Do You Call It "Diarrhea?"

[Lissa Kristine]

6 month old who hasn't fully started on solid foods (save for an occasional Gerber puff) has a blowout. Would you call it diarrhea?

My boss says 'yes.' I disagree. It's only watery/liquidy because his diet doesn't contain solid foods. If all that's going in is liquid, then you're only going to get liquid coming out, right?

At that age, I'd be focusing more on frequency of the BMs than consistency. If I need to change his diaper more frequently and he's not acting himself, then I'll be concerned. However, a blowout isn't "diarrhea" at that age.

[ChelseaB]

Well, it really depends. Even on a diet consisting of primarily formula, the body will still separate the wastes, and poo still comes out solid, in my experience. It’s all very circumstantial— I classify it as diarrhea if it’s a bowel movement out of the ordinary/very watery (and yes, a blowout). If it isn’t accompanied by any other symptoms, I may wait and see if another similar movement occurs within a short amount of time. Generally, I have pretty good instincts as to whether it was just a change in diet or if it’s illness related. Either way, if it is frequent and messy, it is still a hygienic risk to the daycare, and I will have child picked up until it is contained.

[daycarediva]

Any liquid stool is diarrhea. It honestly depends on the child's typical bm's for me though. I have kids who almost always have loose stools, and then those who have formed stool.

Blowouts that happen x2 in a day get sent home- regardless.its a sanitary issue.

[midaycare]

Agree it depends on typical bms. My bf babes usually have more watery stools. The healthier a child eats (in my experience), the grosser their poo (more frequent, a little looser). I find dcks who eat processed crap are constipated or have big hard ones. Thank goodness I already ate.

[jenboo]

The breastmilk babies never have solid poop. It's always liquid. The formula babies have solid poop.
So it depends on what's normal.

Most of the toddlers don't really have solid poop either but i can tell when something is different

[MomBoss]

Every infant I have taken care of has has at least 1 blow out a week. Especially if they are still on formula or breastmilk. I would only consider it an illness if there is currently a bug going around in the daycare.

[HappyEverAfter]

For my infants, I don't consider it diarrhea until they've had more than 3 consecutive, liquid bowel movements. Most of the infants I have are still too young for anything other than breast milk or formula so their dirty diapers tend to be on the liquids side anyway. One infant has a blow out at least twice a week, but that's his normal and not diarrhea.