Causes Of Diarrhea In Babies Aged 4 Months?

Hi Novietha Aiiyuee. Thank you for asking HealthReplies.com.

Diarrhea in babies can make parents feel anxious and confused, because the baby will feel uncomfortable and continue to cry. In addition, diarrhea in young babies tends to be more at risk of experiencing complications than diarrhea in adults. It must be understood that there is a difference in the consistency of feces (feces) and the frequency of defecation (BAB) between babies who consume breast milk and babies who drink formula milk. This is because the condition of the stool is a good indicator of whether a person is healthy or not. Stool consistency Breastfed babies are usually more liquid and have a soft texture and usually babies can defecate one to two times a day. Meanwhile, the feces of babies who consume formula milk have stools that are harder and more smelly and usually only defecate once a day. Babies experience diarrhea if there is a change in bowel movements much more often than usual with the characteristics of the stool that is more fluid and a lot of it.

Diarrhea in babies can be caused by the following factors:

Intestinal infections by bacteria, viruses (especially rotavirus), or parasites
Allergy to certain substances in food
Food poisoning
Lactose intolerance (insufficient production of the enzyme lactase, so that the lactose in milk cannot be digested)
Incompatible with certain formulas

You should do what has been recommended by the pediatrician who treats your baby, because the doctor takes care by considering what is best for your baby. What you need to pay attention to when your baby's diarrhea is if there are signs of dehydration, such as:

Dry skin, lips and tongue conditions
Looks thirsty with the characteristic of wanting to drink continuously
No tears when crying
Babies seem fussy, weepy and restless
The eyes and crown appear sunken
Reduced skin turgor / elasticity (if the skin is pinched it will keep wrinkled)
Urinating less frequently
Seizures occur when electrolyte deficiency occurs, especially in severe diarrhea

Some of these steps you can take to prevent diarrhea in your baby:

Wash your hands before preparing drinks or milk for your baby
Sterilize used baby bottles
Keep the room, bed and items around the baby clean
Keep giving milk to babies

Some of the principles below for dealing with diarrhea in infants:

Rehydration: immediately give drink to replace lost fluids
Ensure that the portion of milk given meets the baby's needs
The provision of anti-diarrheal drugs and antibiotics to young babies should be limited, because most cases of diarrhea will resolve on their own

If after changing the milk recommended by the doctor and your baby still has diarrhea, or if you want to change to another formula, take control back to the doctor to evaluate the treatment that has been given and consider further treatment. May be useful. Best regards, Dr. Shirly

Read the article below to add insight:

Treat diarrhea in babies
How to deal with cow's milk allergy in children