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Isomil^® 2 Advance^® Nutrition Education Series (Part 4 of 4)
Diarrhoea – Common Concerns

What should I feed my baby when he has diarrhoea? Would feeding him drinks like glucose, honey water or yoghurt help?
– Jasmine, mother of 4-year-old Julia

Dear Jasmine,

When your baby has diarrhoea, the first line of treatment is to ensure adequate hydration. One way is to provide a sterile ready-to-drink oral rehydration solution (ORS) to prevent dehydration. Replacing fluids with glucose or honey water may not be advisable as the absorption of fluid from these solutions may not be as efficient as that from an ORS. Mixing up these solutions from scratch may result in beverages of varying compositions and, also create an opportunity for cross contamination.

Apart from paying close attention to hydration, you also need to ensure that your baby is nourished with suitable nutrient-dense and easily digestible solid foods and beverages to help your baby recover speedily and prevent unnecessary weight loss.

It is best to avoid milk during a severe diarrhoea episode as the level of lactase, the enzyme required for milk sugar digestion, in the gut drops and it takes a while to be restored to the original level. Undigested lactose in the gut causes abdominal pain, cramping and loose watery stools. While yoghurt has less lactose than milk, it is not lactose free. A recommended option is soy formula as it is naturally lactose free or a lactose free formula which also delivers many vital nutrients to support your baby's nourishment during the diarrhoea episode and the recovery period.
– Dr Chan Poh Chong

This educational message is the last of our 4-part Nutrition Education Series on "Diarrhoea – Common Concerns" featuring questions sent to Abbott Nutrition's Family website and answered by paediatric nutrition experts. We hope you enjoyed our 4-part educational message on "Diarrhoea – Common Concerns".

Our nutrition expert for the week:
Dr Chan Poh Chong
Head & Senior Consultant
Division of Ambulatory and
Adolescent Paediatrics
University Children's Medical Institute
National University Hospital

Singapore mother's No.1 choice* Made with high quality soy protein Supports growth of babies like cow's milk-based formulas do Naturally free of lactose DuoCarb Advantage – 3 times higher carbohydrate absorption than most other formulas to supply energy needed, especially during diarrhoea 1st soy formula with AA & DHA – building blocks of brain and eye development Iron and Taurine – To support overall mental development Choline – To support overall mental functioning Find out more about Isomil® 2 Advance®

References:

* Based on full year 2008 sales value data reported by Nielsen MarketTrack for Infant Milk category, Specialty Segment (LF, HA, Soy, Goat's Milk) in Total Singapore. © 2009, The Nielsen Company.

Related Articles:
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

The advice offered by the featured expert should not be misinterpreted to be a recommendation of any product. This feature provides the opinions of specialists and readers should consult their own doctors if they should have further enquiries.
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