My Six Month Old Breastfed Baby Had Diarrhea

Updated on May 12, 2008
S.F. asks from Castaic, CA
5 answers

Last week, my 6 month old hadn't had a bm in 3 days.. nothing to worry about according to the books. At that point, he was exclusively being nursed, no solids yet. Then he had a HUGE bm (you know, the ones that are so loud like when they're newborns?) and when I went to change him, it was way up his back & very thin..like nothing I'd seen before..and the odor was bad. So I nursed him as I always do & it was a one time thing, so far. Anyone know if maybe this is an allergic reaction? I had cut milk out of my diet from when he was 3 months old because he had exema, etc. But it had cleared up so well I tried to have milk again (the soy & rice milks are OK but not nearly as good!) If anyone has an idea..maybe he just had a small bug? Or do you think it was the milk? Happy Mother's Day and thanks in advance.. S.

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T.

answers from Las Vegas on

S.,

It is probably the milk. Eczema is a sign of allergic reaction and it is unlikely your baby would outgrow it in just a few months. My now 18 month old is intolerant to dairy and allergic to soy proteins. I nursed him until he way 17 months old and I had to be completely dairy and soy free the entire time (even hidden dairy and soy) or he'd get sick. He self weaned right around 17/18 months so now I can eat wha I want but he's still dairy and soy free. I know he got something he shouldn't have at daycare last week (that had soy protein in it) because he's covered in a head to toe rash right now. Soy is hidden in so many foods, it is tough to avoid especially now that he's big enough to sneak food from the other kids.

Once I cut dairy and soy out of my diet and it all cleared my system and his, my baby actually would have a violent reaction any time I'd get even a little dairy or soy. Once he'd actually felt good, when he would get something to make him feel bad, it would be spectacular.

So I think the answer is you need to cut the milk out again. Believe me, I went a year and a half with no dairy and no soy. And that included 2 Thanksgivings and 2 Christmases. It was a pain in the butt but really preferable to a miserable, sick baby.

Oh, and if anyone tries to tell you that your baby is lactose intolerant, don't believe them. There is way more lactose in breastmilk than in cow's milk and the lactose in cow's milk won't pass through your breastmilk. The problem is a DAIRY PROTEIN ALLERGY. The dairy proteins can easily pass to your baby through your breastmilk and dairy causes something like 75% of colic cases in breastfed babies. It is not an uncommon problem at all. Some babies outgrow it (my pediatric GI doctor said most babies outgrow it by 18 months or even as long as 3 years... my babe is 19 months and counting and still allergic).

Also, there are difference between an intolerance (in my son, dairy causes gas, bloating, stomach ache, screaming) and an allergy (in my son hives, screaming, eczema). They are both immune responses but the mechanism is different. But all that means to you is that whether your son is intolerant or allergic, it obviously isn't doing him any good. Intolerances are usually not fatal unless they are ignored for a long time and result in something like failure to thrive or malnutrition (they can really rough up the intestines and make it hard for a baby to digest nutrients and can also cause intestinal bleeding), but some food allergies can cause anaphalatic shock (inability to breathe) and death. Nothing to fool with. So if your think your baby has a food intolerance or food allergy, I would not ignore it.

:-)T.

2 moms found this helpful
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A.B.

answers from Reno on

Usually when a baby is exclusively breastfed, the problem can be traced to the mother's diet. After all, everything you eat comes back to your child eventually. I would avoid milk again for at least a week, then go ahead and have milk on day one. If after day three (when you only had milk on day one) he hasn't had any problems, milk is probably not the concern. Make sure you aren't trying any other new foods in your diet while trying this as it might change the results.

1 mom found this helpful
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E.H.

answers from Los Angeles on

You say the odor was very bad, -did it smell sort of like rotten fish? If so, it was probably rota-virus, which causes diarrhea. Smart thinking on your behalf nursing him after.

If your baby is lactose intolerant, it could also cause diarrhea, because he can not convert the sugars and then thy wind up in his intestines causing diarrhea.
If it was just that once, I would not worry to much.

As for milk alternatives, you could try almond milk :-)

Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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T.C.

answers from San Luis Obispo on

If it was a one time thing, I would not be too worried about it. The fact that he had not had a bm in three days, would make me think that was why he had the blow out. The smell is something to consider, but if it only happend once, I would not be concerned about it. Keep on eye on him. It is wise of you to realize that what he eats can cause stomach issues for him too. Keep up the great work,
T.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

C.C.

answers from Reno on

It could be nothing but when nursing always avoid spicy foods and chocolate because they cause gas and diarrhea.

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