Diarrhea in a baby is something that requires swift action because your baby can easily dehydrate, especially if they are not yet on solids and are getting all their nutrients and liquids from milk. How do you know if your baby is dehydrated? there are a few telltale signs. Look out for the following: dry mouth, sunken eyes, abnormal depression of the fontanelle, irritability, lethargy and refusal to feed.
If you see these signs in your baby, you must treat her by giving as much fluid as you can. You can give either breast milk or formula (if your baby is not more than 6 months old). Water and soup are other alternatives for older babies.
There are also special fluids designed to replace water and salts lost during your baby's diarrhea. According to American Academy of Pediatrics, these fluids are very useful in home management of mild to fairly severe illnesses.
However, you should not prepare these fluids by yourself because you may make bad liquids for you baby, which of course can worsen her condition. You can easily get the fluids in nearby pharmacies.
When should you take your baby to a doctor?
You should take her see a doctor if these conditions below occur:
- You find blood in your baby's feces. This can be a sign of bacterial infection.
- There are changes in your baby's behavior, like she cries most of the time and you can't calm her down or she refuses to eat and drink.
- Your baby has a high fever, which is above 39°C.
Nonetheless, no need to be worried if:
- your baby acts normally as usual.
- your baby has no fever.
- your baby still wants to eat.
Generally, diarrhea recovers by itself without medicine. You just need to be patient and not to worry too much. Always observe your baby's condition and examine whether her feces get solid or not and whether there's blood in them.
The key is to keep give her as much fluid as you can. If she refuses, try to give the drink in small amount but do it frequently.
If you are unsure of whether your baby's diarrhea is serious enough to warrant a visit to your doctor but you think maybe it is. Go! Trust your intuition and don't hesitate. It is far better to be cautious in circumstances like this.
