Baby Diarrhea Dehydration Log
Diarrhea is a clear increase in watery stools compared with your baby's normal pattern, not simply one loose diaper. Start a time-based log of stools, feeds, wet diapers, vomiting, fever, and behavior.
Summary
Continue normal breast milk or correctly prepared formula unless a clinician says otherwise. Do not give plain water to a baby under 6 months or dilute formula. Contact a clinician promptly for fewer wet diapers, dry mouth, few tears, sunken eyes or soft spot, repeated vomiting, blood, fever in a young infant, unusual sleepiness, or worsening diarrhea. Severe lethargy, inability to drink, blue or gray color, or breathing trouble needs emergency help.
Recognize diarrhea and dehydration
Diarrhea means a clear change toward more frequent watery stools compared with the baby's normal pattern, not simply one loose diaper. Continue normal breast milk or correctly prepared formula unless a clinician gives a different plan. Do not give plain water to a baby under 6 months and never dilute formula. Ask a clinician which oral rehydration product and amount are appropriate rather than improvising. Contact a clinician promptly when watery stools are frequent or worsening, especially with vomiting, fever, blood, reduced urine, dry mouth, few tears, sunken eyes, or unusual sleepiness.
Add feeding, urine, vomiting, and fever
Write every breastfeed or formula feed, whether the amount or duration changed, and the number and timing of wet diapers. Add vomiting, measured temperature with method, pain or unusual crying, abdominal swelling, sleepiness, and consolability. During diarrhea, fewer wet diapers, a dry mouth, fewer tears, sunken eyes or soft spot, and reduced alertness can suggest dehydration. Bring the baby's exact age and relevant medicines to the clinical handoff.
Treat blood as a prompt-call sign
If blood is visible, note whether it is a small bright streak, darker blood, mixed throughout, repeated, or accompanied by mucus, but do not use appearance to diagnose the cause. Call a clinician promptly. Seek urgent or emergency assessment for more than a tiny streak, repeated bleeding, black tarry stool, severe or persistent abdominal pain, a swollen firm abdomen, green vomit, repeated vomiting, poor feeding, pallor, lethargy, or difficulty waking. Do not insert anything, change formula, restrict feeds, or give medicine without advice while waiting.
Give a concise clinical handoff
Start with exact age, time of the first change, number of unusual stools, and color and consistency in plain words. Add feeding, wet diapers, vomiting, measured temperature, pain, abdominal swelling, alertness, skin or eye color, urine color, medicines, formula preparation, and recent foods. Say whether there was blood and whether the stool was black, white, gray, or pale. Mention any safe photo or saved diaper.