Conference moira::parenting

           <<< Note 98.1 by NAPIER::HAGEN "Please send truffles!" >>>

<5 mos. old and not even started on cereal yet?

Sorry, but you deserve some flames for this one!

When babies start solids is a very touchy subject.  It also seems very regional.
Six months seems to be  the recommended time to start food for healthy infants
in our part of the world.  We're working on #3 child and we've seen lots of 
pediatricians in the last 7.5 years - they all recommended starting solids at 
6 months or later {we were doing fine with just breastfeeding}

re .0 - I wouldn't call a watery stool 2 times per day diarrhea. 4 or 5 times
per hour usually accompanied by a fiery rash - that's our definition of 
diarrhea.  My babies would never drink pedialite or ricelyte.  They've all
had the symptoms you describe {around 4-5 months) and I worried a lot about it.
I thought it was some sort of intestinal bug - couldn't have been a formula 
intolerance because they were breastfed.  Our pedi said not to worry unless
other symptoms appear {fever, dehydration, vomiting, etc...}

Hope its over soon.

Rochelle

    
    Well I think they were going to start cereal this month (5) but
    this started the day before her 5 mo checkup so that and her shot
    will have to wait. 
    
    My pedi originally said 5-6 mos or when they are taking 8 oz
    of formula on 4 hr or less basis. She barely took 7 oz.
    
    

    Time to start solids is tremendously variable, and 5 months is
    definitely not unusual.
    
    Diarrhea is not defined by the frequency, but the consistency, just as
    constipation is. Watery is diarrhea. Frequent is more common, but
    "frequent" is a relative term. If child usually "goes" once every 2 -3
    days, then 2-3 times *per* day, is frequent.
    
    --dave--

    Gee, I guess I'm a real exception here.  Jackie was chowing down about
    34+oz of formula a day and by 8 weeks I started her on rice cereal (she
    hated it).  At 10 weeks, she was on bananas, and bananas mixed with
    cereal.  She is now 2 years old (almost) and has a very healthy
    appetite.. she eats all sorts of fruits, some veggies, and any type of
    meat.  She has absolutely no interest in any sweets and the only food
    allergy we know of is peanut butter.
    
    Mary
    
    

    
    My pedi said that once they were drinking more than 32 oz of formula a
    day, that you could supplement with solids...
    
    It really seems to vary from pedi to pedi...
    
    Chris
    

    
    My pedi too said wait until they were drinking more than 32 oz. formula
    per day.  Stephanie never got to more than 28-30, but I tried to give
    her some cereal when she turned 5 mos.  She realy didn't eat much of it
    until she was almost 6 mos.
    
    Of course then she only ate baby food for 2 1/2 months because as soon
    as she got a taste of 'Real' food she didn't wnat the bland stuff from
    a jar :-)
    
    She's now 18 mos. and has a healthy appetite.  33 1/4 inches and 25 lbs
    7 oz.  90th percentile for height and 75th for weight.  She wasn't hurt
    any by waiting until she was ready for cereal.
    
    Bev

Maybe she's got that virus that's going around.  She's sure got the symptoms.
Both my kids got it, but Jessica only had a mild case, so was on Pedialyte
and rice cereal.  Her diarrhea was the consistency you described, but only
a few times a day.  She managed to get through it in about a week.  It sounds
like your daughter has this type of mild diarrhea.

Brad, on the other hand, has never been one to get a mild case of anything.
He had absolute water coming out of him, and was messing diapers at the rate
of 6 an hour for about 3 days.  The first day, vomitting accompanied the 
diarrhea, but that stopped while the diarrhea continued.  Although we were
giving him pedialyte every 15 minutes, he managed to get about 10% dehydrated
which is excessive dehydration and had to be rushed to the emergency room.
To avoid this type of excessive dehydration, you typically start the baby
on pedialyte when the diarrhea starts.

Since it took Brad almost 2 full weeks to shake this virus, our pedi suggested
switching them off whole milk and back to a soy-based formula because, as
a previous noter said, their intestines are sensitized due to the virus and
cannot tolerate the milk products as easily.  We didn't have to go this route,
but you may want to consider it to help your daugher get over whatever she's
got and get back to normal.  It may be worth using the soy formula for a 
few days.

    
    I agree with cathy, I have heard alot of women whose children are
    getting this virus. It seems to be hitting everyone.  
    
    I am praying Michael doesn't catch it. Its been a wonderful almost 2
    months with no colds or viruses!
    
    Chris
    

    I know this is kind of late, but I just returned to work from maternity
    leave.  Anyway, two years ago my son had diahrea yet he didn't seem
    sick.  We'd put in on pedialyte, etc... but everytime he went back to
    formula (isomil) he'd get the diahrea.  My doctor noticed that Isomil
    has sugar in it, but Prosobee doesn't.  We put him on the prosobee and
    everything cleared up.  My doctor said that basically he wasn't sick
    but he HAD a virus earlier that caused the diahrea, the virus went
    away, but the stomach lining being very sensitive couldn't handle the
    sugar in the formula.
    
    BTW, when he get sick we still have to take him off of sugar products
    until his stomach lining has "healed".
    
    Joyce
    

    Just FYI, Isomil IS available without sugar.  That's what we had AJ on. 
    It's the same price, you just have to plan ahead and have the
    pharmacist order it from his wholesaler.  I can't remember, but
    ToysR-US either carried it, or was able to order it for me.  Again same
    price.
    
    It's the same can, pre mixed, but a blue label I seem to recall.
    
    Lyn

    How long should I expect infant diarrhea to last? My 3.5 month old 
    has had diarrhea for at least 10 days. I know it's diarrhea because of
    the frequency and the BMs are green and mucuousy. I took her to the
    pedi on Monday and they couldn't find anything but sent me home with
    three vials to collect stool samples (virtually impossible). Those
    results should be available today. In the meantime, she woke up at
    12:30 with a BM and again at 7:00. This is very unusual. Anyone else
    have diarrhea in their infant hang on like this. I should point out
    she's totally breastfed so there's nothing to change in regards to
    formula.
    
    Jan

    
    The only thing is if you are eating something that diagrees
    with your baby... I read that if its a milk allergy you should
    limit your milk intake because that goes thru.... but of
    course talk to the Dr.