o.k. To Give 7-UP to a 28 Month Toddler Having Diarrhea?

yes. It is a special treat (sugary drinks are pretty special to a little kid- and you're right to avoid them normally) but when a baby is losing fluid like with diarrhea, any kind of clear fluid intake is a good idea. Also, his body loses minerals through fever and liquid loss in the stool, which can be dangerous. 7-up and sprite have electrolytes that will keep his heart pumping.

I used it copiously when my dd had dysentary. I got it in the hospital when I was a kid, too, I remember.

A little 7 - up is probably ok (regular, not diet!). However I would go with ginger ale instead or Pedialyte - but some kids don't like Pedialyte so you should try both. He should also eat rice, bananas, bread... that will help too.

Good luck!

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Natural lemoniade water made with a squirt of lemon juice and some xylitol is a much better option. Plus xylitol kills bacteria and fungus. Lemon juice is an acid BUT it restores alkaline balance. Xylitol is a natral sweetner much like sugar but without the bad effects of sugar. Heat a bit of water , add the xylitol and strir for a few minutes so that it will melt well, then add some lemon juice and cool it with ice cubes.

Seperately, you should be giving the child probiotics, like lactobaccilus and accidophilus.

I would stay away from the 7-up myself. My kids wont touch pedialite so we used gatorade until the last time they were sick and I used coconut water. It has electrolites and is supposed to be antiviral. The illnesses were very mild and short lived compared to what was going around that we thought they had. Coconut water comes in different flavors. They liked it.
Hope your little one feels better soon!
~K.

I agree w/ the other response...PediaLyte, diluted apple juice, and talk 2 your Dr., NOT the Nurse!

Pedialyte!! Contrary to some comments you got, "plain water" is not the best thing in the case of diarrhea. Go with pedialyte!

My son is 31 months old and I always give Pedialyte at the start of diarrhea. Don't give any regular juice. My pedi said that burns their little bootie when it comes out when they have diarrhea. I don't even give milk when mine has diarrhea...only pedialyte.

Hi J. they are looking at the possibility of dehydration so they are telling you give him what he will drink, the sugar in it would probably not be good for his diarrhea, I would do gingerale before 7 up, pedialyte is the best way to go. J.

Pedialyte, ginger tea, water...sugars tend to exacerbate diarrhea.

I'd give him some pedialyte or some watered down apple juice.

When my kids had rotovirus I was told by the doctor to try and replace the sugars that they are losing , and water would not do that , the examples he gave me were pedialyte , flat coke/lemonade , basically things that you want not normally allow your child to have. Kids dehydrate very quickly through vomiting and diarrhea because of the lost sugars , so those are what needs to be replaced. I say yes if he will drink it then let him have small sips over a period of time and not gulp it down.

I would stick to Pedialyte. I have 4 kiddos and I refused to give them any type of pop until they turned 5.

7 up is not good for kids, or anyone for that matter. Just an old wives tale that it is soothing for a tummy aches. Actually will make diarrhea worse, you are right! Dr's I think get overwhelemd an sometimes say things without fully thinking. Gingerale can be good though for a sore tummy because of ther ginger, or you can use ginger in tea or cooking (for adults, dont give your baby tea :) Pedialite, water.. gateraid is pretty high in sugar also, but if you dilute it it is better. The best thing isnt so much what you give them but what you avoid.. sugar and citrus and things that will make it worse. Good luck, it's always rough to see your little ones sick!

Pedialyte! Heck, I drink it when I have the flu. My grandfather makes this home made oral rehydrating solution, or ORS (which makes me think of the ROUSs, but that's a whole other thing), from salt, sugar and water but it's TERRIBLE. Pedialyte tastes WAY better. Even before I had a kid I used to keep it in the fridge for friends who'd had a bit too much. ;)
But yeah, soda has too much sugar to be used for the stomach flu. I'd also steer clear of apple juice for the same reason. But then apple juice makes me sick even when I'm not, so that could be a personal thing.

I think you should give him soad water, it doesn't have sugar like 7-up. I can't believe the doctor's office suggessted soda!

7-Up might still be considered okay to settle an upset stomach, but I would think that the high fructose corn syrup would exacerbate the diarrhea. Regular corn syrup is often given in bottles of formula to help with constipation--I can't imagine how HFCS wouldn't have the same effect.

Unless a child is showing signs of dehydration, plain water is still the best thing for them. Especially if they are able to eat.

If he can keep down food, the BRAT diet will help bulk up his bowels and slow things down a bit. Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast (dry toast, crackers, etc). If solids aren't an option just yet, you can boil rice in water for about 20 minutes, strain, and cool. The rice liquid will have much the same effect. Plain yogurt will also help counteract the diarrhea.

My daughter also likes a little warm tea when she isn't feeling well. Peppermint is soothing and has a nice flavor without needing much (if any) sweetening.

The key is to offer fluids and food frequently but in small amounts. Even if her only takes a sip or bite every 15 minutes, it will be easier on his system.

Good luck...we just did the 24-hours bug and it is never any fun.

I have a old wives tale that my aunt told me last year when my son had his first diarrhea. Go get the regular Jello-O mix (doesn't matter what favor), mix it with water and let your son drink it for few times. The diarrhea should be gone soon. It worked with my son and I really hope it'll work on yours. Good Luck!

No, the nurse was mistaken. 7-Up is great for vomiting because it's initially soothing to an upset stomach. However, soda has TONS of sugar which will just make diarrhea worse.

Soda has salt & sugar (aka electrolytes) that help our system get back in balance when we have diarrhea. Same as gatorade or pedialyte EXCEPT that the salt/sugar combo in soda tends to be milder.

You don't want carbonated beverages when you have the stomach flu (vomiting), because the carbonation acts like a propellant and regular old vomit becomes projectile vomit. And foam. Ugh. But for rehydrating diarrhea, 7up/sprite is grand. The carbonation ALSO helps settle a queasy stomach ((think alkeseltzer... plop plop fizz fizz, oh what a relief it is)).

Mmmm... reading the other responses... I feel I need to add: Our saliva has amylase in it. An enzyme that starts breaking sugars down and letting them absorb right through the mucus membranes of our mouths & throats. Which is a very VERY good thing when we have diarrhea. Adults gulp soda. Kids sip at it (because it burns). So while adults pour sugar into themselves... with kids they tend to swish it around their mouths and dribble it down their throats. You'll notice an almost instant perk up, because her brain is getting rebalanced by getting the sugars it needs in order to function normally. Kids DO gulp juice. So if you're giving soda and juice... you'll notice she'll have more diarrhea after the juice. (because of the sugars and fluids). Regardless, as soon as dehydration sets in (aka an imbalance of sugars and electrolytes and h2o that is the number 1 cause of death in the world... not usually in this country... so don't freak), even gulping soda or juice is preferable over plain water. But soda is better than juice (in this instance) because it also contains salts. Anyhow... you'll notice an instant improvement when the sugar hits, and then about 20 minutes later after the salts hit her muscles will be less shaky/ crampy.

Any kind of soda is not going to help. Plain water is the best you can do. Especially if he will take a little chicken noodle soup or other slightly salty food.

In my opinion, pedialite is over used and should not be used unless expressly suggested by a pediatrician.

absolutely not! lightly sweetened very weak chamomille tea, would be my choice, or go with store bought drinks that include electrolytes for just this purpose. (though I don't use them because most of them have artificial sweeteners)
chicken soup? water just by itself. but not soda... just my 2 cents worth...

hope your boy will get better soon!
sincerely,
c