Diarrhea in children happens often. The baby’s digestive system is still imperfect, and therefore reacts in this way to any negative external factor. If measures are not taken in time, dehydration can quickly develop in children. But you need to do this correctly. Many parents try to immediately give an antibiotic for diarrhea in a child. This can not be done, since the diarrhea that appeared in the baby can be caused not by a bacterial infection, but by completely different reasons that are not related to microbes. In this case, the antibiotic will harm, but will not help.
Causes of Diarrhea in Children
Diarrhea is a frequent loose stool. It can be accompanied by pain in the abdomen, vomiting, cramping, frequent urge to defecate. Diarrhea can occur with severe stress, a cold, the introduction of a new product in the diet. When breastfeeding, babies often have loose stools, but this is not always a pathology. For example, the cause of yellow diarrhea in a child may be improperly selected infant formula or the introduction of complementary foods.
Diarrhea can be caused by various microorganisms, fungi, viruses or helminths. Bacterial infections that cause diarrhea are usually transmitted if hygiene is not followed. In developed countries, diarrhea in children is most often caused by enteroviruses or rotaviruses.
There are non-infectious causes of diarrhea in children. This can be congenital anomalies in the structure of the digestive tract, malabsorption syndrome, lactose intolerance and other pathologies. Diarrhea can cause severe stress, overheating of the child, the use of stale foods or unboiled water, as well as food allergies.
The feasibility of prescribing antibiotics
Many mothers are very afraid of loose stool in children, so when it appears they immediately give them antibacterial drugs. But in fact, the need for this is not always the case. It must be remembered that antibacterial drugs are effective only against certain types of microorganisms. An antibiotic for diarrhea in a child can be prescribed in the following cases:
- With dysentery. It is transmitted through dirty hands, unwashed vegetables, or contaminated water.
- With salmonellosis, which can be infected if the cooking technology is not followed or from an infected person.
- If E. coli is affected, these microorganisms are always present in the human body, and under certain conditions they begin to multiply too actively.
- With giardiasis, it is a parasitic infection.
- Less common are botulism, cholera, typhoid fever.
But diarrhea in children does not always appear due to a bacterial infection. It can be caused by viruses, food poisoning, a change in diet, stress, or teething. In this case, the use of antibiotics will be useless, it can even harm. After all, they, along with pathogenic bacteria, kill the beneficial intestinal microflora. In this case, diarrhea can only worsen.
Therefore, with diarrhea in a child, you should immediately consult a doctor. After the examination, the specialist will determine the cause of the diarrhea and choose the appropriate treatment. Indications for the use of antibiotics is a bacterial infection. If it is confirmed, antibacterial drugs are immediately prescribed. With diarrhea in children, you need to carefully approach the choice of such funds so that they do not violate the microflora and cause serious side effects.
When to take antibiotics for diarrhea in children
It is not recommended to do this from the first day of diarrhea. Immediately it is advisable to consult a doctor who will prescribe drugs against diarrhea. It can be sorbents, drugs that affect intestinal motility, probiotics, enzymes. Rehydration therapy is mandatory to prevent dehydration, and a special diet is followed. But there are certain situations where it is necessary to adjust the treatment, you may have to start giving antibiotics. The reason for this may be the following symptoms:
- Temperature rise.
- Vomiting
- The stool becomes foamy, has a fetid odor.
- They contain impurities of mucus, blood or pus.
- The color of feces becomes green, black or completely light.
- Signs of dehydration develop.
- Diarrhea lasts longer than 3 days, other drugs can not cope with it.
When antibiotics should not be taken
In most cases, diarrhea with the right approach disappears in a few days and without the use of antibacterial drugs. Only in 20% of cases of diarrhea is the use of antibiotics warranted. First of all, diarrhea is rarely caused by bacteria. But even a bacterial infection does not always require the use of antibiotic therapy. For example, when a bacterium E. coli becomes infected, antibiotics lead to its mass death, and enterotoxin is produced, which can lead to toxic shock, and intestinal microflora are disturbed.
If the baby’s diarrhea is caused by food poisoning, an allergic reaction, or a viral infection, the use of antibiotics can be dangerous. After all, these drugs irritate the digestive tract even more and can lead to increased diarrhea. Particular care must be taken when using antibiotics for diarrhea in children 1 year of age or younger. At this age, the intestinal microflora is not yet formed, often there are failures in the digestive tract. Antibacterial drugs can negatively affect the digestion of the child, causing increased diarrhea.
What antibiotics for diarrhea are prescribed for children
These drugs can not be chosen independently. This approach can lead to disruption of the intestinal microflora and the appearance of bacterial strains resistant to any antibiotics. Therefore, such treatment should be prescribed only by a doctor. Not every antibiotic for diarrhea and temperature in children will be effective. His choice depends on the type of pathogen and the age of the child. Most often, one of several drugs is prescribed in such cases:
- "Furazolidone" is effective in salmonellosis, giardiasis and many other intestinal infections.
- "Chloramphenicol" has long been used for diarrhea, children are prescribed it starting from 3 years.
- "Amoxicillin" is safe even for infants, and its effectiveness in intestinal infections is quite high.
- "Doxycycline" is a stronger drug, it is prescribed only for children after 8 years.
- Ampicillin is effective in many bacterial infections.
- Intetrix is ​​prescribed for dysentery.
More safe are drugs based on the antimicrobial substances nifuroxazide, enterofuril and ersefuril. They are available in the form of a suspension or syrup and are approved for use even in the first year of a child's life.
Amoxicillin for diarrhea
This drug is prescribed in the case when diarrhea lasts longer than 3 days, there is an impurity of mucus or blood in the stool, the child's temperature rises. Amoxicillin is effective in typhoid fever, salmonellosis, shigellosis, dysentery. It is allowed to use this antibiotic for babies from birth. The dosage is calculated according to body weight. Children are usually prescribed 30-60 mg per kilogram of weight. It is best used to treat a suspension that has a pleasant taste. Tablets are recommended for children after 5 years.
The use of "Chloramphenicol"
Most often, when a child has a bacterial intestinal infection, doctors prescribe Chloramphenicol. For children, the dosage of this drug must be calculated individually. Chloramphenicol is an inexpensive broad-spectrum antibacterial drug. It is sold in pharmacies without a doctor’s prescription, but you should not use it yourself. The action of the drug is based on the inhibition of bacterial activity. Their growth and reproduction cease.
When prescribing Chloramphenicol, children must strictly adhere to the instructions and follow all the doctor's recommendations. It is necessary to maintain the concentration of antibacterial substances at the level necessary to suppress the activity of bacteria. In this case, the duration of treatment should be at least 10 days, otherwise a relapse may occur and the bacteria will become resistant in the drug. In addition, this drug can cause serious complications, such as impaired hematopoiesis.
Ampicillin for diarrhea
This is a broad-spectrum antibiotic, effective for salmonellosis, diarrhea caused by staphylococcus, streptococcus or enetrococcus. Instructions for use "Ampicillin" in tablets allows its use from a month of age in various intestinal infections. But for babies, it is better to use a suspension for treatment, which is easier to dose and give to the child. Ampicillin is not used for blood diseases and liver dysfunction. It is also worth considering that a child’s diarrhea can be caused by taking antibiotics, so only a doctor can prescribe the drug after an examination.
The instruction for the use of Ampicillin tablets notes that after their use, side effects often occur. It can be headaches, cramps, impaired hematopoiesis. Therefore, it is possible to give the drug to a child only at a dosage prescribed by a doctor. It is calculated from the calculation of the body weight of the baby and the severity of his condition. Typically, the dosage is from 50 to 100 mg per kilogram of weight.
"Furazolidone" for diarrhea in children
This is the most common drug used for various intestinal infections. It has a gentle effect, therefore it is widely used in pediatrics for the treatment of children after 1 year. Effective "Furazolidone" in typhoid fever, dysentery, salmonellosis, giardiasis. Apply it even with rotavirus infection and food poisoning, as a feature of the drug is its ability to improve the body's defenses. The drug is well tolerated, and allergic reactions to it are very rare.
Metronidazole for children
This antimicrobial drug has been one of the most popular for many years. However, is it possible to give Metronidazole to children with diarrhea of ​​any etiology? The drug is used from the first year of life, as it is low toxic, but only if indicated. It is prescribed for giardiasis, amoebiasis, pseudomembranous colitis. Therefore, with ordinary diarrhea, this drug is not prescribed. On the contrary, the use of Metronidazole can cause colic in the intestines, diarrhea, and nausea.
Rules for the use of drugs
In order for an antibiotic for diarrhea in a child to be effective, it is necessary to take it strictly according to the instructions. It is especially important to maintain the same time intervals between taking two doses. This will help to constantly maintain a certain concentration of antibacterial substances in the blood. In no case should you change the dosage of antibiotics, reduce or increase the duration of treatment without a doctor’s recommendation.
Antibiotics can cause many side effects. First of all, this is a violation of the intestinal microflora. In addition, all antibiotics worsen the child’s immunity, resulting in an increased risk of secondary infection.
Diarrhea after antibiotics
Incorrect use of antibacterial drugs (in the treatment of various diseases) can lead to antibiotic-associated diarrhea. These funds destroy not only pathogenic microorganisms, but also beneficial bacteria. Therefore, the intestinal microflora is disturbed. In addition, inflammation of the gastrointestinal mucosa often develops, and its motility changes. As a result, pathogenic bacteria begin to multiply, which causes diarrhea. The cause of diarrhea after taking antibiotics may be an individual intolerance to the drug.
Such diarrhea is often accompanied by vomiting, abdominal pain, increased gas formation. Usually, the frequency of bowel movements is not very high - up to 5 times a day. Diarrhea can even alternate with difficult bowel movements. In rare cases, diarrhea in a child after antibiotics becomes too frequent, the temperature rises. To prevent this condition, the use of antibacterial drugs is always combined with probiotics. If diarrhea appears, treatment should be discontinued, and the doctor will help you choose other medicines for therapy.