Question
A six-month-old baby recently experiences diarrhea after breastfeeding, averaging four bowel movements a day, compared to one normal bowel movement per day. The mother has not consumed cold food, and the baby is not crying or showing discomfort. Past checks have not revealed any abnormal symptoms.
Answer
The causes of diarrhea in infants are diverse, with most cases related to pathological factors, such as bacterial or viral enteritis caused by ingestion of unclean food; or overeating, under-eating, improper introduction of complementary foods, weaning, sudden weather changes, and other factors that make the baby unable to adapt and lead to digestive dysfunction. In some cases, diarrhea may not be related to disease but rather due to the baby being in a state of hunger, which causes increased intestinal peristalsis and an increase in the number of bowel movements, possibly with mucus and froth, but with normal appetite and a weight lighter than that of same age children. The medical community believes that with the gradual increase in food intake, the frequency of bowel movements usually returns to normal.