Soft stool in toddlers often is more of a laundry problem than a medical problem, but it's important to understand what is normal and atypical. Fortunately, most cases of soft stool go away on their own or are easily treated by removing the underlying cause. Learning what to do for a toddler with soft stool can help get your child back to normal as quickly as possible, easing both your mind and your laundry load.
Identification
Normal toddler stool should be soft but not too soft. One way to determine if soft stool is a problem is to keep track of how many times a day your child is having a bowel movement. If your toddler has loose stool only once or twice a day, it could be perfectly normal. The key is knowing how often your child normally has a bowel movement, since this is different for different kids. According to pediatrician William Sears, if your child has about one and a half or twice his normal amount of daily bowel movements, this could signal diarrhea.
Causes
Soft stool in a toddler often is caused by an intestinal virus. The body usually fights off the virus on its own, so no medical intervention is necessary. In some cases, the virus itself already has been conquered by the body's immune system, but irritation to the lining of the intestines remains. Your child may continue to experience intermittent bouts of diarrhea for weeks after the initial illness. Another cause of soft stool is a reaction to food. Mild food allergies or a food intolerance can be the cause, or it can be just a case of eating too much fruit or other high-fiber foods. Juice is another potential culprit, since many toddlers have trouble digesting the sugars in juice.
When to Worry
Occasional soft stool isn't usually a problem, but if your child has diarrhea for more than 24 hours, he can become dehydrated. Watch for cracked lips, decreased urine output and a lack of tears and bring your toddler to a doctor if he exhibits any of these signs. Provide plenty of water or an electrolyte solution recommended by his pediatrician to keep your child hydrated when he has diarrhea. Other danger signs that can indicate something more serious than a minor bout of soft stool are blood in the stool, a high fever or bloated belly. Continued weight loss can be a sign that your child's diarrhea is interfering with his body's ability to extract nutrients from food.
Considerations
For a child with diarrhea, offer bland binding foods, such as bananas, toast, applesauce and rice. Feed your child more frequently but offer smaller meals. Sometimes soft stool occurs in conjunction with constipation, with bowel movements alternating between the two. If your child experiences this, try gradually increasing the amount of fiber in his diet.
