Diarrhea in the Otherwise Healthy Infant *

There is a group of otherwise healthy infants who have diarrhea of non-infectious, unknown etiology in the early months of life. These cases are generally mild and have been considered benign, though sometimes they become serious because of undue loss of water and electrolytes. This article is to consider what effect the size of the feedings has on otherwise healthy babies who have watery and frequent stools. In earlier studies of vomiting and colic. I was impressed to find that treatment based on improving the mechanics of digestion helped, and in most cases cured, both vomiting and colic. Furthermore, the same treatment stopped diarrhea in many otherwise healthy babies. In a study of these cases diarrhea was found to be alleviated or cured by the treatment described earlier, i.e., small, concentrated, frequent feedings. It is also possible to use these principles of treatment on babies sick with pneumonia, virus diseases, respiratory infections, etc., when their illness is complicated by diarrhea. In many instances the cause of the diarrhea is obscure. I have no doubt that mild cases may occur from different kinds of bacteria and viruses; allergic reactions of the intestinal tract may be involved, while other cases may be due to causes still unknown. But I am convinced that there are cases, generally mild, but sometimes severe if wrongly diagnosed and treated, which follow the giving of large, dilute feedings. Possibly because of some abnormality of structure or function of the ileocecal sphincter and/or the large intestine, the colon is unable to handle the large feedings, and diarrhea results. Frequency of cases and their treatment. Conclusions are based on the case histories of 195 babies seen in private practice, at a well-baby clinic, and at a hospital where a few of them had been sent as feeding problems. Of these 195 cases there were the following: (i) with diarrhea, 68 babies; (ii) without diarrhea, 75 babies; (iii) histories incomplete, 52 babies. Probably this series shows a higher percentage of diarrhea than would be found in the general infant population, though I am confident that mild cases occur more frequently than is generally recognized. It should be