Diarrhea in children: causes, treatment, nutrition

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

The digestive system of a child is not yet as perfect as that of an adult. Therefore, parents are well aware of various disorders in the digestive tract. Most often it is diarrhea in children. There can be many reasons for this phenomenon. And every time parents worry, not knowing how to help their baby. Today we will talk about what this phenomenon is, where it comes from and how to treat it.

Main danger

Diarrhea in children is so common that doctors have become accustomed to this phenomenon. This trouble is very common in the life of a curious baby who is trying to taste everything. Of course, his immunity can cope with some of the bacteria. But there are microorganisms and more serious. Diarrhea in children can be functional or cause malfunction of the gastrointestinal tract, being a symptom of one of the diseases of this system. Therefore, it is impossible to make a diagnosis on your own. Be sure to call a doctor at home or visit with a childclinic.

Diarrhea in children is accompanied by gas and bloating, rumbling and pain. But the main danger lies in the fact that it quickly leads to dehydration and loss of important substances for the body. If an adult can cope with this on their own, then for a baby it turns into serious problems and hospitalization.

Emptying the bowels 3-5 times a day should alert parents. But if their number exceeds 7-8 times, then this condition causes dehydration of the body. This is especially true for thin and weak children with poor appetite. Therefore, it is better to play it safe once again.

Specificity of childhood

Loose stools don't always mean diarrhea. Here you need to take into account the age characteristics of children. For them, single failures of the stool are normal. If the child does not complain about feeling unwell, then do not worry too much.

For babies, loose stools are completely a variant of the norm. Only when he starts eating solid food will his feces begin to take shape. Attacks of diarrhea happen, and when the baby is teething. What should parents pay attention to? Distinctive signs of pathology will be the appearance of an unpleasant odor, blisters, mucus or blood in the stool. If the child is acting up or clearly showing pain in the abdomen, it is best to go to the hospital immediately to clarify the diagnosis.

• If the child is 1 to 2 years old, the signs of diarrhea will be frequent and liquid stools.
• If a child is 2 to 3 years old, then normally he shoulddefecate 1-2 times a day. Anything beyond that is already considered a sign of diarrhea.

Importance of diagnosis

This is the main point that parents need to understand. The causes of diarrhea in children should be looked for by a doctor. It can be a banal overeating or a deadly virus. Therefore, it is better to get an examination and make sure that the child is not in danger than to waste precious time.

In the vast majority of cases, the cause is a violation of the digestive tract. Loose stools can cause many diseases that are not related to the pathologies of the digestive system. The cause of this phenomenon can also be poisoning and a strong nervous shock. In view of this diversity, let's expand the classification a little.

Infectious diarrhea

This is one of the most severe forms that requires serious therapy, otherwise the condition will only worsen. Viral diarrhea in children causes intestinal infections. Children under three years of age are most susceptible to their effects. In some cases, the cause of the development of the disease may be salmonella. Symptoms can range from mild distress to severe watery diarrhea. Characterized by severe pain in the abdomen. In addition, pay attention to such changes in the baby's condition:

• Temperature increase.
• Headache.
• Vomiting.

Other forms of diarrhea

Let's look at other types of diarrhea:

• Alimentary diarrhea. Occur due to failures in the child's nutrition system. Often the cause is hidden in an allergicreactions to one of the foods that is always on the menu.
• Neurogenic diarrhea. Rare in young children.
• Dyspeptic diarrhea. As a rule, they do not have pronounced symptoms and develop due to problems with the digestive tract.
• Toxic diarrhea occurs with severe vomiting. The child is weakening, the complexion is turning gray.
• Medicated diarrhea.

Symptoms

In babies older than a year, the manifestations of diarrhea are about the same as in adults. Frequent and watery bowel movements are a fairly objective indicator. Diarrhea occurs with sharp urge and severe pain in the abdomen. The following pattern is observed - the more watery the stool, the more often the child runs to the pot.

Pediatricians note that any kind of childhood diarrhea requires an immediate response and immediate treatment. Particular attention deserves the case when the child's bowel movements occur after a short period of time. Be sure to pay attention to the contents of the pot. If it is green, foamy, or contains mucus or pus, seek help immediately.

How to tell if you're getting dehydrated

If a child has vomiting or diarrhea, then adults should pay special attention to his condition. To determine whether there is dehydration, it is enough to monitor the condition of the mucous membranes and skin. In severe cases, they lose their elasticity, the skin begins to crack.

Baby becomes lethargic, refuses food. Faithfula change in the color of urine is also considered a sign. It becomes darker, and the number of acts of urination is sharply reduced. Remove the baby from diapers and count the wet diapers. There should be at least ten of them per day. If it concerns an older child, then at least five. Vomiting also aggravates problems with urination. Your child needs the utmost care and attention right now.

First steps

Treatment of diarrhea in children should be aimed at eliminating the causes that led to the onset of symptoms. Therefore, it is necessary to consult a competent pediatrician, and not self-treatment. By studying the symptoms, listening to the parents and examining the child, the doctor will be able to prescribe adequate treatment. If he has doubts about the nature of diarrhea, then he will send feces for analysis.

But this is only part of the measures that can be taken to alleviate the condition of the child. In addition to prescribing special drugs, the doctor will tell you about the measures that must be followed during the treatment of diarrhea in children.

Sparing diet

In most cases, total fasting may be required. If the doctor does not insist on refusing food, the food offered to the child should be easily digested. Now the body is aimed at fighting the disease that affects the intestinal mucosa. By loading them with food, you will only increase its rejection and the manifestation of symptoms. Nutrition for diarrhea in children should be minimal. Nature itself took care of it. Until the condition improves, the baby will refuse to eat. Don't force feed him, that will only make it worse.condition.

If the child is over a year old, then there will be nothing wrong with a small hunger strike for a few days. The exception is when the baby is less than a year old. In this case, long hungry pauses can cause a malfunction in metabolism and weight loss. If the baby is breastfed, then in some cases the doctor decides to keep it. And only if each feeding ends with vomiting, then an alternative scheme is developed.

Antidiarrheals

This is a classic system that needs to be abandoned. Parents come to the pharmacy and ask how to treat diarrhea in a child. Often the pharmacist offers one of the expensive drugs. These can be harmless prebiotics or very dangerous antibiotics. Fixing drugs like Imodium are often offered.

This is the biggest mistake parents make. When choosing how to treat diarrhea in a child, they stop at medicines that stop the symptoms. Antidiarrheal drugs reduce the release of fluid into the intestinal lumen. This is justified if diarrhea caught an adult on the road, but it is completely unacceptable for treating a child at home. It is forbidden to give the baby a remedy for diarrhea if he has a fever or blood during a bowel movement.

It is extremely important, especially in the first hours of the development of the disease, to remove toxins. You can put an enema with warm water, the temperature of which is 23 degrees. If the doctor sees the need to block bowel movements (in case of severedehydration), then he himself will make such an appointment.

Plentiful drink

Since it will not be possible to stop diarrhea in a child quickly, it is necessary to observe the optimal drinking regimen, that is, to replenish the lost fluid. The older the child, the more water he needs. This amount can be calculated as follows: approximately 50 ml per kilogram of weight. If the child drinks more, it's okay. Throughout the day, the baby should receive water in fractional portions. If he is weak and most often sleeps, then pour in a teaspoon every 5-10 minutes. When the condition improves, the child can be given compote and mineral water. A solution of "Rehydron" can also be very useful, as it replenishes the loss of s alts.

If the drug is not at hand

Most often, when complaining of diarrhea, this drug is prescribed very first. Replenishment of lost s alts and fluids is the most important task. It is prescribed for children from 1 year. Treatment of diarrhea in a child should go against the background of taking Regidron until the condition improves, that is, the frequency of defecation decreases.

Pharmacy powder can be simply diluted with water. But if it was not at home, then it is quite possible to cook it yourself. The electrolyte solution is prepared as follows. For a liter of water, add 0.5 teaspoons of soda and s alt, as well as a tablespoon of sugar. Stir, and you can start drinking. This is the first diarrhea remedy for kids to keep in mind.

Sorbents

These drugs should always be in your homefirst aid kit. At 2 years old, diarrhea in a child is a fairly common occurrence. He can already get to many places by himself, touch different objects. But he still doesn't know how to wash his hands. As a result, bacteria often enter the intestines, which leads to such consequences.

The first aid will be the simplest "Smekta". If there is activated charcoal or Polysorb in the first aid kit, then they can also be successfully used. The unique structure allows the drug to promote the restoration of damaged cells. This gentle treatment will not cause harm, so the drugs can be used as an emergency.

To avoid complications, the treatment of acute diarrhea should take at least three days. Children under the age of one require two sorbent sachets per day. They need to be diluted in 50 ml of water, and then given a little bit during the day. If a child has diarrhea at 2 years old, then 4 sachets will be required per day. On the fourth day, if the need to continue therapy still persists, you can reduce the amount of sorbent by half.

Child and Kindergarten

Diarrhea in a child at 3 years old is most often associated with intestinal infections. Therefore, self-treatment is unacceptable here. You can give the child to drink enterosorbents. They will remove poisons and toxins from the body, which will remove intoxication. This will not remove the cause of diarrhea, and therefore will not eliminate the need to see a doctor.

Duration of treatment and more specific drugs will be prescribed by the attending physician. Folk methods have proven themselves well. Among these are:

• Rice congee. 50 g should be given several times a day.
• Kisel on berries and starch.
• Decoction of pomegranate peels.

Often, parents ask what to feed a child with diarrhea. While the baby feels unwell, it is best not to feed him anything. As your appetite wakes up, you can gradually introduce lean soups on chicken breast or lean veal into your diet. Gradually introduce porridge into the diet, and only after that you can try fermented milk products. Wait at least two weeks with fruit and milk.

Antibiotics and prebiotics

If the results of the tests revealed an intestinal infection, then the appointment of special antibiotics is required that can defeat the pathogenic microflora. In each case, a specific drug must be selected that will be effective for your baby.

Answering the question of how to treat diarrhea in a child at 3 years old, we note that you do not need to give Levomycitin. This drug is not at all as safe as it is commonly believed. There are special drugs, like "Emigil - F", which are broad-spectrum antibiotics, have a pleasant taste and are relatively safe for the child. In some cases, doctors prescribe Loperamide. You should not give it yourself, even as a last resort.

At the end of this course, be sure to drink probiotics, which will restore the intestinal microflora. It can be Linex, Bifiform, Bifidumbacterin. Very good results are shown by the appointment of the fermented milk product "Narine". ittasty, inexpensive and very effective. Probiotics are very good for strengthening the immune system. But this is exactly the shield that protects our body from harmful microorganisms. And he does it constantly, intensifying at the right time.

Prevention of diarrhea

Prevention of any disease is much more important than its cure. With regard to diarrhea in children, the principles of prevention are different depending on the age of the patient. If we talk about the baby, then to some extent, prevention is the nutrition of the mother who breastfeeds him, the correct and timely introduction of complementary foods, the mother's observance of the basics of proper nutrition during pregnancy. Of course, the hygiene of the baby is also important. Parents should not just wash bottles and nipples, but also pour boiling water over them.

For older children, hygiene comes first in the prevention of diarrhea. This includes washing hands before every meal, handling all toys, and eating only washed fruits and vegetables. Also, the child is forbidden to give raw water and products of dubious quality. Especially relevant is the issue of diarrhea in children attending kindergartens. As a rule, there are not enough staff in them to keep track of each baby. Therefore, parents have a duty to instill in their daughters and sons basic hygiene habits and explain that they must be observed even when no one is looking at them.

Another preventive measure is to kill all flies in the room. On their paws they carry hundredsmicroorganisms that can cause various diseases.

Instead of a conclusion

Often, parents are very calm about diarrhea in a child and try to eliminate it with "grandmother's" methods. In situations where stool changes are caused by dysfunction in the intestines due to the consumption of any food, this tactic is justified. If the diarrhea was stopped in 1-2 days, no additional measures need to be taken. If the child has frequent (7 times or more) stools for more than 2 days, you should definitely call a doctor.

The same should be done if there is blood, pus or mucus in the feces, if the child cries a lot or complains of pain, if fever and / or vomiting are observed along with diarrhea. Diarrhea is not a deadly symptom, but only if treatment is started on time.