Management of Acute Diarrhea in Infants

Oral Rehydration and Nutrition

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that infants with acute diarrhea receive oral rehydration solution to replace ongoing fluid losses. 1
The CDC advises maintaining breastfeeding or full‑strength infant formula during diarrheal illness. 1
The CDC advises immediate resumption of age‑appropriate solid foods once tolerated, without dietary restriction or special formulas for mild, self‑limited diarrhea. 1
The CDC advises against the use of antidiarrheal agents in children younger than 18 years. 1
The CDC advises that feeding should not be suspended during diarrheal episodes, as continued nutrition supports recovery. 1

The CDC states that antibiotics are not indicated for infants with acute diarrhea when fever, dysentery, or a duration longer than 5 days are absent. 2
The CDC recommends reserving antibiotics only when any of the following are present: high fever, dysentery (blood or mucus in stool), watery diarrhea persisting > 5 days, or a positive culture for a specific pathogen. 2

The CDC lists the following as red‑flag signs that mandate urgent reassessment: progressive irritability or lethargy, reduced urine output (possible dehydration), intractable vomiting that prevents oral rehydration, diarrhea that persists or worsens after 5 days, new onset fever, blood in the stool, or abdominal distension. [2][5]