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Soothe Diarrhea in Babies & Toddlers: Home Remedies, Foods & Drinks to Help

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Diarrhea foods for baby & toddlers

Home Remedies for Loose Motions, Diarrhea/loose motion in Babies and toddlers worry parents as it can make the child feel tired and irritable. Babies and Toddlers don't prefer to eat during diarrhea, but feeding them is essential to prevent dehydration. Many parents are confused about what to feed the baby during diarrhea/loose motion. Don't worry. This post helps you provide your child well when the child has diarrhea and helps you to recover quickly.

What's diarrhea, and how can I tell my baby has diarrhea?

Based on two factors, you can conclude that your baby has diarrhea,
  • Increase in frequency: two times your baby's regular pattern.
  • The stools become looser, watery, mucousy, green, or runner than usual.

For more information on the further symptoms, check here

When to see the doctor if your baby has diarrhea?

Make an appointment with your baby's doctor immediately if
  • Baby is younger than 3 months
  • If your baby is over 3 months, call the doctor if the diarrhea is not improving after 24 hours.
  • Cannot keep any food down
  • Vomiting or has a fever
  • Blood in stool
  • Signs of dehydration

Causes of loose motions or diarrhea in babies & Toddler: 

It's vital to determine the cause of diarrhea to take action. Below are the top culprits that cause diarrhea.
  • Intestinal infections
  • Food allergy
  • Food intolerance
  • Antibiotics
  • Too much juice intake

How to feed your baby or toddler when he has diarrhea?

  • For babies younger than 6 months, only breastfeeding or formula feeding is recommended during the episode of diarrhea.
  • For babies above 6 months, Give small and frequent meals. Prefer easily digestible foods.
  • Don't force the baby to eat. Instead, try to offer the foods he prefers.
  • Offer your baby fruits rich in potassium.
  • After every bout of loose motion, feed breastmilk/formula or offer a few teaspoons of drinks like water, buttermilk, etc.
  • Give your toddler ORS (Oral Re-hydration Solution) if your pediatrician prescribed the same.

Foods to feed during diarrhea for babies, toddlers, and Kids:

Earlier, providing your baby/toddler only with the classic BRAT diet (Banana, Rice, Apple Sauce, Toast) was suggested during diarrhea. Still, pediatricians and AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) are advised to continue including solids, preferably light and easily digestible foods.

Please bookmark this page for future reference, as I will update this post regularly. Click on each thumbnail image given below for the recipes. Choose recipes according to your baby's age mentioned in the brackets and the recipe heading. Please refer to the notes section at the end of the post for the key points to remember before offering diarrhea foods to your baby.

Here is the video for the list of foods to offer during loose motion/diarrhea in babies and toddlers

Read further below for detailed information and foods that can be given during diarrhea

Drinks or Beverages - During diarrhea in children

1. Breastfeeding (0 Months+) :

Breastfeeding or formula feeding during diarrhea helps to keep the baby hydrated. It's vital when your baby is less than 6 months. Call your baby's doctor if your baby can't keep the milk down.
Diarrhea foods for baby and toddler

2. Plain Curd or Buttermilk or Plain Lassi (7 months +) :

Offering probiotics like curd, buttermilk or lassi, which are doses of helpful bacteria, may help get things back on track. Some research shows that probiotics can cut bouts of infectious diarrhea by half a day or about to 2 days. Check out plain Lassi recipe here:
Plain Lassi For Babies

3. Barley Water (6 Months+):

Barley water has a good amount of scratch, which helps to absorb excess fluid in stool and helps to stop diarrhea. Be sure to feed your baby with barley water in moderation if your family has no history of allergy to gluten. Check out barley water recipe here:

Barley water for baby

4. Rice Gruel (6 Months+):

Rice gruel/Rice water/Watery rice soup is the best and most easily available home remedy for diarrhea. It's the best rehydration fluid that can be used as a replacement for the fluids lost in diarrhea. It also helps to decrease stool output. Check out rice gruel recipe here:
Watery Rice Gruel for Babies

5. Water (6 Months+):

Offering a few sips of boiled, cooled water after every about of loose motion helps the baby/toddler to stay hydrated.

Diarrhea foods for baby and toddler

6. Lemon Water/Nimbu Paani (8 Months+):

Lemon water is an easy home remedy believed to soothe irritation in the intestines and kill the pathogens causing diarrhea. Make a Juice of 1 lemon, mixes with a glass of water, adds a pinch of salt or sugar, and offer your baby. Don't add sugar/salt for babies below one year. Check out lemon juice recipe here.
Diarrhea foods for baby and toddler

7. Tender Coconut Water (8 Months+):

Coconut water is ideal for preventing dehydration and replenishing the natural salt lost by the body.

Diarrhea foods for baby and toddler
Soups- During diarrhea in children

8. Vegetable Clear Soup (8 Months+):

Vegetable clear soups are best during diarrhea as the body easily absorbs them. Make it a clear soup without spices like pepper and green chilies, and avoid gassy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, and sprouts during loose motions. Check out vegetables soup recipe here:
Mixed Vegetable Soup for Babies

9. Chicken Clear Soup (9 Months+):

The clear chicken soup is also an excellent choice during diarrhea, which is easily digestible. Check out chicken clear soup recipe here.
Chicken clear soup for Babies

10. Moong Dal Soup (6 Months+):

Moong Dal soup is mild, filling soup you can offer your baby during loose motion. Check out dal soup recipe here: 
Lentil soup for Babies

Fruits and Vegetables-During diarrhea in children

11. Stewed Apple (6 Months+):

Stewed apples or apple sauce is an excellent binding food that firms up the stools; hence, it's ideal for offering during diarrhea. But please remember that one should avoid apple juice during loose motion as it has more sugar in the apple. Check out Stewed apples recipe here:

Apple Sauce for baby

12. Bananas (6 Months+):

Like apples, bananas are also known to help to harden the stools during diarrhea. If using nendran banana, steam it and offer. Check out banana mash recipe here: 

Nendran banana puree for babies

13. Carrots  (6 Months+):

Carrots help to firm up the stools and bind when diarrhea occurs. Choose steamed, mashed carrots for the best results. Check out carrot mash recipe here:

Carrot puree for babies
14. Boiled Potatoes (8 Months+):

Boiled potatoes are loaded with carbs which makes it ideal for providing during loose motions. Prefer mashed white potatoes or boiled potatoes when your baby has diarrhea. Check out boiled potatoes recipe here:

Potato Salad for Babies

Filling Foods - During diarrhea in children

15. Moong dal Khichdi (7 Months+):

Moong dal khichdi is a comforting and soothing food that makes your baby or toddler feel better during diarrhea. It's a light and healthy meal option when the little one is down with loose motion. Make it without spices and ghee. Check out moong dal khichdi recipe here: 

Moong Dal khichadi for babies
16. Curd Rice (8 Months+):

Curd rice is another comforting meal option during an episode of diarrhea, and it's most of the toddler's favorite too. Good bacteria in curd help to fight diarrhea. Make sure the curd is not sour. Check out curd rice recipe here (make it without milk, butter, and tempering):

curd rice for babies
17. Sabudhana (7 Months+):

Sabudhana or sago is full of scratch and great for a quick energy boost. Hence it's considered the best food to consume during diarrhea. It's very easy to digest and low-residue food too. Make Sabudhana kheer without milk and nuts, cook sabudhana pearls in water, and make it as a sabudana porridge, offer as such, or you can strain and feed the water alone. Check out Sabudhana kheer recipe here:

Sabudhana Kheer for Babies

18. Idli or Steamed Dosa (8 Months+):

Idli or steamed dosa is an easily digestible and soft food you can prefer as a breakfast/dinner during loose motions. Serve with curd or plain dhal. Check out Idli and steamed dosa recipe here:
Idli dosa batter using mixie
Steamed Dosa for Babies

19. Idiyappam (8 Months+):

Idiyappam or rice noodles is another easily digestible breakfast or dinner option as it's made with rice, which is steamed and stomach-friendly. Serve it plain or with lemon juice. Check out Idiyappam recipe here:

Idiyappam for Babies

20. Rice Porridge (6 Months+):

Rice porridge is a well-known home remedy for diarrhea. It helps to replenish the electrolytes last in diarrhea. Check out rice porridge recipe here:

Rice Porridge for Babies
21. Bread Toast ( 1 year +):

Bread toast is easily digestible during diarrhea and is preferred as one of the main food during the episode of loose motion. Check out bread toast recipe here: (make it without nuts and ghee):

bread toast

22. Arrowroot powder porridge (8 Months+):

Arrowroot is an old-fashioned remedy for diarrhea and is believed to reduce diarrhea. Make the porridge with arrowroot powder similar to rice porridge. I will post the recipe soon.

Foods to avoid during diarrhea:

  • Dairy Products except for curd and buttermilk
  • Sweetened drinks or carbonated drinks like soda
  • All fruit juices
  • Some Fruits ( peaches, pears, prunes, plums)
  • Dry fruits and nuts
  • High fiber foods
  • Sugar
  • Sweets
  • Raw salads and sprouts
  • Spicy food

I will update this post with recipes regularly. Please be updated by liking my facebook page GKFoodDiary or follow me through Google+,Twitter & Pintrest!

Important Note: 

  • The information provided here is guidelines and doesn't replace medical advice.
  • Check with your doctor immediately if your baby has diarrhea and dehydration, which leads to dangerous effects. A doctor may help you determine and treat the problem's cause.
  • Make sure you have introduced each food separately and checked for allergies.
  • Always check with your pediatrician before giving any food.
 
Photo Credit:
photo credit: Mano! via photopin(license) photo credit: splash_3 via photopin(license) credit: Ice via photopin(license)

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  1. Treat your baby's dehydration in children with Probiotics and ensure they are diarrhea-free for the next couple months!

    Reply

  2. THANKS

    Reply

  3. My baby boy have 2 year before yesterday he have loose stools with mucus no too watery and i consult doctor he said no infection in stomach he prescribed neutrolin b and zinconia and yester he passes stool n one time and today he pasess stool n 5 times but not watery but small amount of poops what to do iam n fasting and he have breast feeding baby s fasting ccause baby loose poops or passing poos moretha. 4 times

    Reply

    • Fasting will not decrease milk supply, but that severe dehydration can decrease milk supply. And it won't cause loose motion. There should be other reasons for the baby's diarrhea. Keep yourself and your child hydrated. That is most recommended at this stage.

      Reply

  4. 4 stars
    Hi i urgently need advise, m a first time mom in the Uk, my 13 month old boy has a cold and congested chest past few weeks now and he was still recovering from that and now he has got loose stools past 2 days, m offering him water and small amounts of meals , but please advice what type of food i can offer him when he has cold cough and Dairreah all at once.
    Also if i can give ginger juice how much and how often.

    Reply

    • Avoid ginger juice as a baby is having loose motions. Give light meals khichdi, idli, rasam, etc. you can also give steamed vegetables or soups

      Reply

  5. My baby is 2yrs old he is suffering for lose motion for past 3days it normal or not
    Rasam rice is good to taken at the time of lose motion

    Reply

    • check with your doctor once. rasam rice with fewer spices should be okay

      Reply

  6. Hi
    My 14 months old had very bad diarrhea last week and is recovering.. for the past three days, there is no loose stools and he seems to be dng gud.. but when can I start giving his regular foods like dairy and other veggies.. now he is having idly , dosa and rice and oatmeal cereals with hot water, steamed apple and bananas and moong dal with carrot rice....

    Reply

    • you can slowly introduce normal food one by one if the diarrhea is in control

      Reply