Your toddler likely has diarrhea if his stools are looser, more watery and more frequent than normal, according to BabyCenter. Fortunately, most cases of diarrhea in the United States are relatively mild. Your toddler shouldn't have serious complications as long as you're keeping him well hydrated and keeping his digestive system comfortable until the diarrhea subsides.
Significance of Fluids
Your toddler can temporarily go without solid foods if she refuses them. However, she may need to be hospitalized for dehydration if her diarrhea is bad enough and you're not on top of giving her fluids. Stick with water and avoid sweet fluids such as soda, sports drinks, gelatin and non-diluted fruit juice. Sugar draws water from her intestine and can make diarrhea worse, according to BabyCenter. If your toddler has a watery bowel movement at least once every two hours, ask her pediatrician if he would recommend a pediatric electrolyte solution to reduce her risk of an imbalance.
Bland Foods
Your toddler's pediatrician may suggest that you give your toddler a bland food diet for the first day and slowly increase his intake of other foods over the span of two days. This diet is often called the BRAT diet because it includes bananas, rice, applesauce and toast. It may also include other bland foods such as unsweetened cereals, boiled potatoes, clear soups and saltine crackers. Dairy, sugary foods and fatty foods may cause more diarrhea, warns the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Considerations
Although a one or two day BRAT diet shouldn't harm your toddler, she may be fine eating her standard diet if she has a mild case of diarrhea, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Sticking with nutritious staples such as lean meats, yogurt, vegetables, fruits and complex carbohydrates may help shorten your toddler's bout of diarrhea because it restores the nutrients your toddler needs to fight off an infection. Your toddler may also have a shorter bout of diarrhea if you give her yogurt that contains live cultures. Still, your best bet is to get advice from your toddler's pediatrician. She may recommend that you feed your toddler a bland diet if your toddler is having trouble digesting cow's milk.
When to Get Help
Diligently watch your toddler for dehydration signs such as decrease in urination, tearless crying, sunken eyes, dry mouth and listlessness. Take him to a clinic if you notice any of these signs. Also let your toddler's pediatrician know if you notice any significant changes in your toddler's behavior, if your toddler has any blood in his stool and if he has a fever of over 102 degrees Fahrenheit.
