Written By: Debjani Arora | Updated : December 13, 2017 12:48 PM IST
Some might not agree with me on this advice. Many people don t believe in giving any dairy products to babies and toddlers when they suffer from diarrhoea. The reason being simple: milk and milk products can aggravate the condition in kids. Diarrhoea could be a symptom of many conditions. Mostly it happens when a child is suffering from a stomach infection. While I spoke to Dr Geetanjali Shah, consultant paediatrician attached to Supraja Foundation and Ashvini IVF Center, Mumbai, and author of the book Garbhasanskar, a while back she said that it is a good practice to avoid giving cow s milk to the child suffering from diarrhoea.
A stomach infection could also mean that there is some inflammation in the digestive system. Cow s milk contains certain enzymes and bacteria which could lead to indigestion even in a healthy child. The least you want when your child is suffering from a bout of diarrhoea is to give her more trouble offering her milk. This is why even paediatricians advice mothers to not give cow s milk if the child is suffering from diarrhoea. If your child is lactose intolerant then milk during diarrhoea is a complete no-no. Milk products like cheese and paneer should also be off the list for the same reason. However, mothers who breastfeed are encouraged to continue to do the same.
But you can still give your child curd or yoghurt during diarrhoea. This is because it is rich in probiotic and helps to restore the balance of good bacteria in the gut. Curd being a fermented food is also easy to digest and prevents dehydration that is common during diarrhoea. So, one way you can treat your child s diarrhoea is by feeding her few spoons of dahi-chawal to restore her health and impart some strength to your ailing child. If your child is passing more than six to seven motions a day it will definitely make her sick and weak. You have to make sure you give her enough oral rehydration and make her eat few morsels of food during meal times. Your child s appetite might also go for a toss at this time, so don t force feed.
Instead, give her few spoonfuls of dahi-chawal at a time which will be easy on her tummy, restore the balance of good bacteria and keep your child hydrated too. Best is if you can make homemade low-fat curd. Don t forget to give oral rehydration to ensure you help her gain the vital vitamins and minerals that are lost from the body.
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