experts
Can
my baby stop sucking her thumb without using a pacifier?
My
daughter is 3 weeks old and nursing. For the last week she's had diarrhea.
Should I be worried?
Babies' stools go through many changes during the first eight weeks
or so. First are the days of slow, sticky, meconium stools, but by
the end of the first week, stooling speeds up and breastfed kids have
a stool every time they eat--or even more often. They average 8 to
10 soft, yellow, seedy stools.
Over the next three weeks, in breastfed kids, this
number usually starts to drop. By 4 weeks, the average is about four
soft stools a day, though there is quite a lot of variability in this.
At 8 weeks, the number drops to an average of only one a day and some
breastfed babies have only one every several days--up to once every
seven days or so can be normal.
If your baby is suffering from diarrhea, our biggest
concern is dehydration. We want to be sure that kids are getting in
plenty of fluid to replace what is lost, and then some. If you were
to notice yourself becoming engorged, or if you notice that your baby
is not making at least one wet diaper every eight hours or is suffering
from a fever, dry mouth, or dry mucous membranes, you want her to
be seen right away. Otherwise, this type of stooling could come from
developmental changes in the intestines or from a mild virus. It could
also be a reaction to a food in your diet (the most common of these
is to milk). Let your pediatrician know about the stools in a phone
call or at your baby's 1-month checkup.
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My daughter is
3 weeks old and nursing. For the last week she's had diarrhea. Should
I be worried?
Babies' stools go through many changes during the first eight weeks
or so. First are the days of slow, sticky, meconium stools, but by
the end of the first week, stooling speeds up and breastfed kids have
a stool every time they eat--or even more often. They average 8 to
10 soft, yellow, seedy stools.
Over the next three weeks, in breastfed kids, this
number usually starts to drop. By 4 weeks, the average is about four
soft stools a day, though there is quite a lot of variability in this.
At 8 weeks, the number drops to an average of only one a day and some
breastfed babies have only one every several days--up to once every
seven days or so can be normal.
If your baby is suffering from diarrhea, our biggest
concern is dehydration. We want to be sure that kids are getting in
plenty of fluid to replace what is lost, and then some. If you were
to notice yourself becoming engorged, or if you notice that your baby
is not making at least one wet diaper every eight hours or is suffering
from a fever, dry mouth, or dry mucous membranes, you want her to
be seen right away. Otherwise, this type of stooling could come from
developmental changes in the intestines or from a mild virus. It could
also be a reaction to a food in your diet (the most common of these
is to milk). Let your pediatrician know about the stools in a phone
call or at your baby's 1-month checkup.
Your
should know:
The
information on this Web site is designed for educational purposes
only. It is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical
advice or care. You should not use this information to diagnose
or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your
pediatrician or family doctor. Please consult a doctor with any
questions or concerns you might have regarding your or your child's
condition.
Rebornne Baby. American Baby
