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Moms, it turns out that what you consume can affect the quality of breast milk and can cause problems such as diarrhea in babies, you know.
Apart from infectious diseases, diarrhea can also be caused by Moms’ own diet.
What foods do you consume that can cause diarrhea in babies? Here’s the complete review!
Factors causing diarrhea in babies
The diet or food menu that Moms consume is not the only thing that can cause diarrhea in your little one.
Here are some common causes of diarrhea in breastfed babies:
- Disease infection. Viruses, bacteria, fungal organisms, and parasites can cause infections that cause diarrhea in babies.
- Solid food. Changes in the baby’s diet can cause changes in the baby’s bowel movements. Dairy products, eggs, gluten, peanuts, and shellfish can cause food allergies and sensitivities that lead to diarrhea.
- Consuming certain medications. If a baby has to take medication such as antibiotics, it can upset his stomach and cause loose stools.
- Traveling. Just as adults can experience diarrhea while traveling, so can children. Infants and young children may be at higher risk.
- Certain medical conditions, such as colitis, can also cause diarrhea.
- Teething can be an indirect cause of diarrhea. Teething babies put everything in their mouths. Germs on dirty toys and hands can easily enter the baby’s body and cause disease and diarrhea.
Causes of diarrhea in babies who are breastfed
Along with the general causes above, breastfed babies can experience diarrhea for various reasons, including:
1. The food that Moms consume
Some foods in Moms’ diet or menu can cause allergies and sensitivities in breastfed babies.
Cow’s milk, chocolate, foods that contain gas, spicy foods, and caffeine are the foods most likely to trigger problems.
You may have to evaluate your diet to try to find out if something you ate could be causing your baby’s diarrhea.
2. Consume laxatives
Stool softeners and some mild fiber supplements or laxatives are usually safe to use when you’re breastfeeding.
However, strong stimulant laxatives can be transmitted to the baby and cause diarrhea. Consult your doctor before taking laxatives while you are breastfeeding.
3. Weaning process
The introduction of new foods into a baby’s diet can cause stomach problems due to food sensitivities and allergies.
Apart from that, diarrhea in babies can also appear as a response to disturbed health and nutrition. This happens to children who live in developing or less developed areas.
They are more susceptible to illness, infection, and disease once they are weaned from the breast and they no longer receive the nutrients and protective properties found in breast milk.
Foods that can cause diarrhea in breastfeeding babies
If you are breastfeeding your little one, it’s a good idea to limit several types of food and drinks below to reduce the risk of diarrhea.
1. Milk and its derivative processed products
When breastfeeding your little one, Moms should limit consumption of dairy products such as cow’s milk and yogurt. Dairy products can add to the milk protein and lactose already found in breast milk.
Excess milk protein and lactose can cause diarrhea in babies. Diarrhea can be much more severe if the baby is intolerant or allergic to one or both of these products.
2. Certain fruits
If you like to eat fruit or drink fruit juice, then you need to make sure the fruit doesn’t cause your baby to have diarrhea.
Fruits that can cause diarrhea in babies include:
- Apple
- Cherry
- Pear
- Plums
- Prunes
These fruits contain quite high levels of sugar. Babies are not yet developed enough to be able to digest this amount of sugar.
Apart from that, fruits such as pears, plums and prunes are also known as natural laxatives. They are a great fruit for constipation, especially in juice form.
But if the baby does not suffer from constipation and you eat too many pears, then this can cause diarrhea in your little one.
3. Spicy food
Spicy foods can cause gas and diarrhea because they are difficult for adults to digest. If spicy food passes into breast milk, then the baby may also experience these two symptoms.
4. Chocolate
Chocolate is basically a combination of milk, sugar, cocoa, and other ingredients.
Therefore, especially due to the high concentration of milk and sugar, it can cause diarrhea in babies if you consume it in excess.
5. Tomato
Babies are not yet developed enough to be able to process the acidity of tomatoes. Tomatoes can cause loose stools in breastfed babies if breast milk becomes too acidic.
Apart from that, if you eat them raw then it is possible that tomatoes also contain salmonella. So wash and cook to be safe.
6. Cafein
Avoid drinking more than 2 to 3 cups (16 to 24 ounces) of caffeinated beverages a day. It’s best to avoid coffee at least three hours before Moms are going to breastfeed your baby.
Coffee is known to cause digestive reactions such as gas or loose stools, but you can also pass these reactions on to your baby if you drink too much.
Additionally, caffeine in breast milk may irritate the baby or disrupt the baby’s sleep.
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