Toddler's Diarrhea | Riley at IU Health

Toddler's diarrhea (also known as chronic nonspecific diarrhea of childhood) is one of the most common causes of chronic diarrhea in otherwise healthy children.

There are several factors that contribute to toddler's diarrhea, including:

Excessive fluid intake. Too much fluid can overwhelm the ability of a toddler's digestive tract to absorb water and electrolytes, resulting in diarrhea.
Carbohydrate malabsorption. Fruit juices often contain large amounts of sugars and carbohydrates, such as sorbitol and fructose, which are poorly absorbed in a child's digestive tract.
Low-fat/high-fiber diet. Many children may prefer fruits and/or vegetables over meat or higher fat foods. Fat can slow down a child's digestion allowing more time for absorption of nutrients. Diets high in fiber and low in fat may cause food to move through the intestines rapidly resulting in diarrhea.
Immature digestive tract. The nerves that carry signals to a toddler's digestive tract may not be fully mature which results in rapid movement of food through the digestive tract. This may not allow adequate time for absorption resulting in diarrhea.

Children with toddler's diarrhea often have:

Between five and 10 loose, watery large stools per day
Stools with undigested food particles
Diarrhea lasting weeks followed by weeks of normal bowel movements

You should contact a pediatric gastroenterologist if your child experiences more serious symptoms with diarrhea, such as:

Blood in the stool
Chronic fever
Greasy or oily stools
Severe abdominal pain
Bowel movement accidents
Vomiting
Weight loss or poor weight gain

If your child experiences diarrhea associated with dairy products or other foods, you should consult a physician.

Diagnosis of Toddler's Diarrhea

Doctors may suspect toddler's diarrhea in children with chronic diarrhea who are six months to five years old and are gaining weight, developing normally and otherwise healthy. The doctor will ask questions about your child's symptoms and the frequency of diarrhea to make a diagnosis. A detailed dietary and fluid intake history is often very helpful when evaluating causes of diarrhea.

Treatments

Treatments for toddler’s diarrhea include making dietary and nutrition changes, such as:

Limit fruit juice
Avoid excessive fluid intake and “grazing” with bottles or sippy cups
Increase the amount of fat in your child's diet with whole milk, butter and olive oil
Increase the amount of fiber in your child's diet with fresh fruit, bread, cereal and beans

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that no juice should be given to infants younger than 6 months old. Juice should be limited to no more than 4 ounces per day in children 1-6 years old and no more than 8 ounces per day in older children. Sport drinks should not be used outside of sport activities in older children. Cola beverages, soda and tea should be avoided completely.

As your child's digestive tract matures, the symptoms of toddler's diarrhea may improve.

Key Points to Remember

Children with toddler's diarrhea are healthy children who are growing and developing normally.
Diet changes may improve or alleviate your child's symptoms.
Symptoms may improve over time as your child's digestive tract matures.
Alert your child's doctor if he or she experiences other symptoms with diarrhea such as blood in the stool, weight loss or poor weight gain, chronic fever, severe abdominal pain, vomiting, bowel movement accidents or greasy or oily stools.

Support Services & Resources

Visit the websites below to find support groups and services and learn more about toddler’s diarrhea.

Riley at IU Health offers a broad range of supportive services to make life better for families who choose us for their children's care.

Learn More About Riley Support Services

GIKids

This website from the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition provides information for parents about toddler’s diarrhea.

Locations

In addition to our primary hospital location at the Academic Health Center in Indianapolis, IN, we have convenient locations to better serve our communities throughout the state.

Sort through 7 facilities offering Toddler's Diarrhea care by entering your city or zip below.

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Departments Treating This Condition

Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition