Causes of Loose Stools in Newborns

When you become a parent you will quickly realize that there are nearly a million different causes of loose stools in newborns. Newborns will have changes in their stool from day to day and sometimes you will notice that your newborn has a loose stool. This is not always cause for alarm as long as you know what has caused the loose stool. Here are some common causes of loose stools in newborns and what you should do if you notice this happening to your baby.

Food: Most newborns will only be eating infant formula so there will not be any food changes to attribute to the loose stools. If you notice that your baby has a loose stool and you have not changed the formula then there could be a problem. Most babies will experience some loose stools throughout their infancy so a few loose stools here and there are nothing to worry about. However, if your baby has more than one loose stool in between feedings and after each feeding then you should consult your pediatrician as there may be something more causing this.

Make sure that you always feed your baby fresh formula and do not offer your baby bottles that have been left out of the refrigerator for more than an hour. You should also make sure that you never place used formula back in the refrigerator to give to baby later. This causes bacteria to build and can be the culprit of the loose stool that your newborn is experiencing.

Breastfeeding: Most breastfed newborns will have a loose stool after each feeding. This is not so common for babies that are bottle and formula fed. If you notice that your newborn has a loose stool after each breastfeeding but not in between then there is probably nothing to be worried about.

Sickness: Sometimes a newborn will have loose stool because he is trying to fight off an illness. If you happen to notice that your baby has loose stools and they seem to be related to illness you should consult your pediatrician right away. Remember that newborns will have loose stools occasionally but they should not have multiple loose stools in between feedings as this could be a sign of illness.

Protein Sensitivity: Some newborns will show signs of a protein sensitivity by having constant loose stools. If you notice that your baby has very loose stools for a prolonged period and you are currently feeding him or her a milk based formula then she may have a protein sensitivity that requires a soy formula or a lactose free formula. While you should consult your pediatrician about a potential protein sensitivity and changing your newborn to soy formula this will sometimes reduce the loose stools in newborns!