Diarrhea, Age 11 and Younger Every baby or child has different
bowel habits. Your baby may have as many as 4 to 10 stools a day
or as few as 1 every 3 days. Many breast-fed babies will have a
bowel movement with each feeding and sometimes between feedings.
During infancy, normal stool may be runny or pasty, especially
if the baby is breast-fed. The presence of mucus in the stool is
not uncommon. Unless there is a change in your baby's normal
habits, loose and frequent stools are not considered to be
diarrhea. Diarrhea occurs when there is an increase in the
frequency of bowel movements or bowel movements are more watery
and loose than normal. Diarrhea has many causes. A child may
develop diarrhea from a change in his or her diet. A baby's or
child's digestive tract may not tolerate large amounts of juice,
fruit, or even milk. Diarrhea may be caused by an increase in
the amount of juice or fruit a child drinks or eats. Diarrhea
that is caused by a change in the child's diet is not usually
serious. Diarrhea is