Diarrhea for eigth day

[JillM]

My baby is five and a half months and she is on her eigth day with diarrhea. She has seen the doctor and we have been syringing her a couple of times a day with dioralyte. The doctor doesn't seem to be very bothered and is being very blase about it, but I am getting very worried. Has anyone had it go on this long and should I push it with the doctor about it being more serious than just a bug? (she seems fine in herself apart from the diarrhea) Or am I blowing things out of proportion?!

bfed or formula, any solids, recent antibiotics?

may be having a problem - temp or permanent - with lactose, especially if she's had antibiotics/ you've changed type of feeding/ milk. So if breastfeeding you may need to avoid milk, if formula feeding ask you r doctor to prescribe a milk free one. Eight days is unusual but if she's fine in herself and not losing weight then not too much of a problem.

She is on soya formula as she takes an extremely bad reaction to cows milk. She was introduced to solids at five months, but nothing new in the couple of days before. She has started to loose weight.

What colour is the poo?

I hate to say this - but she could have developed an allergy to soy. Dr should prescribe another fomula for you.

What solids does she eat?

I never thought of that, it is yellow. It was very mucusy until we started to give her a little baby rice too. Now it is a little thicker, but still diarrhea. As for food, she had carrot, potato, sweet potato and butternut squash. She was only having veg once a day but the day before it all started she only had baby rice. She is going to see a dietician, but not until Feb to see about the cows milk thing.

be inclined to ask the doctor if I could try Pepti Junior. I know a family whose milk allergic baby is on that and they say its easier to get a baby to take it than to take neocate or nutramigen. Your baby could have developed an allergy to soya, its a common allergen.

8 days of runny stools would have me asking for new formula.

Potato is a member of the nightshade family and people can be allergic to potato - my ds was, but outgrew that one quite quick.

So in short, leave off potato, get new formula, if things improve it probably wasn't the potato and you can bring it back.

Oh and some probiotics will restore her gut bacteria quickly.

Don't think me stupid, but I really didn't think of her having developed an allergy to soya. I will speak to the doctor about trying something else. Are probiotics giving in addition to an alternative formula, or are they found in formula?

They are in some formulas - but to my knowledge not the special ones - which is a shame really as these are the babies that could really use them. They can be bought from a health food shop and mixed into cold food. You need to keep most brands in the fridge. Once the poo has settled down, some flax seed oil increases their efficacy, but it's not a good idea while she is still runny.

You are not silly for not thinking about it - but I think your doctor should have contemplated it as an issue.

I know with ds's allergies sometimes I am too close to see the extremely bloomin obvious.

Spoke to the doctor about a possible soya allergy yesterday and he dismissed it. I'll speak to my health visitor about it on Tuesday (and the probiotics - thanks for the advice!!). We are also taking up a sample to the hospital to test for an infection.

Hi JillM
My ds is lactose intolerant. He drinks soya milk now (soya formula when younger) If he has diarhea/vomiting (which was frequent when he was little) he couldnt tolerate even soya formula

I would suggest cutting out all milk (even soya) for three days and then gradually reintroduce it (possibly weakened)

We suffered weeks of disgusting smelly nappies so i sympathise - 3 days of no milk is obviously not going to be easy if thats what helps your little one to sleep - my ds was 13 months old when it first happened to us - im nervous about suggesting it cos your dd is so little

Doctors are blase about diarrhea ime
Most important to make sure she gets lots of water
Feel free to CAT me - this is something i have experienced a lot of!

HTH

Thanks busybusybee. Initially when I spoke to NHS Direct, their advice was to stop feeds for twenty four hours and then introduce watered down feeds. We did this but it hasn't really helped, it carried on. It only became alittle thicker when we gave her baby rice. However her most recent nappy was much watery. It's now been ten days. The health visitor and doctor both say to continue feeding her full feeds as she does have an appetite. Now I think we need to look at her soya (intolerance???).

the family with a child on pepti junior didn't get much help from their gp either - until they were in casualty with a severe reaction. Now they see a private allergy specialist. I'm afraid the average gp doesn't realise food intolerance can cause diarrhoea. Could she be getting lactose from anything? If so a bit of gripe water may help as it contains lactase, the enzyme that digests lactose.

If your gp flaty refuses to let you try a milk free formula than I'd ask for a referral to a paediatrician for a second opinion.

Probiotics are very good for diarrhoea in babies probably because they help digest lactose.