Diarrhea—Babies

Diarrhea in the babies of nursing mothers may be due to the mother’s diet. For example, if the mother eats stale and leftover food, or food that is heavy to digest, then her milk will become harder for the child to digest. As a general rule, Ayurveda suggests that when babies six months old or younger get diarrhea, the mother should follow a pitta-pacifying diet.

AN APPLE A DAY … A baby’s diarrhea can usually be corrected simply by feeding the child some cooked apple. Remove the skin and seeds, cook the apple, and add ½ teaspoon ghee, a pinch of cardamom, and a small pinch of ginger. Stir it up well, and cool to room temperature.

SUGGESTION: To feed this applesauce to your child, use a standard baby bottle. With a clean scissors, cut off the tip of the nipple, making an opening large enough for the applesauce to flow through.

MAKE WHEY. Whey is a natural source of lactobacillus. Since a baby’s diarrhea is often due to altered flora in the gastrointestinal tract, the whey should help restore the normal flora. It is also a good source of potassium and of calcium, which binds the stool.

Bring 1 cup of milk to a boil; when it just begins to boil, squeeze a little lime juice (about ½ teaspoon) into the pot. The milk will curdle. Then strain the thick part out by pouring the mixture through cheesecloth or a sieve.

The remaining watery part is the whey. Giving 4 to 5 teaspoons of the whey to the child every 10 to 15 minutes should stop the diarrhea.

(The thick, solid part is a delicious fresh cheese called paneer, much used in Indian cooking. Try it!)

A SIMPLE HERBAL REMEDY. Another simple domestic remedy is to mix 1 teaspoon honey, ½ teaspoon ghee, a pinch of nutmeg, and a pinch of saffron.

POPPYSEED PORRIDGE. You can also make your child a porridge of poppy seeds. Bring ½ cup milk and ½ cup water to a boil, then add about 1 teaspoon poppy seeds. The seeds will swell and become soft; they will make a nice, easily digested porridge. It is a good food that helps to stop diarrhea. As a bonus, your child will also sleep soundly.

TIME TO SEE THE DOCTOR

If your infant has diarrhea, watch him or her carefully. If bowel movements are becoming less frequent and are firmer and denser, your child is getting better. But if the stools continue to be watery and occur several times in a day, and if your baby’s eyes appear sunken, the lips are dry, and she or he looks drowsy, these are all warning signs of dehydration. This is a serious condition, and you need to consult a doctor.

CALCIUM SUPPLEMENT. Babies may also get diarrhea when they are teething. Teeth are a by-product of asthi dhatu, or bone formation. When babies start growing teeth, especially the incisors or canine teeth, vata in the asthi dhatu gets provoked, their digestive fire becomes weak, and they may get diarrhea. At that time, they need more calcium. You can give the child a simple calcium supplement in the correct dose for children.