Infant diarrhea is very common, and rice cereal is a food given to infants to try to prevent or lessen the diarrhea. While rice is a food recommended for diarrhea, the American Academy of Pediatrics, or AAP, states that a normal diet is safe to feed your little one even when she has diarrhea. That normal diet can include rice cereal, vegetables, fruits, grains and proteins. Hydration should also be taken very seriously during bouts of diarrhea, and you should provide your infant with liquids such as breast milk and electrolyte drinks. Consult your physician if your child's condition does not improve or if there is fever, blood in the stool, abdominal pain or weight loss.
Infant Diarrhea Dangers
The biggest concern when an infant has diarrhea is dehydration. Approximately 400 children under the age of 5 die from diarrhea-induced dehydration in the United States each year. By the time your child is 5 years old, he will probably have had 7 to15 bouts with diarrhea. Since diarrhea can be life-threatening, it is incredibly important to understand how to treat it with rice cereal and other oral therapies.
The BRAT Diet for Infant Diarrhea
The BRAT diet is something that's been used to treat diarrhea for ages. The letters stand for banana, rice or rice cereal, applesauce and toast. An addition to the BRAT diet is yogurt because of its healing properties. With the addition of yogurt, the diet is sometimes called the BRATY diet. Rice cereal is a part of the BRAT diet, which can be safely incorporated in the treatment of infant diarrhea.
Rice Cereal for Infant Diarrhea
How much rice cereal you give your child depends on the severity and duration of her diarrhea. If she has mild diarrhea, defined as two to four loose stools in 24 hours, give her rice cereal and any of the other BRATY diet combinations whenever she will eat. If your child has moderate diarrhea, or four to eight stools per day without showing other signs of illness, give her small amounts of the BRATY diet combinations, including rice cereal. If your child's diarrhea is severe, give very small amounts of rice cereal and other BRATY foods but also consult your physician.
Other Treatments for Infant Diarrhea
While rice cereal and the BRATY food combinations can be helpful for diarrhea, there are other things to consider. If you are breastfeeding your infant, continue to do so regardless of the severity of the diarrhea. Breastfeeding may prevent or lessen the diarrhea while hydrating and soothing your little one. Also consider white grape juice and electrolyte drinks, such as Pedialyte, to maintain hydration.
