Effective Home Remedies for Loose Motions in Babies and Kids

Symptoms of Loose Motions in Babies

If you are looking for the symptoms of loose motion for a 1-year baby or younger, you need to watch out for the following:

• Watery and smelly stools

• Fever (sometimes)

• Vomiting (occasionally)

• Body chills

• Extreme fatigue

• Body ache

• Stomach pain

• Restlessness/Crankiness

Causes of Loose Motions in Babies

• Viral infections (most common cause, e.g., rotavirus)

• Seasonal changes

• Food allergies

• Teething

• Sudden changes in the baby’s diet

Home Remedies for Loose Motions in Babies

If you notice watery stools in babies, don’t get worried. Try these effective home remedies for loose motions in babies, and you will notice a difference soon. However, if your baby’s loose motions continue for 3 to 4 days without any improvement, seek medical help right away.

• Breastmilk

If your baby is less than 6 months old, you should continue feeding him/her only breastmilk. Your baby can get enough nutrients from breastmilk to stop the loose motions. Sometimes, your baby may not get enough milk, even if you keep feeding him/her regularly. You can include lots of high-protein foods, milk, garlic, spinach, nuts, etc., to improve the milk production in your breast. This will ensure your baby gets enough milk whenever you feed him/her.

• Sago Water

Sago (also known as sabudana) is a good choice for treating loose motion for a 1 year baby. Soak a small cup of sago in water for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, boil this properly until all the sago is blended well with water. Using a strainer, collect only the sago water in a cup. Give a few spoons of this water to your baby. This will help ease the stomach, arrest loose motions, and also hydrate his/her body.

• Oral Rehydrated Solution (ORS)

Watery stools can make your baby feel dehydrated and tired. You can make him/her drink store-bought or homemade ORS solution every half an hour to control loose motions and make him/her feel rejuvenated. Add 5 teaspoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl containing 1 litre of water. Mix the contents well, and make your baby drink this regularly.

• Bananas

Banana is one of the most natural and effective home remedies for loose motions in babies, as it is packed with nutrients. Mash a ripe banana well, and feed it to your baby to bring a quick stop to his/her loose motions. For fussy eaters, you can mix bananas with curd or a few drops of milk.

• Probiotics

Probiotics like curd and buttermilk can lighten the digestive system of babies and improve the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut. Hence, a bowl of thick curd or a glass of buttermilk can help control loose motions quickly and effectively. This home remedy works for adults as well!

• Pomegranate juice

Pomegranate juice not only increases the fluid content in your baby’s body but also works well on the tummy, thereby quickly controlling loose motions. Blend the seeds of the pomegranate fruits nicely. Use a strainer or muslin cloth to strain the fruit juice. Dilute this well before making your baby drink a few spoons at regular intervals to help him/her stay healthy.

• Healthy fluids

You can resort to other healthy fluids to treat loose motion for a 1-year-old baby. These fluids can include clear broth (vegetarian or non-vegetarian soup), coconut water, carrot juice, water used for boiling rice, and more.

Precautions to take

Here are some tips to control loose motions in babies:

• Keep the baby’s surroundings/toys clean and hygienic. Ensure you clean and disinfect his/her teething toys regularly.

• Always give small quantities of the foods at regular intervals instead of feeding everything at once.

• Hydrate your baby properly, as he/she would have lost most of his/her fluids during loose motions.

• Stay away from dairy products, as this can trigger stomach infections.

• Allow the baby to rest well.

• Seek medical help without any delay if the home remedies don’t work.