Chapter 1 Why the Poop: The Message in the Diaper 12

Baby’s Vulnerable Gut 12

Gut Beginnings. 13

Problematic Poop. 14

Industrialization and Disease. 15

Industrialized Nutrition. 17

Infant Guts in the Industrialized World. 18

Healing Baby’s Gut 20

Chapter 2 It’s Alive: The Biggest Part of Your Baby’s Immune System  21

Gut Flora Works to Complete Baby’s Nutrition. 22

Flora and Fermentation. 24

Detoxifying. 24

Flora Provides Valuable Immune Protection. 25

Gut-Brain Axis: Flora Influences Baby’s Brain. 26

Establishment of Flora in the Newborn. 27

Establishment of Flora after Cesarean Section. 29

Continued Establishment of Flora in the Infant 30

Flora of a Lifetime. 31

The Road to Health. 32

Chapter 3 Messing with the Microbiome. 33

Good Efforts Gone Bad. 33

Antibiotics: Friend and Foe. 35

Antibiotic Over-Usage. 37

Antibiotics Given to Laboring Mothers. 38

Farming and Children’s Flora. 41

Epidemic Results. 42

Startling Treatment for a Serious Epidemic. 43

Evil E. coli 44

Early Flora, Allergies, and Asthma. 44

Early Flora, Obesity, and Diabetes. 47

Flora and Autism.. 49

Flora, Colic, and Reflux. 49

Antibiotics and Inflammatory Bowel Disease. 50

Thoughts on Choosing Our Microbial Friendships. 51

Some Final Thoughts. 52

Chapter 4 Mammary Intestinal Integration: The Poop on Breastmilk. 53

In the Beginning. 54

Regulation. 56

Antibodies from Mother 58

Broncho-Entero-Mammary Pathway. 60

More Health Protection from Human Milk. 62

Lactoferrin, Iron, and Infant Protection. 63

Formula Supplementing and Floral Health. 63

More about Iron. 65

About Formula and Other Breastmilk Substitutes. 67

Formulas and Preemies. 69

Measurable Impact 70

Breastmilk, Diarrhea, and Gastroenteritis. 71

Other Intestinal Health. 72

More Breastfeeding Impact 74

Breastfeeding Success. 75

Some Final Thoughts. 76

Chapter 5 First Poops: What’s Normal and What’s Not 77

Meconium.. 77

Meconium Timing. 77

Meconium and Baby’s Microbiome. 79

Meconium Concerns. 80

First Feedings. 80

Initial Weight Loss. 81

Next Poops. 83

Jaundice and First Poops. 84

Some Final Thoughts. 88

Chapter 6 Preemie Poops: Optimizing the Health of a Baby Born Too Small 89

Supporting Optimal Care. 89

It’s All about the Intestines. 90

Necrotizing Enterocolitis. 91

Fortify Human Milk?. 92

Studying Fortifiers. 95

Fortifiers Made from Human Milk. 96

Probiotics for Preemies. 97

Some Final Thoughts. 98

Chapter 7 The Character of Poop. 99

How Often?. 99

What Color is Poop, Really?. 100

Normal Infant Poop Color and Consistency. 101

The Shape of Poop. 102

How Much Poop?. 103

Those Growth Charts. 104

Dropping Off the Growth Curves. 106

Normal Sound and Smell 107

More on Normal Gas. 108

Is My Baby Normal?. 109

Chapter 8 The Color of Poop. 110

Colorful Bile. 111

Technicolor Poop. 112

Green Poop. 113

Pea or Bright Green Poop. 114

Green Poop in a Formula Fed Baby. 116

Green Poop in a Breastfed Baby. 117

Clear Poop (Mucus and Fat) 119

Unexpected Yellow Poop. 121

Pale Yellow Poop. 122

Orange Poop. 122

Blue Poop. 123

Brown Poop in a Breastfed Baby. 123

Light Tan Poop. 124

White Threads in Poop. 124

Gray to White Poop. 124

Silver Poop. 126

Black Poop. 126

Red Currant Jelly Poop. 128

Red in Poop. 129

Maroon Poop. 131

Port Wine Purple Poop. 131

Violet Purple Poop. 131

Pinky Red Poop. 131

Some Final Thoughts. 132

Chapter 9 Loose Poop: What is the Reason?. 133

Is It Diarrhea?. 133

Is It from an Infection?. 135

Should You Call the Doctor?. 135

Continual Diarrhea from Birth. 137

Medications That May Cause Diarrhea. 138

Teething and Diarrhea. 139

Change in Routine. 139

Dietary Changes and Diarrhea. 140

A Change in Formula. 140

Diarrhea, Reduced Appetite, and Facial Rash. 141

Juice Diarrhea. 142

Fructose Diarrhea. 143

Is It Lactose Intolerance?. 144

Breastmilk Oversupply and Diarrhea. 146

Food Allergy and Intolerance. 148

Gluten Intolerance. 148

IBS, IBD, or Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis. 149

Other Dietary Causes of Diarrhea. 149

Diarrhea after a Cold, Pulling on Ear 150

Diarrhea with Night Restlessness. 150

Hyperthyroidism.. 151

Autism.. 151

Constipation Followed by Loose Poop Soiling. 151

Diarrhea with Hardening of Abdomen. 151

Greasy, Smelly Diarrhea. 152

Red Currant Jelly Diarrhea. 152

Food Poisoning and Tummy Flu. 153

Norovirus and Rotavirus Infections. 154

E. coli 155

Poisoning from Household Chemicals. 156

Poisoning from Eating Common Plants. 157

Some Final Thoughts. 157

Chapter 10  Caring for Loose Poop: Helping Your Sick Baby. 158

Signs of Dehydration. 158

Oral Rehydration. 159

Fluids and the Exclusively Breastfeeding Baby. 160

Fluids and the Formula-Fed Baby. 162

Oral Rehydration Solutions. 162

Rehydration Solution Options. 163

Homemade Rehydration Solutions. 164

Rehydration for Baby after Solid Foods. 165

Fevers and Sick Children. 166

Fevers and Pain Medications. 168

Other Medications. 170

Caring for Antibiotic-Caused Diarrhea. 171

Tummy Tamers. 172

Probiotics. 173

Preventing Spread of Infectious Diarrhea. 174

Feeding the Sick Child on Solid Foods. 176

Some Final Thoughts. 177

Chapter 11 Hard Poop: Causes of Constipation and Withholding. 178

Is It Constipation?. 178

Soiling: Your Child Has Accidents in His Pants. 180

Functional Constipation. 181

Dietary Causes. 182

Organic Constipation. 184

Megacolon and Hirschsprung’s Disease. 185

Botulism.. 185

Infrequent Poop in an Exclusively Breastfed Baby. 186

Hard Poop in Formula-Fed Infants. 187

Constipation and Iron-Fortified Formulas. 188

Some Final Thoughts. 189

Chapter 12 Caring for Constipation and Withholding. 190

Responding to Infrequent Poop in Exclusively Breastfed Babies. 190

Responding to Constipation in Formula-Fed Infants. 191

Physical Measures First 192

Diet for a Constipated Child. 194

Choosing a Laxative. 194

Natural Oral Laxatives. 196

Medical Laxatives. 201

Treating from the Bottom.. 204

Summary of Constipation Treatment Options. 206

The Evolution of a Withholder 208

Bowel Training. 209

Some Final Thoughts. 211

Chapter 13: The Poop on Colic and Reflux. 213

Crying Babies. 213

What is Colic?. 213

Reflux: The New Colic. 214

Is Colic Caused by Parental Care Practices?. 216

Is it Lactose Intolerance?. 217

Other Possible Causes of Colic and Reflux. 218

H. pylori 220

The Main Cause of Colic and Reflux. 221

Medicating Crying Babies. 224

Antacid Drugs. 224

Proton Pump Inhibitor Drugs. 225

Other Measures for Colic and Reflux. 227

Thickening. 229

Soothing Colicky Babies. 230

The Ramifications of Colic and Its Care. 230

Some Final Thoughts. 231

Chapter 14 Gut Health and Autoimmune Diseases: Autism, Celiac, Diabetes, and More. 233

Childhood Diabetes. 234

Diabetes and Feeding Babies. 234

Diabetes and Other Gut Health Factors. 235

Causes of Autism and ADHD.. 236

ASDs, ADHD, and Gastrointestinal Disorders. 237

Dietary Interventions for Behavioral Disorders. 239

Celiac Disease and Early Gut Health. 241

Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. 243

Overlap of Autoimmune Disorders. 244

Some Final Thoughts. 244

Chapter 15 Understanding, Detecting, and Treating Food Sensitivities. 246

Why All These Food Allergies?. 246

Kinds of Food Reactions. 248

Naming Food Reactions. 250

Intestinal Food Reactions: The Chief Causes of Colic and Reflux. 251

Skin Rashes and the Intestines. 252

Food Sensitivities and Behavior 254

Diagnosing Delayed Food Reactions. 255

Finding the Offending Foods. 255

Food Eliminations and Health. 257

Beginning the Elimination Diet 258

Carrying Out Challenges. 259

The Complete Elimination Diet 261

Elimination Diet for the Formula-Fed Child. 264

After Elimination Dieting. 265

Why is Cow Milk such a Common Allergen?. 266

Can Allergies be Prevented?. 268

Some Final Thoughts. 269

Chapter 16 Healing Baby’s Gut for Lifelong Health. 271

Why Give a Poop about the Intestines?. 271

Basic Nutrition. 273

Probiotic Supplements: What Can They Do?. 275

Probiotic Studies in Infants. 277

Prebiotics, Probiotics, and Infant Formulas. 280

Probiotics during Antibiotic Exposure. 281

Providing Probiotics. 282

Herbal and Nutritional Supplements. 283

Healing Mom, the Family, and the Home. 287

Sunshine, Dirt, and Play. 287

Responsive Care and Child Health. 288

Some Final Thoughts. 289

Endnotes

Glossary

Index

Biographies