Diarrhea (diarrhea), as you know, is considered frequent and thinning of the stool. In the children of the first two months of life, the intestines are still underdeveloped, so it is emptied after each feeding. And this is not considered a pathology if the stool itself is mushy, with white lumps and a sour-milk smell. At the same time, its color normally can be different shades of yellow or yellowish-greenish.
The frequency of stool in a child older than three months should not exceed 4 times, and after 6 months of life, the intestine is emptied even less often - up to 3 times a day. In addition, after six months of life, feces should change their character, becoming more formalized, which is associated with the introduction of complementary foods in the child’s diet.
Diarrhea in an
infant (up to 6 months) is a condition where the frequency of stool exceeds 10 times a day. In “artificers” at the same age, diarrhea can be considered bowel movement more often than 6 times a day. The reasons for this condition are many, the danger is that with feces a large amount of water and salts are lost, without which the body cannot exist. That is why diarrhea in an infant is an occasion for active action on the part of parents.
Causes of Diarrhea
Conventionally, the causes are divided into 2 large groups - infectious and non-infectious.
- Infectious. They can be caused by viruses (enteroviruses and rotavirus infection), bacteria and protozoa. The main reason for such diarrhea is a violation of hygiene rules when caring for a child (unwashed hands of a caring person, getting dirty hands in the baby’s mouth, as well as unprocessed household items, using common toys).
a) Diarrhea caused by viruses. Often accompanied by an increase in body temperature, there is a connection with the use by the mother or the child himself of certain foods. Stool is frequent (with rotavirus infection - up to 20 times a day, sometimes more often), usually gets an unpleasant odor, sometimes changes color. Often accompanied by vomiting.
b) Diarrhea in an infant having a bacterial origin caused by Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Shigella (dysentery stick). This is a rarer cause for infants. In this case, the stool is frequent, fetid, its color often changes (with salmonellosis it is green, it looks like swamp mud). Body temperature also rises. May be vomiting.
c) Diarrhea in severe septic diseases. So, pneumonia can be accompanied by diarrhea, vomiting and fever. But in this case, more frequent breathing appears, in which additional muscles (nose wings, intercostal) begin to participate.
The following should be noted: with profuse diarrhea, when you are unable to compensate for fluid loss with feces, the baby’s temperature “normalizes”. Moreover, it decreases below normal. This is not a favorable sign, but a symptom of dehydration.
2. Non-infectious: caused by an abundance of causes.
- Among them there is a kind that is considered among pediatricians “relatively physiological”: it is loose stools lasting one day when a new product is introduced into the complementary foods or when teething.
- Diarrhea in case of malabsorption of milk or mixture due to a deficiency in the child's body of an enzyme (lactase deficiency, celiac disease, and so on). In this case, diarrhea occurs already in the first days of life or from the moment a child is transferred to a new mixture. The stool is liquid (less often - mushy), plentiful, has a brilliant appearance and an unpleasant odor. Body temperature does not rise.
- Diarrhea in an infant may be due to abnormalities in the development of the intestines or pancreas, bile ducts. The chair is plentiful, a large amount of undigested food, no temperature.
- Dysbacteriosis. You can talk about it if your mother or child recently had (less than 2 months have passed) or antibiotics are being taken now. In this case, the body temperature is normal. The stool is liquid, it has mucus, it may be green.
- Other causes of diarrhea are more suitable for adults.
What to do if diarrhea?
The main task is to ensure the replenishment of fluids and salts lost with feces. That is, it is necessary to take into account how much water was lost with a chair, and what - with temperature. You need to drink the baby this amount of fluid, plus give him extra fluid, which is necessary to maintain life (for example, for the first month of life - 140 ml / kg, for the second - 130 ml / kg, after the fourth calculation is different).
You can drink it with breast milk, although it is better to transfer the child to a lactose-free or low-lactose mixture ("Humana LP", "Nan-lactose-free", "Low-lactose-free"). In addition to the mixture, water must be given, preferably with electrolytes (dissolve a packet of the Humana Electrolyte preparation in 250 ml of water or a bag of Regidron powder in a liter of water). Water should be given every 10-15 minutes per teaspoon. If the child does not vomit, you can give a little large volumes (2 teaspoons).
The next event from diarrhea is a sorbent. For kids, this is the drug "Smecta" - 1 packet per 150 ml of water. Children under the age of one year should try to “pour” half of the prepared solution per day.
Lactobacilli: Bio-Gaia preparation - 5 drops per day, Lacto- and Bifidumbacterin probiotics in an age-specific dosage, 5 ml of Enterozhermin or Enterofuril suspension per day.
All medicines are used only on the recommendation of a doctor. If you are unable to adequately replenish the volume of fluid and stop diarrhea, do not wait for dehydration. Call an ambulance and go to the hospital, where they will provide assistance and find the reason.