Runny Baby Poop - Help!

Hi J.,
It sounds like he could be reacting to something in the formula if it is not a virus. You might want to try a different one and see if it works. it could be a milk allergy. I think it is unlikely that he is lactose intolerant in 2.5 months, since breastmilk is very rich in lactose, although it does happen. it is more likely that he is reacting to milk protein or to something else in the formula.

I don't think soy formula is good for babies, most especially for boys, due to its estrogenic properties and its effect on the thyroid, but you might try a formula that has the milk protein already broken down.

Good luck!
E. Bender, NC, CHN
www.nutritionforthewholefamily.com

J. babies go through many stages with their little digestion systems trying to finish developing. As long as he doesn't seem sick otherwise, he is probably ok.

Their is a intestinal virus going around, I know my whole fam got it and it causes diarrhea or very runny stool. This can last 1-2 weeks.

Just watch it and see if it gets better over the next few days. If not contact the MD and see if he can offer any advice to the problem.
Trish

Runny poop is a sign of lactose intolerance. Talk to your pediatrician about it.

Maybe it is something in the Similac. All babies are different, which is why there are SO many brands of formula. Tyr switching formulas, but definitely call and talk to your ped or the nurse.

Hi J.,

I just want to add a little to the advice you've already received. I agree, it's probably is nothing. Or rather, it could be many benign things. It could be a reaction to the formula. But diarrhea means the food he is taking in is passing through the digestive system too fast to absorb all the water and many of the nutrients. This can led to dehydration. Make sure he is taking in plenty of water and call your doctor to be on the safe side.

S.

Hi J.,

This is the place to ask those poop questions!! We've all been there!! :) Good for you for seeking advice!

Sure, he might have a virus, but 2 weeks is a bit long for that to be hanging on, I can see why you'd be concerned. Have you asked your pediatrician or advice nurse for input yet?

Another possibility that I didn't see mentioned yet may be that your baby has a food sensitivity or allergy that may be developing to the formula ingredients. All non-soy formulas contain cow's milk proteins, and many people of all ages are sensitive to dairy (whether they know it or not - many reactions can happen). Before you ask, soy formula is not a good alternative for babies for many reasons, even though it's marketed as safe and healthy (don't believe everything a company puts out there to try and sell their products).

I'm sorry you weren't able to breastfeed; formula is such a huge hassle to deal with, but worse than that, it's very common to see digestive reactions to formula as a baby grows; their tender, immature systems aren't created to digest anything but human milk very well, so there are often issues with anything else when they are quite small.

Best of luck in figuring out what's going on...I know it's very concerning when our tiny ones have digestive problems like this. I hope your pediatrician will be helpful.

Blessings,
S. M.

Hey J.-
My little girl had a two week bout of the runs when she was only a few weeks old...our ped said it was probably a little stomach virus and would last 10-14 days...14 days later - it stopped. She was on a combo of breastmilk and formula because we were struggling with breastfeeding....I agree to try switching formulas to find the best match for his system too because we had to do that as well. We ended up on Soy similac but I've sortof changed my thoughts on soy formula and especially not for boys.

Our pediatrician also recommended a certain probiotic that is safe for babies (now I don't remember when she first had that though so check with your little guys ped) but, it is called Culterelle (sp?). The pharmacist has it and we break open the caplets and poured it into her bottles. Anyway, I know I take probiotics and especially when my stomach is upset or if I've been on antibiotics. Hope that helps!
Take care!
M.

J., I am going through a similar situation with my 4 month old. She's been getting about 2-4 oz. of formula a day and over the last month she has developed extremely runny poop. I read in the current issue of Mothering magazine that some infants are allergic to the DHA/ARA additives that are found in most formulas. I've been looking for a formula without them but am not having much luck. When you change formulas you might want to try something without those proteins. Good luck!

Call your doc. It's probably nothing (my daughter - breast fed - had runny poop for 5 months) but since this is new you may want to check and make sure he didn't catch a stomach bug. also contact the formula company to find out if they've made any recent changes to their product.

Good luck

Lots of poop questions today.