Patient's question:
Symptom Description: Diarrhea for five or six days, with sticky and sometimes green or even black stools. More than ten times per day on average. Past Treatment and Effect: Examination revealed some inflammation. Desired Help: Hope to receive the best treatment advice from experts.Doctor's answer:
Once newborns experience frequent watery bowel movements, parents become most anxious and confused, busy with feeding water and boiled milk. They worry that overfeeding might worsen the diarrhea, while underfeeding could leave the baby hungry. Some newborns, just days after birth and still in the hospital's nursery, start having loose stools after a few feedings, sometimes even accompanied by fever. Unknowingly, exposure to healthcare workers with colds also leads to increased bowel movement frequency. Sometimes, newborns remain healthy in the first few days after birth, but after discharge, when breast milk is insufficient and supplemented with cow's milk, the infant struggles to cope. The bowel movements become more frequent, watery, and foul-smelling. What could be the reason?The reason lies in the newborn's weak immune system, particularly the lower immune function of the intestines. When the intestines are infected, they lack the ability to weaken and neutralize bacterial toxicity. Additionally, fetuses grow in a sterile, greenhouse-like environment within the uterus. After birth, they are immediately exposed to a contaminated environment with numerous bacteria and viruses, making them highly susceptible. Their digestive function and the regulatory mechanisms of various bodily systems are also underdeveloped. Therefore, newborns are prone to digestive disorders and infectious diarrhea.