Chronic Diarrhea: How to Care for Your Infant

Diarrhea is poop that's loose, watery, or frequent. When diarrhea lasts more than a few weeks, it's called chronic diarrhea. Kids who have chronic diarrhea can lose too much water (get dehydrated). Offer your child plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.

Make sure your baby drinks enough.

• Offer more breast milk or formula than usual.

• Don't offer plain water. It doesn't have the right nutrients for your baby.

• Don't give juice, soda, or sports drinks, which have too much sugar for babies and can make diarrhea worse.

• Give oral rehydration solution if recommended by your health care provider. Oral rehydration solution is a special liquid with the right amounts of water, sugar, and salt for babies and kids. Brand names include Pedialyte® and Enfalyte®, and many stores also have a store brand. You can buy it at drugstores or supermarkets without a prescription.

  • For infants younger than 6 months old, use an unflavored oral rehydration solution.

  • Infants older than 6 months old may prefer a flavored solution.

• Never give medicines to treat diarrhea. These can cause sleep trouble, belly pain, or other problems in babies.

• Only change your baby's diet if told to do so by your health care provider. He or she may ask you to try a different formula or change your diet if you're breastfeeding.

Your baby:

• has diarrhea that continues or gets worse

• starts to vomit (throw up)

• is losing weight or is not gaining weight as expected

• has a fever

• has poop with streaks of blood or mucus in it

• has poop that looks black

• seems to be getting sicker

• becomes cranky or seems to be in pain

Your baby:

• has a lot of blood in the poop (not just streaks) or the amount of blood is increasing

• is very weak or pale

• appears dehydrated; signs include drowsiness, dry or sticky mouth, sunken eyes, crying with few or no tears, or having fewer wet diapers

What causes chronic diarrhea? Many things can cause chronic diarrhea, including:

• infections, because it can take several weeks for the intestines to heal after an infection

• too much of some kinds of foods or drinks, such as too much juice

• food allergies or intolerances, such as lactose intolerance

• problems with the digestive system