Patient's question:
How many times a newborn has a bowel movement a day is considered diarrhea, how to determine? If there are 6 to 7 bowel movements a day that are loose and yellow, and the baby is breastfed during the day and formula-fed at night, is this normal? What should be done if diarrhea occurs?Doctor's answer:
The gastrointestinal tract is the only route for infants to absorb nutrients. The food and other nutrients taken in are digested and broken down in the gastrointestinal tract, after which the useful components are absorbed, and the waste residues are excreted as feces. During prolonged diarrhea, the absorption of nutrients by the intestines is severely impaired, leading to insufficient energy supply and the manifestation of malnutrition. Similarly, diarrhea affects the intestines' ability to absorb vitamins, causing vitamin deficiencies.