8 month old severe diarrhea - unable to drink dioralite - any advise please????

[tweety2000]

hi,

I am in desperate situation. MY 7 month old DS is having a severe diarrhea and high fever (for the last 4 days fever). I have been to see my GP yesterday, he advised to stop breatfeeding and to give 4 sachets a day of dioralite (rehydrating fluid). I try hard to get him drink it, but he is having none of it. ( in total about 90 ml during entire day - including the spilled one)

In the end I went to A&E last night. The doctor there said keep on giving little sips of liquid to him about 1 ounce every 10 mins.
The only thing noone seems to tell how to give it hi. and when i try to say that he is not takig any bottle doctors do not seem to want tolisten me at all.
I tried to use syringe for it to. he is only stressed out from it, as I have to force it into him.
but i donot find that it is right. only i ended up having screaming baby who hates even the sight of syringe or any kind of bottle. before he would try to drink water from thhe cup, now he is so scared that even that he is avoing.
I do not know if i should call gp or go to A&E as I been to seee gp twice already and twice to a&e and not much luck.
please any advice would be welcome how to get him to drink as he is getting dehydrated now.

tweety so sorry to hear of your experience and that your son is sick

FWIW I am a GP (albeit with a slightly musy brain due to lack of sleep/maternal hormones etc) and most certainly NOT a bf expert (and have learnt lots through bf'ing my own ds) BUT i do think your gp is talking a whole load of rubbish. If your baby is dehydrated and is drowsy, and has reduced number of wet nappies then he needs fluid and lots of it, and breastmilk is perfect. Its much better than plain water, and yes in an ideal world he would take some diarolyte as well but if he doesn't take it then BM is great. I think your Gp is worried about lactose intolerance developing which can come with a gut infection, BUT currently he is dehydrated, febile and unwell and needs fluid NOW so bF is absolutely th righ thing to do. If when he gets over the infection he still has diarrhoea then that's the time to consider lactose intolerance.

as for the tests on how to look for dehydration - they are difficult to pick up to an untrained eye and sometime quite subtle so go with your gut feeling. if he is getting worse then get him checked out.

if you are concerned that he is becoming more unwell/drowsy/not peeing/rash is changing etc then take him back to a+e or call nhs direct. they shouldn't mind and if they do - sod them. he's your child and you know him best.

good luck!!! hopefully when i log on tomorrow he'll be much better.

sorry about the typos
mushy brain!

I, if no one else appreciate your wise words luvaduck, thank you.