Question
A five-month-old baby, primarily breastfed, has been suffering from diarrhea for a month now, despite taking various medications. The baby’s mental state, appetite, and weight gain are stable, but the frequency of bowel movements is as high as 5 to 6 times a day, and the stools are gradually becoming thinner.
Answer
If the baby’s diet is mainly breast milk, it is recommended to continue breastfeeding and adjust the feeding method to increase the intake of foremilk, which is beneficial for absorbing more protein rather than fat. If the baby has started on complementary foods, choose mild, easy-to-digest, low-fat foods and adopt a small and frequent feeding pattern to reduce intake. In necessary cases, temporarily stop feeding complementary foods and switch to diarrhea-specific formula milk. Once the diarrhea symptoms subside, gradually resume normal diet.