When we, adults, suffer from diarrhea, then this is a usual thing for us and in most cases no special treatment is required, but when a child has diarrhea, treatment should be carefully thought out and discussed with a doctor so that his actions do not only make it worse.
Diarrhea in a child should be determined not by how often he defecates, but by the consistency of the stool of the child.
If the child is small, then most often the causes of diarrhea are gastrointestinal infections, food intolerances, colds, or a reaction to taking antibiotics.
Dehydration - a reason to worry
Many diseases that are associated with diarrhea are not serious, but can be very annoying. What is needed to cure such diarrhea? In a child, treatment may consist of taking a large amount of fluid and a slight change in diet. This is due to the fact that the main danger of diarrhea is dehydration. After all, the child’s body has its own balance of salts and water. This balance is regulated by the kidneys and intestines. With diarrhea, this balance is disturbed and as a result, all organs begin to lose water. If diarrhea is also accompanied by vomiting, then the risk of dehydration is further increased.
Signs of dehydration in a child:
• weight loss from 5 to 10 percent;
• the child is quieter than usual or, on the contrary, annoyed;
• dry mouth;
• in children up to a year, the fontanel may sink;
• urination less often than usual;
• dry and pale skin;
• urine is dark yellow in color.
How to cure diarrhea in a child
1. First you need to determine the cause of diarrhea itself. It’s worth considering, maybe some changes have occurred in your child’s diet recently. So, you could introduce complementary foods, or start giving your child cow's milk, or you could give your child a taste of juice and forget to breed it. Pay attention to the child’s stool, if it is liquid, but without blood and mucus, and the ring around the anal entrance is red, it means that the child is simply intolerant of some product that you recently introduced. Try to return to the usual food for the child and thus stop the diarrhea in the child. Treatment in this situation is not required. If the stool has not returned to normal within a week, but there is also a temperature and malaise, then proceed further.
2. In order to determine the severity of dehydration, you need to weigh him for several days. If the child does not lose weight, then you should not worry. And you can do without the help of a doctor. If the weight of the child every day is less, then you already have to start worrying.
3. Diarrhea in a child whose 1 year. It is always more difficult for small children to choose a treatment, therefore, first you need to try to do everything possible without the use of medication. Try to exclude annoying food from the baby’s diet, stop giving him solid food, do not give any milk except breast milk. It is necessary to exclude all dairy products, fatty foods and juices. If diarrhea has become stronger, then it is advisable to completely eliminate all food except your milk.
4. If all of the above methods could not eliminate the diarrhea in the child, treatment by a specialist will be necessary for you.
5. After the treatment prescribed by the doctor, you need to gradually switch to a normal diet. It is better to feed the baby with the usual foods often, but in small portions. If, after you return to the “solid” food, the child has diarrhea again, it means that the child’s body is simply not ready to absorb this food and you should wait a bit.
What should not be done with diarrhea in infants?
In no case do not refuse to breastfeed. Because mother's milk does not have any irritating effect, but rather produces a therapeutic effect, because in this situation it may turn out to be the only food that the baby suffers.
No need to give the baby juice. Juices may contain sorbitol - this is sugar, which is characterized by the fact that it is not absorbed by the intestine and absorbs water from its mucous membrane, and then turns it into stool, which leads to increased diarrhea. That is why plum juice is considered a laxative. When using juice such as apple, pear, and cherry, a child may also experience abdominal pain.
Therefore, if you find diarrhea in a child, treatment should be carried out very carefully, and it is better to consult your doctor (especially if the child is very small).