Will diarrhea in a baby go away on its own, and what should I give during it?
Applies to age: 0–12 months
In short
Diarrhea and vomiting can usually be treated at home. Keep breastfeeding or bottle feeding, and give babies on formula or solid foods small sips of water between feedings; do not dilute formula.
What is normal
All claims: international norm
- Diarrhea and vomiting can usually be treated at home.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
Diarrhoea and vomiting can usually be treated at home.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-15 · license [1]
- Keep breastfeeding or bottle feeding; if the child is vomiting, give smaller feedings more often than usual.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
carry on breast or bottle feeding your baby – if they're being sick, try giving small feeds more often than usual
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-15 · license [1]
- Give babies on formula or solid foods small sips of water between feedings.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
give babies on formula or solid foods small sips of water between feeds
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-15 · license [1]
- Do not give fruit juice or carbonated drinks, because they can make diarrhea worse.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
do not have fruit juice or fizzy drinks – they can make diarrhoea worse
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-15 · license [1]
- Do not dilute formula; prepare it at its usual strength.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
do not make baby formula weaker – use it at its usual strength
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-15 · license [1]
- Children under 12 are not given medicines that stop diarrhea.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
do not give children under 12 medicine to stop diarrhoea
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-15 · license [1]
ER / 112 (Poland)
- If life or health is at risk, call 112 (the emergency number in Poland) or 999 (the ambulance number in Poland).
Source: NFZ i Akademia NFZ – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
Zadzwoń na 112 lub 999, jeśli zagrożone jest życie lub zdrowie.
NFZ i Akademia NFZ · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-15 · license [2]
See a doctor
Some claims: international norm
Urgent medical assessment needed: international norm
- A baby who refuses the breast or bottle while ill needs an urgent medical assessment.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
your child stops breast or bottle feeding while they're ill
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-15 · license [1]
- Worry about a baby under 12 months needs an urgent medical assessment.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
you're worried about a baby under 12 months
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-15 · license [1]
- Signs of dehydration in a child under 5, such as fewer wet diapers, need an urgent medical assessment.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
a child under 5 years has signs of dehydration, such as fewer wet nappies
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-15 · license [1]
- Vomiting or diarrhea, especially in children, is a reason to see the on-duty doctor at night and holiday care (NiŚOZ).
Source: NFZ i Akademia NFZ – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
pojawią się wymioty lub biegunka (szczególnie u dzieci i seniorów).
NFZ i Akademia NFZ · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-15 · license [2]
international norm “International norm” next to a section heading means its claims come from a non-Polish source, because no Polish source in our registry covers this topic. When this applies to only some of the claims, the foreign ones carry the same label next to their source.
Sources
- NHS (nhs.uk, Anglia)License: Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: NHS (nhs.uk, Anglia). Content summarized and translated by the editors; changed relative to the original. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The summary is ours and is not attributed to the NHS.
- NFZ i Akademia NFZLicense: Treści NFZ – wykorzystanie ze wskazaniem źródła, bez obrotu komercyjnego. Source: NFZ i Akademia NFZ. Content summarized and translated by the editors; changed relative to the original.