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What Causes Frequent Defecation In Infants?
Question: Hello Doctor,
I have twins (Girls) and they are 10 months old now. One of the girls is passing stool around 6 times a day, and mostly immediately after food.
Her activity levels are normal and she responds to food very well (apart from being a little fussy to eat). We give her Cerelac for breakfast mostly and this is when she immediately passes stool, the rest of the day its rice or ragi and the rest is Lactogen.
We are worried that she might be intolerant to Wheat or Lactogen and this is why she is passing stool as soon as she has food. The stool is also very smelly.
With rice we have started to include cow's milk, not sure if its too early for us to give external milk?
Both the girls have always been on formula milk since the beginning.
I have twins (Girls) and they are 10 months old now. One of the girls is passing stool around 6 times a day, and mostly immediately after food.
Her activity levels are normal and she responds to food very well (apart from being a little fussy to eat). We give her Cerelac for breakfast mostly and this is when she immediately passes stool, the rest of the day its rice or ragi and the rest is Lactogen.
We are worried that she might be intolerant to Wheat or Lactogen and this is why she is passing stool as soon as she has food. The stool is also very smelly.
With rice we have started to include cow's milk, not sure if its too early for us to give external milk?
Both the girls have always been on formula milk since the beginning.
Brief Answer:
Nothing to worry - its gastro colic reflex
Detailed Answer:
Hi...Thank you for consulting in Health Care magic.
What your kid is having is not a diarrhea and is only a gastro-colic reflux. It is quite common for babies of this age group to pass small amount of diarrhea or loose stools soon after feeds. This need not be treated as diarrhea and especially no drugs or antibiotics are not indicated.
When the baby takes milk or any food, the stomach expands - then when it is contracting it sets off a wave form which moves down the intestines and when that wave reaches the lower down rectum, a small quantity of the stool is evacuated out. This is the basis for gastro-colic reflex. Do not worry.
Unless the kid's having low urine output or very dull or excessively sleepy or blood in motion or green bilious vomiting...you need not worry.
Hope my answer was helpful for you. I am happy to help any time. Further clarifications and consultations on Health care magic are welcome. If you do not have any clarifications, you can close the discussion and rate the answer. Wish your kid good health.
Dr. Sumanth MBBS., DCH., DNB (Paed).,
Nothing to worry - its gastro colic reflex
Detailed Answer:
Hi...Thank you for consulting in Health Care magic.
What your kid is having is not a diarrhea and is only a gastro-colic reflux. It is quite common for babies of this age group to pass small amount of diarrhea or loose stools soon after feeds. This need not be treated as diarrhea and especially no drugs or antibiotics are not indicated.
When the baby takes milk or any food, the stomach expands - then when it is contracting it sets off a wave form which moves down the intestines and when that wave reaches the lower down rectum, a small quantity of the stool is evacuated out. This is the basis for gastro-colic reflex. Do not worry.
Unless the kid's having low urine output or very dull or excessively sleepy or blood in motion or green bilious vomiting...you need not worry.
Hope my answer was helpful for you. I am happy to help any time. Further clarifications and consultations on Health care magic are welcome. If you do not have any clarifications, you can close the discussion and rate the answer. Wish your kid good health.
Dr. Sumanth MBBS., DCH., DNB (Paed).,
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Raju A.T
Thanks Doctor. Could you please answer about our question on giving the babies cow's milk at this stage?
Brief Answer:
It's better to avoid external milk till 1 year of age
Detailed Answer:
Hi....though the cow's milk and the formula milk contain essentially the same protein, it is better to avoid cows milk or external milk till 1 year of age at least. Usually by this time even if there is any cow's milk protein intolerance the kids would have grown out of it.
Regards - Dr. Sumanth
It's better to avoid external milk till 1 year of age
Detailed Answer:
Hi....though the cow's milk and the formula milk contain essentially the same protein, it is better to avoid cows milk or external milk till 1 year of age at least. Usually by this time even if there is any cow's milk protein intolerance the kids would have grown out of it.
Regards - Dr. Sumanth
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
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