hey help

boyohboyohboy wrote: can a 4 month old take pedialyte?
in place of formula when they are sick with a stomach virus?
my ped hasnt called back in 4 hours!

grapfruit replied: The pedi told my SIL to give it to Isaiah and he's 3 months old. So I'd say yea.


BUT I'd wait on everyone else's response b/c my SIL isn't the brightest bulb in the bunch and I may just be ASSUMING they told her it's ok.

ETA: but that was on Christmas, and he's fine and dandy now, so it's probably ok.

MommyToAshley replied: Oh gosh, I don't know... sorry. Do you have a bottle there... does it give an age? If the age on the bottle is 6m+, then I would wait to hear from your Ped. Maybe put another call in to the ped.

boyohboyohboy replied: they have one line for non urgent calls, and then you have to just leave a message
and then they have another line for urgent calls, but i dont feel like this is urgent, would you use that other line?
he is sleeping between the times he is sick, not lethargic.

all three of my boys have a stomach virus and have been throwing up all day. andrew is so young that is what worries me.
i wanted to just get something in him.

i dont have a bottle at home. dh is stopping on his way home from work. do you think a flavored one is better or else plain?

MommyToAshley replied: Ashley wouldn't drink pedialyte, but our ped said Gatorade was the next best thing. Of course, she was much older then... around 2. I wouldn't give Gatorade to a 4 mo. old.

However, I have "heard" that the Gerber brand (it's not called pedialyte but is the same thing) tastes much better.

MommyToAshley replied: As for the urgent line, I would definitely call it if you see any signs of dehydration because it can happen so quickly. Actaully, I'd take him in if you see any signs of dehydration.

Hope they all feel better, poor kiddos.

Calimama replied: I think it's 6 months.. but I could be wrong. Hope your boys feel better soon.

lisar replied: Call the urgent line I would..... And I am not sure if you can or not sorry.

mommy~to~a~bunch replied: NO! Yikes, that's too young!! Just feed the formula.

momofone replied: maybe a local pharmacist would know or a nurses line

luvmykids replied: Stacey, I found this:

Dosage: Administration should be initiated in frequent oral feedings. The dosage of Pedialyte and Pedialyte Freezer Pops should be individualized according to body weight, ongoing extra losses, age of the patient and physician's recommendation. The approximate guidelines for maintenance of body water and electrolytes and the prevention of dehydration secondary to acute diarrhea in infants and children are 100 to 150 mL/kg daily. Children 4 years and older: 2 L or more daily.


It does say infants, says to limit it though so I think I'd want to hear from the ped first.

Hillbilly Housewife replied:
I agree here. I was told none of that stuff until they weren't relying on formula for nutrition.

Just keep with the formula... maybe offer some water for a few sips if really he isn't taking the formula... but no pedialyte until your doc says so.....

luvmykids replied: Also found this link with guidelines....

I'm fairly confident your dr will advise you to try to give him something at least, if he's not tolerating the formula you have to get some kind of liquid in him.

kimberley replied: i agree. i know it's scary when they are so small but the formula should be your first choice over pedialyte at that age. just offer frequent feedings.

i hope they are all better soon.

boyohboyohboy replied: ok finally got thru to the nurse...the dr said that he is to take 1/2 teaspoon of pedialyte every couple of mins. and if he keeps that down to do the formula
she said they have to keep taking the formula as their main source of food, but it can help keep them from dehydrating..
thank you

MommyToAshley replied: Glad the ped finally got back with you. Hope he feels better.

jacobsmama replied: YES is what my ped told me and I Mixed it with half water...I hope the baby feels better soon.


ETA: I would call your Ped on ER line too...They should have called you back!!

Calimama replied:
I hope that helps.

jacobsmama replied: AHHHHHHHHHHHHH I"m having a rough day.....


Glad the ped called you back! I hope the baby feels better soon!

My2Beauties replied: Glad the ped called back, I was going to tell you I can remember Hanna being 4 month old and having to use pedialyte for some reason, I can't remember why though, so I was going to say I thought it was ok.

A&A'smommy replied: ohh goodness poor baby!!! I hope he is feeling better now!!!

Boo&BugsMom replied: Glad you got through to him Stacy. Hope your boys feel better soon.

Just some info on the Pedialyte to educate a few for future reference ...
The reason why Pedialyte is recommended is because it replaces the electrolytes when a child/baby is dehydrated. When a child/baby vomits or has severe "hershey squirts" they are losing many electrolytles from their body. Just drinking formula does not replace enough electrolytes because the body is getting rid of many more electrolytes from puking, etc. than the body can retain from just drinking formula. Pedialyte is heaving in elecrolytes for this reason, moreso than formula, which rehydrates the child/baby faster and many times safer since Pedialyte is much thinner and goes down easier and is less resistant to throwing it up than formula. Pedialyte is not meant to replace the food, but to replace the bodies electrolytes that it loses from body secreations (sp?). When a child reaches a certain age...I want to say 4 or 5, it's then recommended that they drink Gatorade due to the heavy electrolytes in the drink that can not be found in milk, juice, or water.

Sorry for the mis-spellings, I'm having an off-grammar day.

TheOaf66 replied:
just to add to that, you can give Gatorade to a 2-3 yo just dilute it half and half w/ water

Boo&BugsMom replied:
That's nurse Troy for ya.

Just a side note...no he is not actually a nurse, he just works with them.

Bamamom replied: Just wanted to add one other thing - avoid any red drinks when they are throwing up. It can disguise blood which you want to be on the look out for in both the vomit and poop.

boyohboyohboy replied: thank you everyone..
the kids are still sick..seems there is a stomach bug going around..
andrew is the worst, i assume because he is so small. he is taking about 2 ounces of formula every few hours, and sometimes it stays down..he is still drooling and is not dehydrated..but just his little smiley self.
jake has it from the other end..sorry TMI, but he is taking naps and watching bob the builder, because bob makes everything better...

so we should be coming to the tail end of this thing...
thank you