Question

My daughter is 4 months old, and she has been suffering from diarrhea since yesterday. I applied a bellyache patch to her last night. I’m not sure if it has any effect on her. This morning, she had diarrhea three times. I really don’t know what medicine to give her. Is there a better way to handle this?

Answer

There are two main reasons for diarrhea in infants: one is dyspepsia, primarily caused by improper diet and feeding. For example, overeating or feeding too much, too diverse, or hard-to-digest high-protein, high-fat, and rough foods, as well as consuming too many cold and raw foods, can lead to gastrointestinal dysfunction and trigger diarrhea. The second is gastrointestinal infection, such as contamination of food or feeding utensils with bacteria or viruses, causing gastrointestinal inflammation and leading to diarrhea. For your daughter’s diarrhea situation, here are some recommended measures:

  1. Provide adequate liquid intake; you can choose to give her some warm water, dilute salt water, or rice porridge.
  2. Avoid giving her high-fat, high-protein, and hard-to-digest foods; try to feed her easily digestible foods such as congee or thin rice porridge.
  3. Pay attention to keeping the indoor air circulating and maintaining a comfortable room temperature.
  4. Maintain hygiene; wash hands after feeding, regularly change bottles and nipples, and ensure the freshness and cleanliness of food.
  5. If the situation does not improve or symptoms worsen, please seek medical advice from a professional doctor promptly. Note: Applying a bellyache patch may not have a significant effect on her diarrhea. The main approach to dealing with infant diarrhea is still through adjusting diet and maintaining hygiene.