Conference moira::parenting

    When my niece was 18 months old she had persistent diarrhea. (I think
    more than what you've described for your daughter). The culture didn't
    turn up anything unusual. However, the dr. suggested testing the urine
    for bacteria (no small task) and it turned up positive-- a bladder
    infection.I don't want to alarm you or anything, but it may be
    something to look into.
    
    My 2-year old son likes to drink his bathwater too. I took away the large
    cup I used to rinse his hair with so it's somewhat less of a problem
    now. It never seemed to make his stools any more loose or frequent than
    they already were.
    
    sue
     

    It's not a good idea to use Imodium on children because they really
    need to flush out whatever bacteria is causing the diarrhea.  Imodium
    acts like a giant cork.
    
    It's hard to say what could be causing the diarrhea, though the pool
    water sounds like the right place to start...

    Laura,
    
    It must be a "2 yr old" thing to do, drinking bath water!
    Steven got into this around age 2 but that phase pretty
    much ended a few months later.
    
    I really doubt that the bath water is causing Ilona's
    diarrhea.
    
    Does she eat alot of fruit?  Steven has frequent diarrhea
    and we've tracked it to the amount of fruit he eats.  We
    ALWAYS dilute his apple juice and limit the amount of fruit
    he eats (wouldn't you know he LOVES fruit)
    
    Just food for thought, since it is fresh fruit season.
    
    To cure him, we usually put him on the BRAT diet and loaded
    him up with bananas and rice.  Never used Kaopectate/Immonium/Pepto.
    
    Good luck!
    Linda

    Laura,
    
    Drinking bath or pool water has never caused diarrhea in any of my
    three kids.  And David drinks it in copious quantities. 
    
    I'd suspect either too much fruit and fruit juice, or too much
    dairy products combined with a bit of lactose intolerance, or a
    "bug," or minor food poisoning (nibbling on a sandwich that has
    been out all afternoon, for instance). 
    
    A really hot day will sometimes cause both David and me to get
    really loose.  
    
    David (2.5) often has a bout of diarrhea whenever he first tries
    any quantity of a new food.  
    
    --bonnie

    
    My 2 guys (2 & 4) always drink bath and pool water (its impossible to
    stop them!) and I have never noticed it causing them diarrea.  But
    Spencer (4) did have it for about 3 days a couple of weeks ago.  Didn't
    seem to affect him in any other way.  Tanner always gets it when he
    eats grapes.  Took me a few times to figure this out, but did
    eventually find a pattern.  Of course, grapes are his favorite fruit!
    
    

    Just to second the response about grapes...
    
    They always cause diarrhea in my kids when consumed in anything other
    than small to moderate quantities. My sister's daughter has the same
    problem. I would suspect many do. Watch the grapes!
    
    --dave--

    Another response to the fruit.  My son Alexander who is 2.5 gets
    diarrhia from eating to much fruit and also from to much dairy products
    and he loves milk.  He also gets it from eating to much chocolate, so
    we limit his intake of all three, milk, fruit and chocolate.  He also
    seems to get it on really hot days like Bonnie mentioned a few notes
    back.  Maybe if you daughter eats alot of fruit or drinks a lot of milk
    you should cut down on her intake and see if that helps.  Also if she
    is cutting teeth that might do it too, I know it happened to Alex when
    he was cutting his 2 year molars.
    
    
    Liz

    For the last few days, her diet has been restricted to "BRAT", bananas,
    rice, applesauce, and toast, as well as low-fiber cereal, a small
    smount of plain yogurt, and water.
    
    I gave her Kaopectate after each incident.  
    
    This is what we've done so far.
    
    The nurse at the GP's office just recommended a does of Kaopectate 4 or 5
    times a day, of 1 teaspoon.  She also suggested replacing electrolytes
    with a drink comprising 1 can 7-Up or CocaCola, 1 quart water, 2 tsp
    sugar, and a dash of salt, to be given in small doses several times a
    day.
    
    I submitted a stool sample for culturing.  Results to be returned in a
    few days.
    
    She had a major loose BM today at daycare.  The daycare provider is
    being very scrupulous about sanitation because she is afraid it will
    spread.  
    
    to be continued,
    L

    
    We had lots of bouts with "loose stools" last summer with both my
    daughters, but it turned out it was caused by a parasite called
    Giardiasis (sp).  It tends to be very common in Southern NH during the
    summer, as lakes and water supplies become contaminated by the parasite. 
    It is contagious and very difficult to get rid of!  The medicine for
    children makes me gag, and you have to give it to the kids (1 1/2 tsp)
    three times/day for 10 days....talk about a battle zone!   It quite
    often reoccurs and you get to start the battle all over again!
    
    Beware of swimming in small bodies of water which tend to get stagnant
    toward the end of the summer.  We could not find a definite source for
    the parasite, but there are several swimming areas in the Southern NH
    area with reputations for causing parasite problems.
    
    A stool sample should show whether your child has Ghiardiasis.
              

    re .9, I have had some sort of "stomach thing" for nearly 8 weeks now,
    and my internist referred me to a gastro-specialist for futher evals. 
    After some "non-invasive testing" (an abdominal ultrasound and blood
    work) these came back normal.  The specialist is not going to do any
    further testing until I've completed a 10 day course of Flagil, an
    antibiotic that works well with intestinal "protozona" (sp?), simply I
    believe, from the doctor's conversation it's a bacteria caused by
    ingesting "foreign" water, like anything outside of what we're normally
    used to.  I want to think this is the answer, and maybe that's what I
    need to cure my particular case of the  constant trots!  I will let you
    know if it works.
    
    Lyn

    	Flagil is the drug that is used to eliminate Giardia (Responses .9,
    10), it is ineffective against bacteria and is very effective against
    parasites (which are what Giardia is). Giardia is carried by the fecal
    oral route which explains why some ponds and swimming areas are
    notorious for being infected. Animals come down at night, deposit their
    stuff and it's in the water the next day.

    	When I first got to New Hampshire, I came down with a mystery
    illness that left me with sever cramping, diarrhea, and rapid weight
    loss. I went through *three* months of testing (you name it, I had it)
    and even with *7* stool samples, they still could not find anything.

    	As a final result, after having lost 15 pounds and unable to eat
    anything other than weak tea and crackers, it was suggested I be sent
    to a psychologist, I was in such misery that I almost went. Instead, I
    had such a severe pain episode that I was taken to the Dr. who put me
    on Flagil "for the heck of it". Within three days I was able to eat
    food again.

    	It took months and months for my body to get over the trauma and
    intestional scarring that had occurred with that invasion. And actually,
    my lactose intolerance was born during this period, apparently I was
    prediposed to having it, but the trauma to my system allowed it to
    blossom. :-(

    	Since then I have read that because Giardia is so difficult to
    isolate that any Irritable Bowel Syndrome patient should be put on
    Flagil "just for the heck of it" because they have found patients with a
    high undiagnosed rate.


    	The only thing with Flagil, is that you have to be very careful to
    not ingest any alcohol (not even cough syrups), the reaction is
    horrible and Flagil has even been used in the past to treat
    alcoholics.

    			Wendy

    Wendy,
    
    Do I remember correctly that Flagyl or Flagil is also dangerous for
    pregnant women, in that it causes deformities in the baby? Please
    enlighten us, if you can.
    
    I have also heard that giardiasis is becoming very common and that many
    mysterious episodes of diarrhea and cramping are caused by the bug, but
    that many people get over it fairly easily and never know what they
    had...
    
    Lucy

    
      Lucy,
    
    	You are right, it is Flagyl not Flagil (that's what I get for not
    having my references close at hand).
    
    	I haven't heard of any direct link between Flagyl and birth
    deformities in pregnant women, but it makes sense that that would be a
    concern. Flagyl is a very, very, strong drug.
    
    	Parasites are living creatures taking up residence in your body.
    Flagyl specifically kills those living creatures. With a medical action
    like that, it stands to reason that other living creatures (a fetus)
    may also be affected. Of course this assumes that the Flagyl can cross
    the placenta. I'll look in some of my books tonight to see if I can
    find out some more infomration.
    
    	As far as people getting over Giardia, I suppose that it happens
    often in "light" cases. Some people never know that they are carrying
    the parasite. I once had a dog who tested positive for Giardia and was
    found to be an asymptomatic carrier. For people and animals like that,
    it does little to no harm. For others though, it can really wreck
    havic.
    
    	One final bit of information (remember that I used to be a
    microbiologist and so find all of this extrememly interesting)
    apparently Giardia sheds in cycles in your body. The routine procedure
    for parasite testing is to test a stool sample from three successive
    days. *If* the parasite is in the shedding phase, it will be detected,
    if it is not, however, it is very difficult to detect (I think I only
    found 4 or 5 positive samples in my term as a microbiologist). That's
    one of the reasons that my 7 stool samples did not show anything.
    Another factor (and I hesitate to say this) is that some
    microbiologists are just not properly trained in parasite detection.
    
    	Moral of the story, if you are having unrelenting symptoms, a
    negative stool sample does not necessarily rule out a parasitic
    infection.
    
    	Based on my experience if I ever go through anything like that
    again, I'll ask for the Flagyl up front.
    
    
    			Wendy
    

    I knew a few people last summer that had problems with Giardia. One
    was a pregnant woman whose only symptom was vomiting; she was 7 or
    8 months along. Her gastroenterologist scoffed when she suggested it
    might be Giardia and was properly surprised when the stool test came
    back positive. I know she took something for it but I'm not sure what
    it was. She had a healthy baby last November.
    

    
    I was treated with Flagyl, but my husband saw another docter who
    prescribed another medicine (started with an m, I believe) and the
    children were prescribed something completely different...green death
    (the gross medicine I described in .9).  
    
    I spent a lot of time on the phone with several docters and people from
    the state health department.  Everyone had different ideas about the
    parasite and its detection and problems...it was hard to know who to
    believe.  I was breastfeeding at the time, and had to wean my daughter
    for a 10 day period.  The docter's felt that the dose of Flagyl would
    be dangerous for the baby.   One of my neighbors was 3-4 months
    pregnant at the time, and her vomiting wasn't subsiding.  She brought
    in a stool sample, and she tested positive for the parasite.  She
    talked to several docters and the general consensus was that she should
    wait until the baby was born before she was treated...god knows how she
    put up with it!  After the baby was born, she was retested several
    times, and tested negative each time.  Since she hasn't had any
    symptoms lately, she hasn't been treated.
    
    The last time my youngest daughter was diagnosed with the parasite,
    they just put the whole family on the medicine.  They figured with two
    children in diapers, we all had it.  It can often be passed in daycares
    and families by changing poopy diapers.
    
    Someone from the state health department stated that probably more than
    50% of the children in this area have the parasite but are
    asymptomatic.  It seems that everyone reacts differently to the
    parasite, my symptoms were similar to Wendy's - severe weight loss due to
    feelings of bloating and naseousness after eating ANYTHING and diahrea
    which would come and go over a 1-2 month period.  My husband and
    daughters simply had the runs and a little bloating.
    
    Many people in my neighborhood have sufferred from Giardia over the
    past year and we believed it might be a problem with our drinking
    water.  We called the water department and they came and took a tiny
    vial of water for testing...this was a joke since we had been told it
    was very costly and large amounts of water needed to be screened to
    test for Giardia.  The whole issue was brushed aside, and then last
    month I read an article stating that Merrimack's water had not passed
    some water quality tests and they were advising the town to drink the
    water at your own risk....hmmmm!
                                    

    interesting comment in .15...
    
    All my symptoms started shortly after our group moved to a new building
    (AKO) from Marlboro.  And a few weeks after that was DECworld, and of
    course strange water there, plus the hotel's water (which was'nt in
    Boston but one of the 'burbs)  I thought it was just the rapid pace
    causing the problem.
    
    Should I call my son's pedi and ask them to prescribe the Flagyl for
    AJ.  Since I still have the honor to wipe him from time to time, I
    almost wonder if he has it and I've picked it up from him.
    
    Comments??
    Lyn

    
    If you have any contact with your son's poops, you can catch it from
    him.  Has he shown any signs of diahrea or upset stomach?
    
    Your docter may want to test AJ before giving him any medicine. Since
    you never tested positive for the parasite (if I remember correctly),
    they may not want to give him the medicine unless he seems to be
    bothered by it.
    
    In our case the whole family tested positive to the parasite in August
    and were treated.  In September or October, the youngest tested
    positive again, and my husband had the symptoms again, so they put all
    four of us on the medicine again.  My children were also very young (7
    mos. and 22 mos) so they weren't able to complain about any stomach
    discomfort.  When the youngest tested positive the last time, her only
    symptom was that her poops were not solid (but yet not real diahrea). 
    I brought her in to discuss a possible milk allergy, the docter had her
    tested for the parasite again and....it was back!!
    
    Hope the medicine works for you!  Its not a fun thing to have!!

    For those of you who had this parasite, how did you contract it?
    
    I'd like to prevent this from recurring, but I'm not sure whether I
    should have our well water tested.  Can you get it from a toddler pool
    left out for 2 days?  (I drain it after 1 or 2 days and lean it against
    the wall.)  We swam in a state park lake in July.  Could that be the
    source?
    
    L

    
    	As I indicated earlier, the method of transmission is fecal oral,
    which means that you essentaily have to ingest some infected fecal
    matter. Not as difficult as you might imagine. Popular methods of
    transmission are:
    
    	Unwashed hands in a daycare situation (both children and providers)
    	Swimming in lakes and pools
    	Family Pets
    	Eating contaminated food

    	The last one is one theory on how I got it, the only thing I could
    come up with was that on a hike I ate some wild blueberries. It is
    possible that an animal defecated nearby and the parasite washed onto
    the berries. (mkaes me very careful about washing foods now)
    
    	As long as there are animals living near humans (expecially in a
    mountainous state like New Hampshire) there will *always* be Giardia.
    Luckily it is not life threatening, more of a nuisance. Instead of
    sterilizing your children's environment, just be aware of the symptoms
    shouyld your child complain of intestional distress.
    
    	Lastly, if animals have access to the pool water at night
    (swimming, defecating in) then yes, that could be a method of
    transmission.
    
    
    			Wendy
    
    	

    Pretty much anybody in NH who swims in a pond or lake is at risk
    for giardia.  It's very common. 
    
    --bonnie

    RE:  .19
    
    Eureka!  I bet it was the wild blueberries Ilona and I ate a few weeks
    ago.  Next I'll call the doctors office to see what they advise.
    
    Thank you.
    
    Montezuma's revenge strikes again.  
    
    L
    

    I called to ask the pedi about putting AJ on the Flagyl, just as a
    precaution.  Thinking he may have either given it to me, or gotten it
    from me.  Our pool by the way is 3 feet deep and covered with a solar
    cover when not in use, plus we have a skimmer filter in use, so it
    would seem to eliminate the pool water as a possibility.
    
    She said she want three consecutive days worth of stool samples.  Oh
    Joy!  Let me ask one of those basic dumb questions...How to collect?
    

    	Not a dumb question at all. The easiest way to collect stool
    samples is to: 

    1. have the person urinate first (the urine cannot touch the stool
    sample as it then becomes contaminated and is not able to be used).

    2. Put some plastic wrap over the toilet (be sure to use the kind that
    "holds" and will not fall into the toilet when weight is applied. Also,
    DON'T make the plastic wrap too tight or you have things bouncing all
    over the place, make sure a "bucket" is formed with the wrap.

    3. Have the person defecate as normal (I imagine with a child this will
    be difficult as there will be questions on why this is being done,
    trying to watch etc).

    4. Take "some" of the sample (a walnut size sample is sufficient) and
    place it in the collection container.

    5. Empty the plastic wrap as best you can and dispose of it. (if you
    suspect parasites, the person cleaning up should be wearing plastic
    gloves).

    6. Adults can also use empty containers but that sometimes gets very
    messy.

    7. If the stool is loose or the person has diarrhea, you then have to
    disinfect the toilet sides and anyplace that the stool may have come in
    contact with.


    			      	Wendy

    This is what the nurse (in consultation with the Dr.) told me Friday:
    
    There's no way to know if it was blueberries.  I've ruled out our
    drinking water since we just had houseguests and nobody else got sick.
    
    If the infection is bacterial, it will clear up soon on its own.  They
    will not medicate for it.  (Ilona has had this about 2 weeks at this
    point.  I assume they are allowing 3-4 weeks for it to go away.)  I
    myself have had a parallel problem to Ilona and am starting to recover.
    
    If the infection is parasitical (e.g., giardia) they want confirmation
    from tests on the stool sample.  We have supplied three samples from
    her diaper.  (btw, there was no way I could distinguish between urine
    and fecal matter in her diaper.  I assume they didn't expect me to...)
    
    If the diarrhea doesn't clear up soon and the tests all come back
    negative, the Dr. will prescribe a drug to kill the giardia, based on
    empirical evidence.
    
    I think she's a little better the last 2 days.  Hoping for a speedy
    recovery.
    
    L
    
    P.S. I was amazed at the previous description of using plastic wrap
    over the toilet.  As my daughter now says so eloquently, "UCKY!"
    
    When I've had to supply stool samples myself, I used a large plastic
    container (like a well-washed deli container) and then transferred some
    to the little container.
    
    For a child too young for this technique, I would use the potty bowl.
    
    PPS.  A coworker who lived in France told me the most interesting
    anecdote.  Her French friend, a father of a young son, let his son eat
    blueberries in the wild.  The father was terrified for years to tell
    the child's mother because he heard a French folk belief that if a
    young child eats blueberries on which a wolf has urinated, the child
    will die.  (I guess there's not term of limitation.) -:) -:)
    
    

Since no one else has mentioned Giardia's history, I thought I'd fill in some
background.

Giardia is also known as Backpacker's Disease.  It used to be rare in the
NorthEast, until about 5 years ago, but was very common out West in the Rockies
and Cascades.  One got it from drinking unfiltered river/stream water.  The
rivers and streams got contaminated by animals who had it.

Incubation is about two weeks, then symptoms start showing.  The parasite itself
is an amoeba.

It is thought that beavers are the major contributor to the contamination in
New England, but Giardia is the reason that New Hampshire State Parks no longer
allow dogs.  They feared spreading the Giardia thru dogs (since
their humans can transport them long distances in cars).  It hasn't stopped the
contamination, and they're thinking of re-opening the parks to dogs.

If you suspect your water supply, you can boil drinking water for 20 minutes,
or get a special water filter from backpacking stores.

Pat

    The Dr. finally prescribed Furoxone even though all 3 cultures were
    negative.  Furoxone is a bright yellow liquid that works against
    parasites and some bacteria.  I was very relieved that she actually
    LIKED the stuff.  It has been 48 hours on medication and the Dr. 
    said she could have some milk.  
    
    The Dr. prescribed Flagyl for me.
    
    We should both be cleared up in 7 days.  YAY!
    
    L
    

    an update from this end, I have completed the week of Flagyl, and am
    feeling much better.  AJ's pedi won't prescribe any meds for him until
    I can give her three *consecutive* days of "samples", haven't had much
    luck so far.   I may just wait and watch him instead for symptoms.
    
    Of course while on the medication I couldn't have ANY alcohol. 
    Wouldn't you know, first we manage to get a sitter for the first time
    in months, and I can't even have wine with this great Italian food,
    then hubby gets confirmation of a new job, with promotion, and I can't
    even celebrate with a glass of "bubbly" with him.  Oh well, we'll just
    have to celebrate this weekend.  Especially since generally all over I
    am feeling better.  Food is even apealing again!
    
    Lyn

    Can you believe this is STILL going on?
    
    The anti-parasitic medicine worked for 5 days and the problem recurred.
    We then put her on a fruit-free diet.  When that didn't work, we tried
    a dairy-free diet.  No luck.  The doctor says we did the right thing.
    I didn't want her on Flagyl without ruling out dietary causes.
    
    The doctor just ordered 2 more stool tests.  I supplied one yesterday. 
    They have to be rushed to the lab within 2 hours.  Fun. Fun.  He is
    testing for parasites, bacteria, and fat content which indicates
    nutrient absorption.
    
    He wants her to start a solution of Flagyl right after we submit the
    2nd test.  10 days of this medicine.  Then if that doesn't work, he'll
    refer her to a pediatric gastroenterologist. (Try saying that 10 times
    quickly. ;-))
    
    The doctor said he is not worried because she is gaining weight and
    obviously healthy otherwise.  Her development is normal.  I said,
    "Well, *I* am worried.  We have to get a handle on this."
    
    In the meantime she's interested in toilet training and has pooped
    twice on the potty (on the rare occasion when she had a solid one.)  As
    an extra bonus for resolving this problem, we MAY have a toilet-trained
    child.  I sure hope we resolve this problem soon.
    
    on and on. . .
    
    L

    I've read (skimmed) most of the entries on this note...I thought
    I had written in long ago but I guess I hadn't...Maybe this will
    help...
    
    Samantha at around 3 months or so fought diarrhea for 2 weeks ---
    the worst part was that there were traces of blood in it...
    
    The pedi's kept telling me that it was just a bug....etc...etc...
    
    Finally -- (after I snapped at the pedi's) they sent me to 
    Boston to a specialist....
    
    Turned out that Samantha was allergic to milk.....The specialist
    told me that children often show allergies through their bums...
    (diarrhea, diaper rash, discomfort during BM...)
    
    I vote for going to a specialist and having this checked out....
    The cure could be as easy as eliminating a certain food...
    
    
    

    RE:  .29
    
    Thanks, I'll bear that in mind.
    
    We're fairly certain that the cause is not dairy, but if the Flagyl
    treatment doesn't work, I'll certainly raise this question with the
    pediatric gastroenterologist.
    
    The doctor said that after prolonged diarrhea, the intestin can lose
    its lining - not the cells, but the flora that digest the food.  He
    said she may have no lactase (enzyme that digests lactose) due to the
    diarrhea.
    
    I guess if the parasite is the root cause, and we can get rid of it,
    then maybe her intestinal lining will get back to normal.  I'll ask the
    doctor about administering her some acidolopholis, a yogurt starter
    that re-seeds intestinal flora.  That might help.
    
    For now, he wants her on a dairy-free diet until she completes the
    Flagyl.  That's not as hard as it sounds because I am on a dairy-free
    diet and I know all the tricks.
    
    Laura

    Laura,
    
    The 14-month-old daughter of a friend just got over prolonged
    diarrhea. In her case it turned out to be giardia (picked up
    from well water on Martha's Vineyard, they think) complicated
    by a secondary lactose intolerance. After a 10-day course of 
    medication she was much, much better, and the lactose intolerance
    cleared up. While this may not be your daughter's problem, other
    noters may find it interesting...
    
    Good luck,
    
    Lucy

    Ilona is finishing up her course of Flagyl in a few days.  The
    pharmacist mixed it in chocolate syrup to make it more palatable, but
    it is still very bitter.  She fights like mad when Bill or I give it to
    her.  Gobs and spatters of chocolate everywhere. :-(  By Sunday evening
    she was not a happy camper.  She says, "I do it myself" but then she
    just puts the spoon on the table.
    
    Thank goodness she takes it real well at daycare.  It was a great
    relief to hand over the bottle to her sitter.
    
    The doctor told us to give her a teaspoon of Kaopectate 3 times a day
    for 2 weeks after the Flagyl.  
    
    She's having some more solid stools, so maybe the medicine is working.
    
    L

    We're working now with a pediatric gastroenterologist.
    
    So far we know:
    
    o No lactose intolerance (took the breath test and restarted her on
    milk with no worsening of her condition)
    
    o Upper GI series showed no abnormalities except for some reflux (food
    comes up into esophagus from stomach after swallowing), which may cause
    "heartburn" and may contribute to night time wakenings, but is not
    related to diarrhea.
    
    The specialist said that she may have a residual problem left after
    curing the possible giardia.  That some kids continue this way to age 3
    or 4 when it clears up spontaneously.  His apologies to our toilet
    training efforts.
    
    He'll probably want to examine her digestive tract with a scope (in his
    office with mild sedation - about 20-30 minutes).  I think if that
    comes out normal, he'll say she doesn't have any apparent problem and
    try increasing fiber.
    
    L
    
    PS:  She was a real champ with both the lactose intolerance and the GI
    tests.  What a great kid!  For the GI, I told her that since she is so
    pretty, the doctor wants pictures of her tummy with the giant camera. 
    Flattery will get you everywhere ;-)

I had severe diarrhea when I was a toddler. The only thing 
I could digest was goat's milk. It probably kept me alive.

Barry

    My sister's 6 year old is currently in her 3rd week of recurring
    diarrhea. All the doctor's test have come out negative. They believe
    it's something viral that will run it's own course, so they haven't 
    given her any medication. I asked my sister (who is a nurse) if they've
    checked her for milk intolerance, done the BRAT diet etc. Nothing seems
    to have worked so far. Any ideas? 

    As some previous replies may have mentioned, chronic diarrhea
    can be a symptom of giardia. THis is usually accompanied by some
    other symptoms as well. My mother (75) just had it, as did 
    the 16-month-old daughter of a friend. In both cases, there was
    a long period of diarrhea and secondary lactose intolerance.
    
    Lucy

Markus is now missing his second week of school with a similar disease.  The
doctors have said it is a viral intestinal infection.  It is accompanied by
stomarch cramps, sometimes severe, some vomiting, sometimes fever (although
Mark doesn't have that, I did though) and lack of appetite.  Everybody says they
have the "flu" but it seems to be diagnosed as this if you go to the doctor.

ccb

    Re: .35
    
    The latest is that my niece is now at Children's Hospital in Boston.
    After 3 weeks of diarrhea with no help from the standard medical
    intervention (i.e. checks for lactose intolerance, intestinal
    parasites, use of the 'BRAT' diet), she just started showing evidence
    of a fever and my sister took her to their local hospital. All their
    checks (GI series, Xrays, blood and stool samples) showed nothing, so
    they thought it was a non-specific infection of some kind (even checked
    for appendicitis but their Xray's showed nothing). Well, 2 days of
    antibiotics showed no sign of abating the infection, so they've sent
    her to Children's for (I think) an intestinal or stomach biopsy to see
    if she has some form of colitis or an ulcer. She is one sick little
    girl. My sister, who has been with her the whole time, hasn't been home
    in 3 days. My mom is helping out with the other 2 kids so that my
    brother-in-law can spend some time at the hospital today (biopsy is
    scheduled for early this AM...could lead to immediate surgery if they
    find anything). I'm worried for my niece and just need a little
    support.

    Lisa,
    
    I would be worried too. So sorry this is happening...please keep us 
    up to date as you can.
    
    Lucy

    Well, the latest is that the Doctor's are pretty sure that my niece has
    Crohn's (sounds like chrome) Disease which is a form of colitis.
    
    Apparantly it's quite rare for a 6 yr. old to have this; generally they
    don't see onset until at least adolescent/young adult age. I really
    don't know that much about it but it is a chronic (read: lifelong)
    disease that will likely mean flare-ups in the future (though usually
    they are less severe than the first time which, thankfully, is
    diagnosed to be on the mild side.) I guess the closest way to describe 
    it is that she has an ulcerated intestine. With diet control and medication
    they can try to control it. Surgery is generally out of the picture, I
    guess.  It's supposed to have some genetic links, although we aren't
    aware of anyone else on either side who had/has it. Anyway, it looks
    like she'll be in the hospital for about 2 weeks (maybe 3...they want
    to make very sure it's under control before she leaves so she doesn't
    have an immediate relapse). She's very tired, anemic (who wouldn't be
    after having everything you eat pass right through for 3 weeks?), still
    has some abdominal pain, and has some allergic rash, too. She's had to
    submit to all kinds of 'yucky' things: upper GI series (ever try to get
    a 6 year old to voluntarily drink the barium solution for the X-rays?),
    intestinal biopsies and exams, etc. But, she's got 3 very qualified
    doctor's who all want to have her as a patient (she's a real doll!).
    My sister is going to let her pick who she likes best. Other good news 
    is that they are starting to let her eat (pancakes and syrup!!! boy was
    she happy about that!). I've sent her a get-well card with a scribble
    drawing from my 2 yr. old. Any ideas on other things to keep her
    occupied during her stay?

    FWIW, there is some info on Crohn's disease (also called ileitis - sp?) 
    in the MEDICAL notesfile.
    
    My husband's aunt has had this disease for her entire adult life (she's
    in her early 50's now).  As you say, I've never heard of it in
    children.  I have no idea if she's in any kind of chronic pain, but
    every 5 years or so, the condition worsens such that she loses a lot of
    weight and needs to have surgery.  Her doctors also never allowed her 
    to become pregnant.
    
    I hope your niece is feeling better soon.
    
 Topic  Author               Date         Repl  Title
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   235                       11-AUG-1988     1  Advice on Crohn's and work schedule
   626   CURIE::HAROUTIAN    25-JAN-1990    10  Help requested: Crohn's disease
  1068  GOBAMA::CAMPBELL     14-NOV-1991     2  Arthritis and Crohn's Disease
  1233   A1VAX::DISMUKE      27-MAY-1992     6  What is Crohn's disease?

    I developed Crohn's Disease when I was 17.  Unfortunately the disease
    tends to get worse with each oncoming flareup.  I did have a remission
    for almost a year and a half...but when it came back it was really bad.
    
    I haven't heard of a child at such a young age getting it...my heart
    goes out to her, cuz from personal experience its not an easy disease
    to live with.  The good side is that they have many new surgeries now
    that can help tremendously.  When certain parts of the intestine become
    so damaged from the ulceration and bleeding, a lot of times that
    portion can be removed...the intestine reconnected and the person will
    do much better.
    
    I have had 5 major abdominal surgies starting in '82 and since then
    have not had a reoccurence of Chron's.  I eat everything now and had
    no problem with my first pregnancy.
    
    If you have any questions I'd be glad to help...write me off line if
    you'd like.
    
    ...Lori

    
    Lisa,
    
    I'm sorry to hear about your niece, but it is good to hear that it is 
    something that can be controlled through diet and medication.  
    
    Regarding your question " Any ideas on other things to keep her
    occupied during her stay? " I've got lots.  Last year at Christmas my
    brother was having a bone marrow transplant (6+ weeks in the hospital).
    
    First of all - decorate her room as much as the hospital will let you,
    in your family's typical holiday (read: from home) trimmings.  This
    will make her stay a little more cheerful as it sounds like she will be
    there during the holiday season. 
    
    We celebrate Christmas and, although my brother was in a sterile
    environment, we could decorate with certain items.  We has a ceramic
    Christmas tree, you know the ones with the peg lights all over, and 
    plastic transparent 'window-stick' decorations.  For your niece you
    could string lights and tinsle etc.  Make sure she has lots of company
    during the holiday season and space it so that she has lots over time
    and not twenty people at one visit.  My brother could only see
    immediate family members and only two at a time, so we spaced it out 
    - allowing him plenty of time to sleep.  You could talk with the nurses 
    about this too.  
    
    Being in the hospital is lousy during the holidays even though the
    staff does their best to make the season happy.  
    
    Oh, we also bought a video game that you connect to the TV set and they 
    let us hook it up for him.  If someone in your family has one of those
    you might look into that.  Or some of those less expensive hand held 
    game/toys.  There are lots to choose from - from the cheap to the
    exotic.
    
    Bring cuddly things from home. Blankets and stuffed toys or a doll she
    might like to sleep with.  Things like this will make it less sterile
    and more home-y.  
    
    I hope these thoughts help.  
    
    In the hopes that the New Year brings her home and healthy,
    
    Rose Marie

    Thanks to all who have replied here and off-line...it really helps!
    
    The latest is that my niece will likely be coming home in a few days
    according to her doctors. I think they are trying to make every effort
    to get her home in time for Christmas. So that's good news! If, for
    some reason, she has to stay 'til after the holiday, I did plan to go
    and decorate her room and bring her present to her there. My sister did
    mention that Children's would not let my daughter come in (2 yrs. old 
    tomorrow) since she hasn't had Chicken Pox yet. So, that will change
    the plans somewhat. But, it makes lots of sense to me. Wouldn't want my
    daughter to be carrying this, and find out after the fact that she
    infected alot of already-really-sick kids! (I guess that's the reason). 
    
    Again, thanks for all the support. This notesfile is great!

    Yes!  Finally.
    
    Like the doctors said - sometimes they can't find a cause and it
    eventually clears up without any treatment.  The specialist said, "By
    age 3 or 4," so I'm glad it is clearing up at 26 months.
    
    She's not completely better, but the improvement has been substantial
    over the last few weeks.  If this continues, I'll consider her A-OK
    very soon.
    
    Now, on to potty training.  What a relief...
    
    L

    Well, I keep these status reports for the benefit of anyone who may
    have to deal with nonspecific diarrhea.  I hope this information is
    useful.
    
    Ilona had a few good weeks, a few bad ones, and currently a variation
    of good and bad days.
    
    The doctor recommended that we administer added fiber for 2 weeks, then
    follow up with a stool sample for the doctor's inspection.  We provide
    the fiber in the form of Metamucil-type wafers.  They are large, hard
    cookies made mostly of ground fruit, nuts, and whole wheat, with the
    daily dose of psyllium fiber.  Ilona tolerates them well.  They're not
    as tasty as regular cookies, and they're slow to eat, being so dense. 
    But on an empty stomach she will gobble one down with water or milk on
    the side.
    
    Ground psyllium seeds form a jelly when they combine with water.  This
    is how they help solidify the stool.  Yes, they are most commonly used
    to cure constipation by holding more water in the stool.
    
    L

    Daniel (14 and a half months) has being vomiting every morning with
    dirrhea during the rest of the day, since last Friday.   I brought
    him to the doctor, who gave him Rapolyte, which comes in sachets.  
    You add it to 200mils of cooled boiled water.   The problem is Daniel
    under no circumstances will accept this.   I have tried giving it
    to him in his bottle, his cup, a spoon and the medical spoon.
    Does he need to take this, or will the diarrhea go of its own
    accord.   This morning was the first morning this week, he did not
    throw up his bottle, maybe, he is finally getting better.   Since
    this started, he is only drinking two to three bottle per day,  eating
    next to nothing.   What else can I do for him, if he has to take
    the Rapolyte, how do I get it into him.  
    
    
    
    Bernie

    You could try getting a baby or demitasse spoon at a time into him.  
    
    I am not familiar with Rapolyte, is it an electrolyte replacer?  If so,
    maybe gatorade or another "sports beverage" might be accepted better.  
    
    Meg

    Meg,
    
    Yes Rapolyte is an electrolyte replacer.   I will try the baby spoon
    method and spoon it into him.   Can you name some of the sports
    beverages, sorry I do not know them.
    
    
    Bernie

    In the US, the sports beverage is marketed as Gatorade.  It is sold in
    the section with other carbonated beverages, colas, gingerales, etc. 
    Gatorade is a very sweet tasting greenish drink that includes
    electrolytes.  It's called a sports beverage because you can use it to
    replace electrolytes when you perspire heavily.
    
    L
    

    We use Pedialyte, it restores fluid and minerals lost in diarrhea
    and vomiting, and it's made especially for children. 

re: .50

Just to clear up a minor point, while the Gatorade is often found near the 
carbonated beverages, it is not itself carbonated.  Also, it can be bought in 
powder form and mixed.

re: .51

We've used Pedialyte also.  I think the reason that something like Gatorade was 
suggested was that some kids just refuse the "good" stuff, like Pedialyte (and 
I assume Rapolyte also).  In the case of diarrhea, it's important to get 
liquids and electrolytes in them, so if Gatorade is the only way you can do 
it, then it's better than risking dehydration and chemical imbalance.

Clay

    There is Gatorade, but there are other "Sports Beverages" as well.  I
    usually an assortment of the stuff in various brands, some have more in
    the way of minerals than others.  
    
    The reason I recommended them is that they may or may not be as good as
    the pediolyte stuff, but at least my kids will take them.  (FWIW I
    tried pediolye and I understand why a child would reject it.
    
    Meg

    Thanks for the info, I will try the Gatorade on him.   I will let you
    know how I get on.    Oh, how you hate to see them ill, especially when
    they cannot talk and tell you exactly how they are feeling.
    
    
    Bernie

    Regarding Gatorade.... When my son was 10 months old and was in the
    hospital while on vacation for 4 days, that was the drink the hospital
    offered in the Refrigeator on the childrens ward. Nothing eles other
    than Gatorade in all flavors.
    
    So I would say they believe it helps sick children.
    
    Lynne
    

    Tried the Gatorade.   It worked, Daniel is much better, in fact he
    was looking for food yesterday.    Looks like he is over the present
    dose.    Thanks everybody.
    
    
    Bernie

    Gatorade is the name of choice for that particular sort of thing, but
    there are others.  The one I keep on the shelf for "just in case" is
    called 10K, I think there are other names like HighK and something
    else.  The "K" is a chemical name for potassium which is a real key
    thing to keep up in the case of dehydration.  Without it the heart can
    go into dangerous irregular beats that can be fatal.  Sorry to sound so
    harsh, but deyhdration is a big deal with kiddos!  
    
    As a suggestion, mix a little apple juice, cran juice, or even kool-aid
    into the pedialyte.  the Peidalyte does taste awful by itself.  Some
    places sell a fruit flavored peidalyte which isn't quite as bad.
    
    Worse case scenario try pushing Orange juice the "not from
    concentrate "type OJ, banannas would probably be the highest in
    potasium. And anything salty would work in a combination of ways.  
    
    My "semi-professional" opinion is that if you've had vomiting and the
    runs for a week, or any prolonged period a urine test and maybe a blood
    test for dehydration could be in order, just to be sure.  Kids can
    dehydrate in a very short time.
    
    Lyn

    I talked to my oldest last night and she reminded me that she had wound
    up preferring something called Exceed instead of Gatorade, it does have
    more pottassioum
    
    
    

	The handbook I received from my pedi suggests mixing the
	Pedialyte into Gatorade, but warns that Gatorade should not
	be used as a substitute for the Pedialyte.

	Karen

    Ilona is doing well on the Metamucil wafers.  We found the Metamucil
    brand wafers to be thinner and easier to chew than the other brand we
    first tried.  She likes them with applesauce for her morning snack.
    
    As long as she has 1 or 2 wafers a day (come packaged in handy little 2
    packs, just right for the lunch box), she does well.  
    
    I try stopping the wafers occasionally to see if she's ok without them,
    as per doctor's advice, but so far she still needs them.
    
    L

    Sarah, 11 mos, has had diarrhea and been vomiting for almost an entire
    week now.  For the first 2 days she had a fever of 101.5 but not since. 
    I took her to the doctor's at the beginning of the week and they
    thought it was just a stomach virus and would clear up in a couple of
    days.  Well, since it didn't, I spoke with the doctor yesterday and he
    said to continue the BRAT diet and change her formula to soy based, if
    there's no improvement by Saturday then to bring her back in.
    
    
    My question is, do stomach virus's really last this long? I'm really
    wondering if it's not something else and I'd like to have some ideas of
    what to question the doctor about.  None of the other 3 children at
    her daycare have been sick like this and she hasn't had a change in
    her diet.  Oh yes, she's also been on a daily maintainence dosage of
    Amoxicillin because of reoccurring ear infections.  Could this cause
    it?
    
    For the most part she's been in good spirits and has been a real
    trooper. I feel so awful, she's thin to start with and I'm sure she's
    lost a little weight due to not eating much or keeping anything in, I
    just hate seeing her sick and not feeling well, it's breaking my heart.
    
    Susan 8^{
    
    

Brad had a stomach virus last year when it seemed to be making the rounds,
and it lasted a good week.  Jessica also caught it, but it only lasted a
few days with her.  In Brad's case, he couldn't keep anything in and managed
to dehydrate himself quite rapidly. That's something you want to watch for,
so you might want to give her some Pedialyte or similar rehydration formula
as dehydration can be quite serious (we had to rush Brad to the hospital
for his dehydration even though we were doing the 15cc's of Pedialyte
every 15 minutes -- we just couldn't keep up).

Signs of dehydration include dry mucous membranes (i.e. dry mouth, 
dry eyes), shriveled fingers, toes or hands, and sunken eyes.  Just something
you should watch for.

And when it did finally go away, it took a bit before Brad was back to eating
his normal way.  And considering he eats like a horse, that's saying something.

We also did the soy-based formula for about a week (he had been on regular
milk at the time) just to get his system back to normal.  Seemed to help.

Cathy

    Chelsea got her first stomach virus when she was 6 months old.  She
    had the vomitting for about 3 days and the diarrhea for a week.  It
    really knocked the wind out of her.  We kept her on the BRAT diet
    for two weeks and she didn't get back to her regular meal schedule for
    almost a month.  We were on high iron forumula and switched to low and
    watered it down quite a bit.  I didn't reintroduce the iron formula
    until a month went by, because she really seemed to be having a hard
    time getting back to speed.  She did drop two pounds, but once she
    was back to her old self, she put it right back on.  We also did the
    Pedialyte.  When her bowels got back to normal we made juice cubes and
    crushed them up...fed it to her by spoon and this was a real treat for
    her at the time...also was a good way to keep her hydrated, because she
    had lost interest in her bottle with this flu.
    
    Take care,
    
    ..Lori

    My son just had that same virus 2 weeks ago.  I had to stay home with
    him for 4 days because he had such terrible diarhea.  I felt guilty sending
    him to the sitters like that.  Our pedi told us this virus lasts about
    a week, which it did, exactly 7 days later he was better.  He was
    drinking alot of juice and I felt that was making it worse so finally
    I watered down some caffeine free soda and gave that to him.  I also
    gave up the BRAT diet after 3 days and started giving him cheese and
    whatever else he wanted.
    
    I finally sent him to the sitters house on Friday of that week and her
    kids ended up coming down with it by Sunday so we had to keep him out
    of daycare for another week.  It was a stressful couple of weeks....
    
    
    
    Hang in there,
    
    Kelly
      

    Thanks for all the responses, I feel better about knowing other's
    experiences with this bug. I stayed home with Sarah on Monday,
    Michael took Tuesday off and we sent her to daycare on Wed.  I've felt
    incredibly guilty being here at work but being home doesn't seem to do
    anything for her and she's been having a blast playing with the guys.
    I just spoke with the babysitter and she's actually kept some food
    down, yeah!!!!!
    
    Thankfully, she hasn't had a problem keeping fluids, just solids, so I
    think that has kept her going a bit.  Yesterday, the pedi told me to
    give her prosobee instead of her enfamil, so the change to soy may be
    making her stomach feel better accepting food.
    
    I guess we'll take it slowly and increase her diet as she calls it. 
    Hopefully, we'll be all set for when we head down to FLA on the 23rd to
    visit her great-grandparents.
    
    Thanks for the support, I need it 8^)
    
    Susan

		     
	Bradley has had this stomach virus several times in the last
	2-3 months.  In fact, he is still getting over it.  He
	vomited sunday and monday but was fine tuesday; spit up a
	little wednesday and heaved again yesterday.  He acts fine
	other wise, his bowels are loose.  This was pretty much
	the story the previous 2 times he had been sick.  In fact,
	he had his 6month dr. appointment this week and they gave
	him the shots because the dr didn't think it would be a big 
	deal and it wasn't.  The only difference was he wasn't as 
	hungry that day.

	What is the BRAD diet?  The dr. always says fed him pedilyte
	for 12-24 then feed him a soy based formula for a few days
	until he recovers.  Well, there's no way my kid will take
	the pedilyte or water and I can't cope with a screaming,
	hungry kid so I always had to feed him the soy formula.
	I tried watering it down which worked too.

	The dr. also told me it could last a week and I know that
	several kids at daycare had this vomit/diarreha as well.  Oh
	Bradley just finished his Amoxcillin for his ear ache on
	Wednesday too....so it's probably not that.

	Lynne
    

	>What is the BRAD diet?  
    
    	I think you mean the BRAT diet.
    
     	Bananas
    	Rice
    	Applesauce
    	Toast
    
    	These foods are suppose to firm up the bowels.
    

    It's called a BRAT diet:
    
    Bananas
    Rice
    Apple sauce
    Toast (plain)
    
    We had a bout of it over Christmas.  First Anthony had it, on the plane
    flight from GA to MA.  He threw up on the plane, then in the airport
    while he and I were waiting for Mom and Samantha to arrive on another
    flight.  It was an 'interesting' experience to be in a crowded airport
    lobby with a 4 year old throwing up.  It taught me real quick how to
    tend to the situation at hand and ignore totally what people's reaction
    to what is going on.
    
    Anyway, Anthony got over it in a few days and then I got it and
    Samantha picked it up too.
    
    Dave
    

	I feel a bit better now... Emily's had a bug since last Tuesday
	evening.  Fortunately, she's holding down most food, with only
	one vomiting episode (Wednesday).  However, she's eating less than
	half her normal amount, and is spitting up, very tired, and a bit
	fussy.  She also wants to be held frequently.  The pedi's office
	didn't recommend changing her formula - in fact, I'd just started
	her on 2oz. of milk in each 7oz. bottle the week before she
	became sick, and they said that if it was a milk reaction, it'd
	shown up quite soon after starting it, with a more severe reaction.

	I was getting concerned this morning knowing that we're going on
	a week of this, but reading the other notes here, I'm just thankful
	Emily's case is so (comparitively) mild.

	Karen

    Karen,
    
    You described Sarah's symptoms to a t.  We had started her on a whole
    milk mixture about 1 1/2 weeks before, too, and I questioned whether
    there was an allergy, but our pedi, said it would have shown up very 
    quickly it that were the case.
    
    The good news is that it seems to be over.  Since Friday she has been
    keeping all her food down and hasn't had one case of diarrhea since. 
    I can tell she's still feeling a bit out of it, but she's definitely on
    the road to recovery.  I feel so much better!
    
    Good luck to all the babes and mom's out there.
    
    Susan

We all got this stomache virus back in February. Two
additional things besides the BRAT diet you can try which
help keep the little ones from being dehydrated is to give 
them popsicles and semi-soft jello.  

As soon as either of my kids are sick and my Mom knows the
first thing she asks "Do you have popsicles in the house?"

The jello, we tried when Kevin had bad diarrhea and a 
co-worker of my husband recommended it. You make the jello
the quick way using ice cubes then let them drink it. It
did help Kevin, but watch out for what flavor you use! I
wouldn't recommend cherry or strawberry. ;-} 

- Pat K.

    Daniel, nearily 20 months old, has a sick tummy with a bit of Diarrhea,
    since last Saturday.   At first, we though it was just a simple bug.
    We were given him Seven-Up as well as Pedialyte.   After a few days
    he was getting no better, so we brough him to the doctor.   She said
    he had a badily infected throat, which was seeping back into his
    tummy.   She prescriped an antibody for his throat and more Pediatyte.
    She said not to give him any food for a day.   We did all of this, but
    he was still as bad as ever if not a bit worse.   We brough him back
    to her.   She examined him again.   This time she gave us an orange
    flavoured Pediatyte, which we are to give him approx. 30 ml of
    every 15 - 30 minutes.   He seems to be finally responding, but is
    still ill.   He also seems to have a headache.   The doctor examined
    him for Meningities, which thankfully he did not have.   
    
    Another guy, who works with me son has the same dose.   His son was
    in hospital for two days with it.   He is home now, but is still ill.
    I don't know what it is, but I hope Daniel and his son will be soon
    be better.
    
    
    Bernie
    
    

    This flu is a bugger - It's made its way through my family, including
    cousins etc.  
    
    Hang in there, make sure he gets his fluids and he'll get better!!!
    FWIW - I started coming down with it on friday and just went to 
    the dr yesterday because I wasn't feeling any better.....
    
    -/Andrea
    

    My daughter , 18 months old, has been having frequent (1-3 times a day)
    loose stools on and off for months now. We have tried the Brat
    diet, soya milk instead of cows milk, homeopathy ... with 
    no results. Recently they did a stool analysis and found nothing.
    She does not seem to suffer from this, she seems quite healthy.
    I read in a book about Toddlers that some very active toddlers
    may experience this for long periods, and that it is normal.
    Has anyone else had this experience with their toddler?
    Carol

Re: .75

Our son is very sensitive to apple and orange juice.

Other "blend" fruit juices does not seem to affect him
at all.

/Malin

    My son went basically after every meal and it was typically loose, so
    that's what was normal for him. I'd say he did the from about 6 1/2
    months to something like almost 2 years. Then he gradually tapered off
    to once or twice a day which is where he is now.  Maybe this is normal
    for her?  Some people have fast digestive tracts, so perhaps that's
    what's happening here. If your pedi has checked, then it could just be
    normal for her body.

    might want to keep a diary of what the child ate/drank and see if
    you can come up with a pattern.  Our nemesis was apple juice, which
    unfortunately is a sweetener in many things, only listed in ingredient
    labels, sometimes hard to find.  Also double-check with care-taker
    assuming there is one, we found our 2-year old traded juice, often
    not noticed till we spoke with our sitter, once eliminated, problem
    corrected itself.  She is now 4 not as sensitive but fall is tough
    since we love fresh apples and cider: just ration for her.
    
    good luck!

	Kristen is 17months old and she usually only has 1 bowel movement a
	day, but 95% of the time it is loose.  This is normal for her, but
	sometimes a person who doesn't regularly change her diaper will 
	comment that maybe something is wrong.  I just let them know that
	is normal for her.

	It sounds like this was a change in your daughter's system, but 
	since it's been happening for a while now and you've had it tested,
	I would just keep staying aware of it and maybe keep a diary like
	another noter suggested.

	Good luck!
	Karen T.

    
    	My six month old is like this... I don't give it much concern.
    
    	Then again, I'm much the same way.
    	
    	Karen
    

    Chelsea is almost 2-1/2 and I would say she has a very fast digestive
    track.  She can average from 2 to 6 times a day and most are on the
    loose side.  We limit her juice to one cup a day.  She is very active
    and drinks tons of water, don't know if this contributes to it.
    
    I've told my Pedi that when she has her first hard bowel movement I'm
    gonna bronze it, cuz I sometimes feel like the day will never come!
    
    ...Lori