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Infant With Frequent Motion. On Mothers Milk With Bottle Milk. Is This Normal?

Posted on Mon, 1 Apr 2013

Question: Hello Doctor,
My two weeks old daughter is passing stools 10 to 12 times a day. She is on mothers milk mostly and takes bottle milk as supplement for every two to three hours.
Is it normal? How to differentiate it from diarrhoea or any other infection? Will it affect her weight gain?
Please reply.
Thanks in advance.

Regards, XXXXXXX U

Answered by Dr. Y V Siva Sankara Murty (9 minutes later)

Hi,

Thanks for writing to health care magic.

I request you to stop that bottle feed immediately. Breast feeding is ideal for babies because of several reasons. It helps in brain growth, prevents infections. Breast milk contains all the right nutrients required for the baby in right proportions. I request you to please stop that bottle feed and continue exclusive breast feeding.

A breast fed baby may some times pass stools 10 times a day. So one need not worry about them particularly if the stool is small in quantity.

One should think of infection if the baby is not active, if there is blood in the stool, baby is having temperature instability (low body temperature or fever) or not feeding normally.

Hope I answered your query.
Please ask further if you have any doubts regarding your baby. I would be more than happy to answer you.

Take care.

STOP BOTTLE FEEDING

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad

Follow up: Dr. Y V Siva Sankara Murty (3 hours later)

Hello Dr. Y V Siva Sankara Murty
Thanks for your reply and the information. Myself and my wife fully agree with the suggestions and benefits you have mentioned regarding mother’s milk but please note that we are giving the bottle milk (Farex Infant Formula) as a supplement and only because mother’s milk generated is not enough and the baby is still hungry after having it. So please advice what can be done in this situation? Should we change the formula or completely avoid it?
Also, we have noticed that while the baby passes the stool, it splurts out at times and due to this we are concerned if it is diarrhoea or any other infection.
Please let us know your valuable suggestions.
Thanks in advance

Regards, XXXXXXX U

Answered by Dr. Y V Siva Sankara Murty (22 minutes later)

Hi XXXXXXX

Milk generation improves when the baby suckles at the breast. More the baby suckles more milk is produced. Only think that mother should be peaceful in her mind and should not have any worries what so ever. If mother is worried if the milk is sufficient enough or not the milk production will decrease (this is because one of the reflexes that causes milk production... the prolactin and oxytocin refluxes are hampered... sorry for the medical words but I felt you can understand). Therefore this starts with first avoiding the formula feeds completely.

Just ask the mother to take the baby into her lap with lots of love and affection. Let the baby suckle on the breast. Milk will automatically come. Do not worry if it is sufficient or not. It will be sufficient naturally and normally.

Formula feeds are most often prepared for manufactures profit. They are least beneficial. I hope you are convinced with me for exclusive breast feeding.

10 to 12 episodes of stools with just spurting of stool does not worry me much. Just monitor the activity of the baby, look out if the stool is just in small quantity or not (if is large quantity and watery then some action may be required). Look out for blood in the stool.

Be gentle in cleaning the anal area. Just dab the area. Do not use rough cloth.

Try to give the hind milk also (milk that comes in the end). Only giving fore milk could be associated with increased frequency of stool.

Hope this helps. Continue writing if you have further doubts.

Take care

Note: For further queries related to your child health, Talk to a Pediatrician. Click here to Book a Consultation.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad