It can sometimes be difficult to diagnose infant diarrhea in the first place. A normal bowel movement for an infant can look an awful lot like diarrhea for an adult. In addition, infants tend to have more frequent bowel movements than adults, especially in that first month or so after they are born. Still, you can tell if an infant has diarrhea if they suddenly have much more frequent bowel movements over a short period of time, and if they are also starting to have more than one bowel movement for each time they are fed. The most important thing to watch out for in terms of infant diarrhea, as with anyone who has diarrhea, is dehydration.

Dehydration occurs when not enough water is taken into the body to make up for the excessive water that is lost by the body, whether it is from Diarrhea or whether it is from something else, such as perspiration or vomiting. If your infant has diarrhea, you should watch for the signs of dehydration. These can include things like dry skin, less frequent urination, a lack of tears, and even sticky or dry gums.

If an infant has dehydration due to infant diarrhea, you should try to get the infant some fluids to replace what they lost. An infant who is becoming dehydrated due to diarrhea needs electrolytes, such as chloride, potassium, and sodium. There are many sources for electrolytes, such as fruit or vegetable juice, as well as several commercial drinks that are specifically designed for infants that contain electrolytes.

If your infant has diarrhea and dehydration, and the diarrhea does not seem to subside within a few days, you should speak with your health care provider. Your health care provider can help to diagnose the cause of the infant diarrhea and dehydration, and may be able to offer other ways or treatments to deal with the infant diarrhea and dehydration.

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