Dcb, 2.5. He has had diarrhea since he started in June. I've posted about this before awhile back, but it hasn't gotten any better. I followed the advice at the time.

Dcb has bouts of diarrhea that lasts several weeks, and then he might have a good week. He has never had solid bm's. I would say 3 out of 4 weeks of the month are pretty bad, every diaper change requiring diaper cream and dcb crying and upset. Between changes he is okay, normal and playful.

I required dcb to be seen by a doctor, doctor says there is nothing going on. Nothing unusual.

The dcf and I have tried eliminating foods to test for allergies. No success.

I feel like this family is working with me as well as they can, but dcb is in pain most of the time and I am getting tired of my daycare smelling like...well, you know. His diarrhea has the worst smell ever! And I'm not easily grossed out.

Any other ideas?

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What foods have you eliminated and for how long? what does the diarrhea look like? Color? Seedy? Watery or like pudding? It is obviously something he is eating. Has he seen a Naturopathic DR rather than a medical dr? Medical DR's can be useless in this department.

My kids are like this when they eat too many blueberries. Without fail they will get foul smelling diarrhea from more than just a handful. It might be fruit causing this. Have you eliminated any type of fruit?

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Okay, gross. But I guess it's good you're asking. It is seedy. Definitely diarrhea but almost lumpy. He is vegan at home and vegetarian with me. We've taken out milk, cheese, and then everything dairy. He gets a wide variety of grains, vegetables, and fruits. He is really skinny, but so is his dad.

Oh and colors...light brown.

We've eliminated for 6 weeks each with no luck. They haven't done a Naturopathic doctor, but the closest one to us is an hour away.

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Maybe it's not an allergy to anything but more of a lack of some thing.

Sounds like there is not enough fiber in his diet.

Maybe have the parents track his food intake so that you can "see"/measure the amount of fiber he is getting.

Fiber does wonders for making firm BM's.

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Hmmm...I never would have thought of that. I thought fiber was for constipation. It really seems like my day revolves only around poop talk ...

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I agree! Honestly, a vegan diet isn't going to firm up stool very much. Proteins have fiber, which help you go but also 'form' a stool.

Lots of greens, pears and peaches have a laxative effect. I would honestly try things that would help firm up his poop, the standard BRAT diet: Bananas, Rice, Apples/applesauce and toast. Apples are perfect because they have lots of fiber but do help you go in a healthy way

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Yes!

My family is vegetarian, mostly vegan, and though I sometimes serve chicken to DCKs, we all mostly easy veggies and fruits, nuts and beans. If I've had a particularly berry-licious and nutty day, I pay for it later in nasty diapers (ewww!).

Fruits and seeds/nuts are awesome, but there needs to be other, more "stool-firming" food in the diet. MunchkinWrangler suggested what I would have suggested: the BRAT diet.

It doesn't sound like "sick" poop to me, just really loose poop that can be firmed up with a couple dietary changes. Good luck!

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Here ya go: (lots of good info about soluble fiber etc...)

http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disor...ts-about-fiber

http://www.livestrong.com/article/38...m-stool-diets/

http://lifespa.com/the-perfect-poop/

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The rash sounds like maybe too much acid in his poo? Too much fruit/tomato products? I'd try eliminating those separately and see if it helps.

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Shared with the family and helpful in general, thanks!

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ALSO just to let you know (TMI ALERT!!!) when I was a vegan my poops were never very solid. Maybe another vegan can speak to this but I was getting lots of fiber. I think solid poop might just be a bi-product of the Western American Diet and lots of dairy. Most animals are Vegan and their poop is quite runny, some vegan animals even eat their poop to re-hydrate and then poop out solid chunks, so for example a rabbit pellet has actually gone trough the digestive tract twice.

Gross for sure but something to think about. Is he otherwise fine? Or is he sickly as well?

When my kids get diarrhea from blueberries it is nothing but teeny tiny seeds, highly acidic and basically brown water. It never fails to give a massive diaper rash that looks like a chemical burn

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I have a dkb 18m now that when he started constantly had "mushy" type diarrhea. Mom kept insisting that it wasn't that way at home. He got sick and had to come off milk and I noticed it got better. As soon as he went back to the milk, mush again. I insisted that she talk to her doctor again bc I was sure he was lactose-intolerant. Of course he was, and they have since eliminated milk from his diet.

I think you should strongly (nicely) suggest they have the child seen by another doctor or a specialist if their doctor thinks there is nothing wrong. Having diarrhea can lead to dehydration and raw rash all the time. That's not normal so something is up.

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I talked with the dcm and dcd yesterday and we were going to do the BRAT diet for a few days and then journal everything.

I ask dcd at dropoff this morning, "So, you want me to do the BRAT diet today, right?"

Dcd: "Yeah. Well, he had strawberries in his oatmeal this morning, but other than that, yeah."

I give up.

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This would be one case where I would wash my hands of the responsibility and since parents arent doing their part, I'd just send him home any time he has a diarrhea-like BM.

Let them know that if they can't step up as parents and do what's is in the best interest of their child that it is perfectly fine by you but that YOU are not going to manage the fall out.

"People rarely change their behavior until it becomes an issue to them" ~ Dr Phil

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Ugh. Parents can be so frustrating. Sometimes you feel like you care more than them.

I agree with BlackCat, you have done what you can now get back to your business and turn it back on them.

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Yes, time for consequences.

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does the kid eat veggies at your house? I have had issues in the past with similar vegan or vegetarian diets for children. The parents were pretty much only giving them fruits (acidic ones at that) and the kid was having very loose stool and major diaper rash. They wanted to stick to that type of diet, but didn't make it well rounded, so too much fruit and too many snacks led to really bad poops and the kids were very thin and had very little energy, so definitely not getting enough nutrition. I agree about putting it back on the parents, though. Diaper rash that is severe enough to cause constant pain is something they need to fix or see a doc about.

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I think they are pretty nutritionally minded. Dcb eats tons of veggies. His dinner at home is usually a veggie. Sweet potato, squash, eggplant...and I usually serve 2 veggies and 2 fruits per day.

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You tried to do your part, send him home every time there's a loose stool. That's ridiculous.

You are only in control what happens at your house. Personally, I don't feel that parents should push their own personal/diet choices on their children for any reason. A child's diet and nutrition is so important those early years. It's just plain irresponsible.

And do what's best for the child, feed him the right things and at least he'll be getting a more varied diet even if it's just at your house.

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This is me!!
Love my Metamucil! One tsp a day is enough for me.

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Ditto. Not worth your time or effort

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