It's not the prettiest subject in the baby care manual, but it's one of the most necessary. Get straight answers with tongue planted firmly in cheek here because sooner or later, your child is going to have a bad bowel movement. And what happens won't be pretty.

Sounds terrible, doesn't it? But the truth is that the occasional troublesome upset stomach or loose stool is an inevitable part of the baby's development.

It's always important to remember that for whatever changes are happening on baby's surface, there are that many more changes going on in his internal development, too. These can include organs and muscles strengthening and developing, the gastrointestinal tract reinforcing itself, and whole the digestive system coming into its own.

To say children grow up fast is a cliché. But clichés are clichés because they're often true. Just the same, you want your baby to grow up healthy, too, and the bowels are a crucial part of that growth.

Here's the straight poop:

Diarrhea

Newborn babies "make potty" a lot - sometimes as much as ten times a day. As unbelievable as it seems, that's normal. As babies get older, they poop less (thank goodness!), dropping down to about twice a day. Breastfed babies usually have very runny stool with a yellowish tint and soft composition. This early work may smell something like buttermilk. As babies switch to solid foods, the poop thickens and begins to smell foul

If your baby's "twosie" returns to liquid form, begins to smell especially foul, or picks up in frequency, it may be sign of diarrhea. Plenty of factors cause diarrhea in children - food allergies, a change in diet, lack of sleep, and a broad assortment of viruses. The trick for parents is to remain calm and let the diarrhea run its course.

The most important action parents can take: keep their baby hydrated with plenty of fluids, especially electrolyte combinations such as PediaLyte or Kao Lectrolyte, which are custom engineered to suit a baby's delicate digestive system. If the baby isn't also vomiting, you can continue breastfeeding or formula feedings. For weaned babies, you can give keep giving solid food, especially the common BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce, and dry toast) anti-diarrhea diet.

Avoid high sugar drinks and snacks such as sodas, energy drinks like Gatorade, Jell-O, and artificial fruit drinks. These can actually make the diarrhea worse by drawing water into the baby's intestines. If symptoms persist, you should call your baby's pediatrician.

Constipation

There's no normal number of Number Two's. Like adults, babies' digestive systems are individual and varied. But if you notice your child making less than he used to, or if "going" has become a source of discomfort, the child may be constipated.

Constipation usually results from one of four different factors that routinely overlap. Your baby's formula; making the transition to solid foods; dehydration; and any number of infections and medical problems (including food allergies, hyperthyroidism, botulism, and some metabolic disorders) can contribute to reduced stool output.

Treating constipation is fairly simple and straightforward. Simply getting your child some light exercise or rubbing its tummy may get things moving. You may also discuss with your baby's pediatrician introducing more fruits and bran into your child's diet. And of course, there's always the notorious home remedy of prune juice to help your baby, you know, go.

Constipation may also be a symptom of a fairly rare genetic condition called Hirschsprung's disease, a birth defect that results in bowel obstruction. The disorder is usually diagnosed within baby's first few weeks.

Several over the counter remedies, including glycerin suppositories and oral stool softeners, are also available for treatment. Giving a baby laxatives is not advised unless recommended by a doctor.