Question

A newborn is 21 days old and has been experiencing diarrhea for a week, with yellow-green watery stools. Regular checks show normal results. The inquiry is about the appropriate dosage of lactase for the newborn.

Answer

Diarrhea in infants may be caused by abdominal cold, intestinal dysfunction, or imbalanced flora. It can be tried to adjust with medications such as multi-enzyme tablets or Mamy Love. Generally, for infants of this age, taking one lactase tablet (0.15g per tablet) per dose is sufficient. Grind the tablet into powder and mix with warm water before giving it to the baby. Since early diarrhea may lead to mild dehydration, it is important to replenish the lost body fluids for the baby. Here are three methods of rehydration to choose from:

  1. Homemade sugar salt solution: Dissolve 10g of glucose or sugar and 2 to 5g of salt in 500ml of boiling water. Administer according to a ratio of 20 to 40ml per kilogram of body weight within 4 hours, and drink any remaining solution as needed.
  2. Salted rice soup: Add 2g of salt to 500ml of rice soup and let the baby drink it as water.
  3. Oral rehydration salts (ORS): Mix 3.5g of sodium chloride, 2.5g of sodium bicarbonate, 1.5g of potassium chloride, and 20g of anhydrous glucose with 1000ml of water. Please note that the above suggestions are for reference only. If the condition does not improve or other symptoms appear,