Q: My 1.8 years old grandson passes stools 3 or 4 times a day in large quantities. However, he is very active, cheerful and playing. His weight is 10.4 kg and height is 83 cm. He is eating well too (rice, chapati, dal, rasam, curd, idli, dosa). He takes fruits like banana, apple, suppota, etc. He is fond of eating kishmish, badam, fig, which are given in small quantities when he pesters too much. He takes milk twice a day mixed with protein supplement for children. Breast feeding has been stopped since the last five months. Is it normal to pass stools 3-4 times a day? Also, he seems to be hyperactive and we fear that he may suffer from attention deficiency syndrome. Is it too early to conclude?

A:You have not mentioned about the type of stool whether loose, semisolid or whether floats on the bowl or oily, foul smelling. If it is normal, looks like your child has gastrocolic reflex which is a normal entity in children of this age. However, youshould once do a stool routine and microscopic examination and culture to rule out giardiasis and if the child is otherwise well active and gaining weight, you need not worry. It is important to have a growth chart. As far as your concern for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), it is too early to keep this diagnosis.