Children often have diarrhea, constipation, and other problems with bowel movements. This is normal: the gastrointestinal tract is growing, and the microflora is constantly changing. Medicines for diarrhea and vomiting for children confound the diversity of parents: which one to choose? This article provides a list of the highest quality and safest products.
Common Causes of Vomiting in Children
Vomiting is a protective reaction of an organism to poisoning or a foreign object in the gastrointestinal tract. Her presence is better than her absence. So the body is able to withstand infections and intoxication. The most common causes of nausea in a child (based on which you should choose a medicine for diarrhea and vomiting for children):
- viral hepatitis (indomitable vomiting, rarely accompanied by fever);
- acetonemic syndrome;
- rotavirus infection.
If vomiting occurs in a baby, it is most likely a violation of the central nervous system or defects in the gastrointestinal tract.
How to treat diarrhea and vomiting in a child? First you need to make a diagnosis. It doesn't matter if the parents go to the hospital or call an ambulance. It will be necessary to describe the symptoms of the condition of the child. To do this, carefully examine the vomit (they are different):
- vomiting with mucus (more common in infants);
- masses of a greenish tint with bile indicate diseases of internal organs (in particular, the gallbladder and liver);
- yellow masses with bile and mucus indicate problems with the liver, pancreas;
- vomiting with blood clots indicates possible cracks in the walls of the esophagus and stomach.
Common Causes of Diarrhea in Children
Diarrhea is a reaction of the body to a violation of the intestinal microflora, parasitic infestations, rotavirus infections (accompanied by temperature and vomiting), food poisoning, and some inflammatory diseases.
How to treat diarrhea and vomiting in a child if they occur simultaneously? Most likely, the cause is rotavirus infection. In this case, a sharp increase in temperature, fever and fever is possible. In parallel with this condition, severe diarrhea develops. But the exact diagnosis can be found only after obtaining the results of a biochemical analysis of blood, urine, feces. Therefore, you can not do without contacting the clinic.
If the child has vomiting and diarrhea without fever, treatment can be done at home. However, tests must be passed to exclude the development of serious pathologies. If the child has a temperature above 38.5 degrees, it is worth calling an ambulance and hospitalizing the child.
List of the most effective treatments for vomiting, diarrhea and fever in a child
What to give if the child has vomiting, diarrhea and fever? Metoclopramide will perfectly solve this problem. Of the contraindications for this drug are headache, allergic reactions, and individual intolerance.
What to give the child with vomiting and diarrhea, but there is no temperature? Sorbent preparations, lactobacilli are ideal. They practically have no contraindications and are presented on the pharmacological market with many items.
Here is a list of the most effective medicines for diarrhea and vomiting for children:
- "Loperamide" - a tool that gained popularity in the Soviet years. It is approved for use for children from five years. Of the contraindications, it has liver failure, pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis, intestinal obstruction.
- "Lopedium" - a similar drug, has the same active substance. Effectively and quickly stops even the most severe diarrhea in a child, has a slight antiemetic effect.
- Sulfanilamide preparations: "Sulfadimethoxin", "Phthalazole". This is a class of drugs that can fight infection at the cellular level. Even before antibiotics were invented. Effective against rotavirus infections. Quickly and effectively reduce the temperature, stop diarrhea. Before use, children should consult a doctor, since sulfonamides have a lot of contraindications.
- "Linex" - a drug that restores the intestinal microflora after poisoning and taking antibiotics. Available in the form of capsules and solution. It can be used as a medicine for diarrhea and vomiting for children. It has no contraindications, except for an allergic reaction to the components of the capsules. Fixes a chair, and stops diarrhea in a child on the second or third day of admission. If we compare Linex with Loperamide, its distinguishing feature is its safe use and the absence of side effects. But he is not able to stop acute diarrhea as effectively as Loperamide.
- "Paracetamol" and "Nurofen" quickly reduce the temperature, but do not affect diarrhea and nausea. Many parents, fearing heat and fever in children, are in a hurry to immediately give their child a drug based on paracetamol. For several hours, it can help and reduce symptoms. But if the cause of the malaise is in rotavirus infection, the temperature will rise again, and you will have to call an ambulance.
- "Cerucal" is an antiemetic that is approved for use in children from 14 years old. In some cases, doctors prescribe it to children from seven years of age and older, since this is the most powerful and relatively safe antiemetic.
- "Enterosgel" - a sorbent that will help the child with food poisoning. Quickly removes toxic metabolites from the body along with feces and urine. Some metabolites can be neutralized in the liver. "Enterosgel" has no side effects and can be used in children from four years. Treatment of vomiting and diarrhea in children with sorbents is not always effective - it is optimal to use Enterosgel as an adjuvant in parallel with Loperamide and Linex.
Diarrhea and vomiting in infants
How to treat diarrhea, vomiting and fever in an infant? Of course, the usual methods will not help here: almost all medicines have contraindications for children under one year of age.
If the problem appears on the background of breastfeeding, do not stop it. A mother should reconsider her nutrition and completely abandon foods that can somehow provoke an allergic or inflammatory reaction in the child’s body. It is optimal to eat cereals on the water (oat, buckwheat, rice, pearl barley), stew (chicken, turkey, veal), pale vegetables (potatoes, leeks, cauliflower), bananas and apples should be preferred from fruits.
If the baby rises above 38 degrees and at the same time diarrhea and vomiting - do not hesitate, call an ambulance and explain the situation on duty. Most likely, the baby caught an intestinal infection, and at this age its consequences can be very serious.
Diarrhea and vomiting in a child from one to three years
At this age, the list of approved drugs is becoming larger. Therefore, treating nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea in children from one to three years old becomes easier. It is not necessary to go to hospital - the doctor can prescribe drugs that can be successfully drunk at home.
It is also worth adjusting the baby's nutrition in parallel with taking medication. This will help restore the baby's well-being for a long time. It is necessary to remove from the diet fried foods, fatty meat, fast food, factory sweets, chocolate and all products whose freshness is in doubt. This is especially true for dairy products - they must be fresh. If a child likes fruits and vegetables, parents should ensure that they are not rotten. These are common causes of vomiting and diarrhea in a child. Treatment in the end can be lengthy and complex.
The most common drugs that are used in such cases:
- Candles "Cefecon" effectively reduce the temperature, relieve nausea. They are used only if diarrhea is not pronounced - otherwise the suppository will not stay in the body for a long time.
- "Lactofiltrum" is a remedy that restores the intestinal microflora and helps to stop diarrhea and nausea in a child.
- Linex - at this age, doctors recommend using not in capsules, but in the form of a solution.
- Loperamide should be used after consultation with a doctor. These pills can stop even the most severe diarrhea in a matter of hours after ingestion.
Diarrhea and vomiting in a child from three to seven years
At this age, the gastrointestinal tract and the microflora of the mucosa are already fully formed. Problems with diarrhea caused by organic causes no longer occur. Most often, at this age, intestinal infections are the cause of vomiting, diarrhea and high fever in a child.
At this age, you can use a much more extensive list of medicines than in babies up to three years. You can safely take immunomodulating drugs, rehydration solutions (Gastrolit, Regidron), sorbents (Smecta, Lignin, Enterosgel), enzymes (Mezim, Pancreatin).
It is better not to combine several drugs on your own, since many of them antagonize with each other, and instead of facilitating the course of an infectious disease, it can complicate it. The optimal treatment regimen for intestinal infections can be prescribed by an infectious disease specialist or gastroenterologist. In some cases (in severe cases of the disease), it is necessary to place the child in a hospital.
Enterosorbent Treatment
In which case, sorbent preparations will be effective for treating diarrhea and vomiting in a child? First of all, in case of poisoning. Enterosorbents quickly remove toxic metabolites from the body along with feces and urine. Some metabolites can be neutralized in the liver. Such drugs have virtually no contraindications, can be used in children from four years.
The most popular of them are drugs based on activated carbon and Enterosgel. They cannot stop severe diarrhea, but they can be used as an aid in intoxication. The child will recover much faster, and the symptoms of poisoning will leave him a few days earlier.
The effectiveness of lactobacilli during vomiting and diarrhea
Among doctors, disputes about the effectiveness of drugs that restore the intestinal microflora do not subside. Many gastroenterologists consider such drugs as a dummy, since the intestinal mucosa can quite effectively build up the necessary flora on its own. This takes longer than with medication, but is inevitable.
A popular syrup for children from diarrhea and vomiting is Lactofiltrum. Bifidumbacterin, which is sold in glass bottles, is also cheap and effective. The contents should be diluted with liquid until a homogeneous suspension is obtained.
Drugs with lactobacilli restore stool with moderate-intensity diarrhea. If diarrhea and vomiting are severe, drugs with a more potent effect should be used (for example, Loperamide).
Antivirals for vomiting and diarrhea
It is reasonable to use immunomodulatory, immunostimulating and antiviral tablets for vomiting and diarrhea for children only if the disease is provoked by a viral infection. In all other cases, there is no point in taking such medications.
For children, the following antiviral drugs are approved for the treatment of viral intestinal infections:
- "Viferon" in the form of tablets or rectal suppositories (if diarrhea is not pronounced, then suppositories can be used);
- "Arbidol" in the form of capsules;
- "Anaferon children" in the form of tablets for oral use.
Prebiotics
This class of drugs is similar in action to lactobacilli. Prebiotics restore intestinal microflora and thereby normalize stool, so they are used to treat diarrhea and vomiting in children. The following medicines have this effect:
- "Gastrofarm";
- Enterol;
- "Beefiform";
- "Biosporin".
The composition of these drugs includes bacteria that help strengthen stool in a child. The disadvantage of these drugs is that their effect does not occur immediately, but cumulatively. As a result, diarrhea disappears only after four to five days. During this time, the child can completely weaken, dehydration and asthenia will develop. Therefore, with severe diarrhea, prebiotics can only be used as an adjuvant, and Loperamide or Chloramphenicol should be chosen as the main one.
Enzyme preparations for treating diarrhea and vomiting in children
It makes sense to use these drugs if the malaise is caused by a malfunction of the pancreas. It stops producing enzymes in sufficient quantities, gastric juice loses its properties. As a result, both prolonged constipation and diarrhea can occur. In some cases, a child may develop chronic pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreatic tissue). To avoid this condition, it is necessary to show the small patient to the gastroenterologist on time.
List of enzymes that in some cases are effective for childhood diarrhea and vomiting:
- Penzital;
- Pangrol
- "Freon";
- "Festal".
All of them are prohibited for children under six years old. Reception of enzymes from the outside can lead to disruption of their own. Therefore, before you start taking it, you must make sure that the malaise in the child is caused precisely by the problem with the production of enzymes.
If the child’s pancreas is healthy and functioning correctly, then taking fermented drugs can lead to severe diarrhea and vomiting. It is undesirable to start taking these medications on your own, without making sure of the diagnosis of the child.
"Paracetamol" for diarrhea and fever
Young parents often panic when their child has a fever, diarrhea and vomiting begins. They use the usual antipyretic and analgesics based on paracetamol. This is "Cefecon", "TeraFlu", "Children's Paracetamol." If a child needs urgent help and there are no other medicines at hand, you can use similar medications. They will not affect diarrhea directly, but they will help to bring down the temperature.
If the condition is caused by poisoning, then paracetamol-based drugs can aggravate the condition. They are very toxic to the liver, and as a result, the child can be "treated" with toxic hepatitis. That is why it is important to start trying to at least independently diagnose and roughly understand what kind of process is happening in the child’s body.
Paracetamol-based drugs are good for bringing down a child’s fever and fever, but with vomiting and diarrhea they are almost completely useless. How to treat diarrhea, vomiting and fever in a child if paracetamol-based drugs are not beneficial? There are many safer drugs: Linex, Loperamide, Levomycetin, Arbidol. What exactly to choose, depends on the set of symptoms in the child.