What to Do About Newborns with Frequent Bowel Movements

Question

What’s going on with a newborn having frequent bowel movements?

Answer

Having more than ten bowel movements for a child is not normal and may indicate nausea and vomiting. You can use probiotics, lactase, and pepsin oral solutions to aid absorption, and you can also try probiotic preparations. You can use montmorillonite powder to stop diarrhea and protect the intestinal mucosa. If the child is breastfed, the mother should be mindful of her diet, avoiding extremely cold and cool foods, as well as fatty and hard-to-digest foods. If the child is formula-fed, you can give the child a period of nausea-inducing formula, and then switch back to regular formula once the child’s bowel movements return to normal.