What to do when a child has diarrhea?

Frequent loose stools in a baby almost always take parents by surprise, because many simply do not know what to do when a child has diarrhea.

However, diarrhea in children is not uncommon, since the anatomical and physiological characteristics of the digestive organs at an early age predispose to the occurrence of such disorders.

Diarrhea can be the result of an infection (bacteria or viruses) or a consequence of taking certain medications.

Sometimes diarrhea is one of the initial symptoms of dysentery, when it is very important not to hesitate and call an ambulance as quickly as possible.

But most often, loose stools appear as a result of an acute intestinal infection, the causative agent of which can be salmonella, pathogenic E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella, etc. A child can become infected through dirty hands, untreated personal items (pacifiers, bottles, etc.), through poor-quality water, unprepared mammary glands of the mother, etc.

In some cases, chronic intestinal disorder of the baby also occurs. The reasons for such a condition are already quite serious:

• deficiency of digestive enzymes;
• pancreatic hypoplasia, inflammation of the duodenum, diabetes mellitus;
• dysbacteriosis;
• lactase, glucose-galactose or fructose deficiency;
• food allergy.

Treatment of diarrhea in children directly depends on the cause of the disorder. This cause should be determined by a pediatrician, and after consultation, treatment should be prescribed. But what should parents know about diarrhea in a child? What can they do in such a situation?

What to do if a 1 year old child has diarrhea?

Fortunately, most conditions that cause diarrhea in a baby are relatively harmless: they may even disappear on their own if you offer the child more fluids and make some adjustments to his diet. The main danger posed by diarrhea is dehydration. The child's body maintains a virtually constant electrolytic (salt) and water balance, regulated by a healthy intestine and kidneys. With diarrhea, the balance may be disrupted, and the body risks losing both fluid and useful salts. What should alert you:

• the child begins to lose weight;
• loses interest in games, often acts up;
• mouth and tongue are dry upon examination;
• urination occurs less frequently, and the urine is darker than usual.

What can parents do in such a situation?

• Try to find the cause of diarrhea. Maybe you have changed your child's diet in some way over the past few days. For example, you switched him from breast milk to cow's milk, or to baby food, or started introducing complementary foods. Maybe the child overate or ate a lot of a new product at one time? Note: if your baby has diarrhea and redness around the anal sphincter, this may indicate that your child is intolerant to certain foods. Try to return to the previous diet, or eliminate the food that could have provoked diarrhea. If everything is done correctly, the stool will return to normal within 5-6 days.
• If a child has a cold with a fever against the background of an intestinal disorder, then it is necessary to act depending on the child's well-being. The child is not capricious, plays as if nothing had happened, his tongue is wet, urination is normal - wait and watch the child, there is no need to worry yet. If the child begins to lose weight, often cry and be capricious - call the doctor.
• If the baby's feces are explosive, watery, greenish, it is obvious that the baby is sick, and the surface of the tongue is dry - review his diet. Do not offer the baby solid foods, cow's milk, store-bought purees and cereals. Leave breast milk and cereals on water.
• In case of severe diarrhea and dehydration, if you are no longer breastfeeding, you can replace all of your baby's food with electrolyte mixtures (for example, "Naturalite" or "Pedialight"), which can be purchased at almost any pharmacy. It is useful to consult a doctor about dosages. In case of moderate diarrhea, such mixtures replace only half of the child's diet.
• If the child's diet has been disrupted for some reason (change of residence, vacation trip, etc.), it is useful to restore it as much as possible. Until the diarrhea finally stops, forget about cow's milk, replacing it with breast milk or natural yogurt.

Keep in mind that the child's bowel function may recover very slowly, and diarrhea will continue for up to several weeks. But if there is abdominal pain and weight loss, you should definitely visit a doctor. You may need to take a test for helminths.

What to do if a newborn has diarrhea?

If a newborn baby has loose, unformed stool with mucus or even blood, then we can talk about the development of diarrhea. The risk of dehydration in a newborn patient is maximum, and this is really very dangerous. You should contact a doctor immediately. The fluid must be compensated: breast milk or plain boiled water are best, you can use a weak solution of chamomile.

In most cases, the mother herself is to blame for the appearance of diarrhea in a child, or more precisely, errors in her diet. Everyone knows that a nursing woman must follow a strict diet, because whatever she eats passes to the child with breast milk. If the mother could not restrain herself and enjoyed a cup of strawberries or a couple of peaches, expect that the baby may have diarrhea. If the child has been bottle-fed since birth, then in this case, an upset stool may be a signal that this milk formula is not suitable for the baby.

A common ailment of newborns is dysbacteriosis - an imbalance of microorganisms in the intestines. This happens due to the imperfection of the child's digestive system. The fact is that the baby's intestines are filled with the necessary bacteria with the first sips of mother's milk. If the baby is bottle-fed from birth, or the mother allowed herself to eat "extra", then the balance of bacteria can be disturbed, and dysbacteriosis will occur. What will help restore the microflora?

• Bifiform baby is a children's probiotic with beneficial bacteria, recommended from birth. It is used as a food supplement in the amount of 1 dose/1 time per day. The course of therapy is 20 days.
• Nifuroxazide - in the form of a suspension is prescribed 1 measuring spoon per 2.5 ml of liquid twice a day.
• Smecta – helps to eliminate problems in the child’s digestive system. Removes toxins from the intestines. Usually, 1 sachet is used per day, diluted in 100 ml of liquid or in 50 ml of mixture. The course of therapy is no more than 3 days.

In rare cases, children may be born with congenital bowel pathologies. In order to diagnose such diseases, a doctor's consultation, tests and special studies are required.

What to do if your baby has diarrhea while teething?

Many mothers and fathers cannot understand how teething in a baby is connected with the appearance of diarrhea. There is an opinion that during teething, a child secretes more saliva, which is swallowed, gets into the intestines and dilutes the feces. However, scientists do not confirm this theory, finding other logical explanations for this condition.

A newborn baby receives the first dose of immune protection from the mother's milk. Then this immunity gradually begins to weaken, while its own has not yet been developed. Teething, which can begin as early as three months of age, irritates the baby's gums. As a result, the baby "pulls" everything into his mouth to reduce discomfort in the oral cavity. These can be toys, just dirty fingers, foreign objects. Since the degree of immune protection is imperfect, all sorts of microbes and other microorganisms from such objects end up in the mouth and then in the baby's digestive system, which can cause infectious irritation of the intestines. The child's body is not yet able to fight infection on its own, hence digestive disorders and diarrhea.

How can parents help their baby?

To ease the baby's condition, give him healthy food to chew on - washed and peeled carrots, banana, rice. Avoid food that can worsen diarrhea - dried fruits, apples, apricots. If diarrhea continues for more than a day, share your concerns with the doctor.

The period of teething is a natural physiological process. However, the appearance of diarrhea against the background of teething requires parents to pay increased attention to the child. It is necessary to make sure that diarrhea is not associated with additional viral or microbial diseases. Only after consulting with a pediatrician, you can jointly help the baby.

We have already discussed how to help a child with diarrhea. Now we will briefly discuss what not to do in such a situation:

• You cannot stop breastfeeding, since breast milk supports the baby’s immunity and is tolerated better than any other product;
• You should not offer your child cow's milk, especially with added sugar, as this can aggravate the development of pathogenic bacteria in the intestines;
• You cannot put your child on a long fast, completely switching him to drinking liquids (no more than 2 days);
• If your child has diarrhea, you should not give them juices, especially undiluted ones and in large quantities.

The best remedy for diarrhea is a replacement solution, that is, an electrolyte solution, which we discussed above. Do not rush to give your child medications that are usually prescribed to adults - they can be dangerous for children. By slowing down diarrhea with such means, you can stop the work of the entire digestive system, which will only worsen the baby's condition. Bacteria will continue to develop in the stopped intestines, gradually being absorbed into the circulatory system and causing serious pathologies.

And the last piece of advice: what to do if a child has diarrhea while taking antibiotics? If you give your baby a special acidophilus powder during antibiotic therapy, you can prevent a violation of the microflora in the child's intestines. This powder is called Lactobacillus bifidus (Primadophilus), you can buy it at any pharmacy.