Question
My premature baby has recently started experiencing symptoms that have me worried. I’m concerned that they might become more serious. What causes infant diarrhea?
Answer
The most common causes of infant diarrhea include digestive disorders and gastroenteritis. When a child’s stool contains bubbles, it often indicates a digestive disorder. This is because there are more undigested food residues in the intestines, which are fermented by bacteria to produce gas. Additionally, crying for a long time can cause a child to swallow more air, which can also lead to bubbly stools. If the child also vomits, the vomit smells sour or contains undigested milk, or if the child has abdominal distension (where the abdomen is higher than the chest when lying flat), the stool may contain bubbles but is free of mucus or pus, and the stool is simply more frequent and still yellow or slightly greenish in consistency, then it is likely a digestive disorder. In such cases, feeding digestive water can help, as can adjusting the intestinal flora with Biogaarda or using Metamucil to stop diarrhea. If the child also vomits severely or vomits immediately after eating, or if there are brief periods of crying that can be relieved on their own, and the stool’s nature has significantly changed, appearing like scrambled egg soup or watery, or if there is mucus, then gastroenteritis is more likely. This condition requires immediate medical attention for a fecal examination to assist in diagnosis. If the child has diarrhea and continues to cry persistently while also showing signs of lethargy, and the stool is like ketchup in color, it may indicate intestinal intussusception. If the stool also has a very fishy smell, this could indicate a bowel perforation.