. Tried to make him eat bread and just water but he didn’t eat it. He just took little water. While he was asleep at night. He woke up and complained of stomach pain. I gave him calpol 10ml and tried to make him eat the bread but he still didn’t and took just water and went back to bed. I know it was food intolerance probably the way the meal was prepared or something related to hygiene. He has a level of food intolerance. Is there any need to give ors and zinc, since the throwing up and stooling happened just once? What kind of meal do I give him following this occurrence, as he will be off to school this morning.
Thank you.
Yes you can give ORS. He probably has indigestion or food poisoning.
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Thanks doc for this info. It really helped me.
Please doc my baby of 4 months have been passing frequent yellowish poo like 4 times daily expecially after each feed. It stops after some times and comes back after awhile. Today I noticed that it changed to greenish/melon like. I have given him ors. But then I want to know the reasons for the repeated diarrhea. Can the food I take after his? And then can immunization (rota). Permently stop this condition ma.
There is no need to give ORS for yellowish stool in a baby on breast milk. It is NOT diarrhoea. That is normal stools for babies on breast milk. Just keep breastfeeding exclusively. You need to know what is normal or abnormal first.
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Thank you so much doctor, God bless you so much for the good work u are doing. I noticed that my 5 weeks old baby has been pooing 3 or 4 times a day for some days now. The poo is yellowish in colour, watery, it’s melon-like and has mucus or catarrh in it. She use to feel stomach pain, the stomach will be making sound which always make her cry and make her not to sleep well. Please doctor I don’t know what to do, help me ma.
NOTE: she didn’t reduce weight and she is feeding well.
She is also taking NAN 1 because breast milk is not satisfying her. But I use to give her breast milk more than the formula.
That sounds like colic. There is nothing wrong with the baby passing stools 4 times a day. The bottle feeding may explain the watery and mucus in stools. I encourage you to breastfeed your baby exclusively and on demand to avoid the watery stools.
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Pls Dr. can I use Flagyl syrup 200mg to treat Jedi jedi and how many ml (Dosage)will I give a 3months baby
Do not give your child any antibiotics that have not been prescribed by a doctor. I am not sure what symptoms your 3 months old has that you are calling Jedijedi since people use the words for several unrelated issues locally. Keep breastfeeding your 3 month old baby with breast milk only (exclusive breastfeeding) and see a doctor for proper evaluation of any other symptoms the baby has
Please ma my 7 months baby was finding difficult to pool because of the hard stool so I started giving her watermelon right now she started stooling what can I do to stop it
There is no problem. If you meant diarrhoea ie pasing watery stools, give ORS. You should ensure you pay attention to hygiene especially hand washing. Your 7 months old should be on complementary feeding and make sure you are still breastfeeding as much as possible. Do not bottle feed cereals. Kindly go to the article on infant feeding to be sure you are doing complementary feeding apropriately. Read more here Complementary Feeding – Practical Tips for Parents and here INFANT FEEDING 1000 DAYS – PODCAST
Good evening ma. God bless you for all you do. My 5 months old baby had pooped green for three days. I went to the health center, and was given Amoxicillin and Mopzole syrup. Can I give my baby the drugs since am doing exclusive for him. ( Just breast milk). Thank you ma
These drugs are unnecessary. keep breastfeeding your baby exclusively and on demand.
There is definately a lot to know about this topic. I like all the points you’ve made.
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Great post.
Thank you. If you have any questions that need urgent answers, please post on our Ask The Paediatricians Facebook group here