Baby Formula Feed

There are many causes of diarrhea most of which have no specific treatment. Rotavirus which is one of the most common causes of acute gastroenteritis falls into this category. Infectious diarrheal disease or acute gastroenteritis is one of the most common illnesses in children or babies.

If your baby has being in diarrhea, the symptoms your baby may experience include fever, rash, vomiting for the first 24-48 hours, and non-bloody diarrhea that may last up to 14 days.

Rotavirus is a virus which infects the lining of the stomach and intestines destroying the cells which absorb the nutrients that we take in. The incubation period is two to four days and it is transmitted by picking it up from someone else (handshaking, drinking from an infected persons glass, playing with toys that are contaminated, etc). This virus is particularly hearty and can stay alive on an outside surface for several days.

Because there is no medication that can cure it, treating the symptoms is the mainstay of therapy. The main symptom to be concerned with is dehydration. The amount of fluid and salts lost in the diarrhea can be significant, thus both of these things must be replaced. To do this, I suggest doing three things:

• Remember treatment is not geared to make the diarrhea stop. Therefore, do not become distressed that the diarrhea has not gone away after a few days. It may last up to two weeks.

• Replace fluids with a substance that contains both water and salts. The best thing is to continue a regular diet, however, if vomiting is an issue,a simple salt containing solution should be started. These include pedialyte, ricelyte, etc. Substances like gatorade have salts, but they have a lot of sugar as well which can make the diarrhea worse. However, as a parent who has tried to get my children to take this salty fluid, I cantell you some children will absolutely refuse to take it. Therefore, you may have to compromise and use any liquid they will take.

• And finally, and this is the most important point. Getting your child back onto solid foods (or formula) again is the best way to treat the diarrhea. Initially, the vomiting will hold you back from advancing to the regular diet. But once this has subsided, you will be able to move on to foods again. This does two things. It provides the salts the body is lacking, but it also nourishes the cells that have been damaged by the virus. Study after study shows that feeding a regular diet as a soon as possible decreases the length of time the diarrhea lasts.

If a person in your family has unfortunately acquired this virus, the best thing you can do to keep other members from getting it is WASH YOUR HANDS.

Here are eight signs, provided by Dr. Moissidis, to help parents of infants identify a potential milk allergy.

1. Diarrhea
Diarrhea is common in babies, but if it is persistent (an average of two to four times a day for more than five to seven days) and/or if there is blood in the stool, it could signal a more serious milk allergy.

2. Vomiting
Babies often spit up bits of food, but vomiting beyond the typical mealtime regurgitation should be examined by a doctor. Reflux symptoms, such as spit-up and difficulty swallowing, can also be milk allergy symptoms.

3. Skin Rash
There are many causes for infant skin rashes like eczema. Milk allergy is one possible cause, especially if the rash occurs along with some of these other symptoms.

4. Extreme Fussiness
Every baby cries, but crying continuously and inconsolably for long periods of time is abnormal. When there is no apparent reason, this is usually called colic. Sometimes this extreme fussiness is actually caused by the gastrointestinal pain resulting from an allergy to the proteins found in milk.

5. Low or No Weight Gain
Most infants double their weight by six months and triple it by 12 months. But when babies are not getting the nutrition they need because of excessive diarrhea and vomiting, they are unable to grow like they should.

6. Gassiness
All babies have gas, but when it occurs along with several of these other symptoms, it can also signal an allergy to milk proteins.

7. Respiratory Problems
Colds are common for infants, but wheezing, struggling to breathe and developing excess mucus in the nose and throat is not. For some kids, these respiratory problems can be the baby’s reaction to the protein found in milk.

8. Failure to Thrive
Babies with milk allergy often suffer from a lack of proper nutrition characterized by dehydration, loss of appetite and lack of energy. This overall failure to thrive is often the result of the effect of the other symptoms effect on the infant’s body.