Diarrhea in a child, what to do - advice for parents

One of the most common problems is diarrhea in a child, the characteristic features of which are liquid feces and accelerated defecation.

Causes of diarrhea in children

What to do when a child has diarrhea? You should consult a pediatrician and find out the cause of the problem.

Importantly! If the child feels normal, nothing bothers him, the stomach is soft, and there were 1-2 loose stools, then there is no need to panic.

Viral infections

Quite often, diarrhea occurs when viruses enter the body, among which the most common are:

• Adenovirus - spreads through the air when coughing and sneezing, during contact with infected people, when touching infected objects.
• Rotavirus - infection occurs through contact with infected people.
• Norovirus – enters the body with contaminated water or food, from infected people.
• Astrovirus - transmitted through infected surfaces or food, during contact with a sick person, mainly occurs in late winter and early spring.

Bacterial infections

Severe diarrhea in a child usually accompanies a bacterial infection that develops when eating contaminated products.

Non-infectious diarrhea

Non-infectious factors can also provoke diarrhea:

• Eating unripe vegetables and fruits
• Use of low-quality or expired products
• Constipation
• Celiac disease (gluten intolerance)
• Hypersensitivity to gluten
• Lactose intolerance
• Enzyme deficiency
• An excess of bile acids
• Intestinal motility disorders
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Dyskinesia of biliary tract
• Disruption of intestinal microflora
• Adverse reactions to medication
• A sharp change in climatic conditions
• Stressful situations, strong emotional experiences

In babies, diarrhea can be a consequence of teething or the use of the first complementary food

Worm infestations

Sometimes diarrhea can be caused by helminths that have settled in the body. Therefore, in the absence of other reasons, it is worth checking the child for the presence of parasites.

Diarrhea in children is a common condition that can be caused by a variety of factors, from viral infections to nutritional disorders. The most important thing for parents is to provide the child with enough fluids to prevent dehydration and to pay attention to symptoms that require consultation with the pediatrician, such as prolonged diarrhea, fever or signs of weakness. Timely care and proper care will help to avoid complications

Symptoms of diarrhea

A viral infection is characterized by a sudden onset that is not related to eating, high fever, severe weakness. In severe cases, dehydration is possible. Fecal masses are liquid, often change color.

Bacterial infection manifests itself:

• Diarrhea
• Nausea and vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Abdominal pain and cramps
• The appearance of blood in the stool
• Increased temperature

Diarrhea caused by an intestinal infection or food poisoning is accompanied by nausea, pain and spasms in the stomach, flatulence, and increased thirst. With dehydration, the amount of urine decreases.

Diagnosing the causes of diarrhea

A child has diarrhea, what to do? First of all, you should consult a pediatrician and undergo a diagnosis to find out the causes of the pathology. The doctor will ask about the existing symptoms, get acquainted with the medical history, and conduct a physical examination.

He will then give a referral for a diagnostic examination, which may include:

• General analysis of blood and urine
• Fecal analysis (helminth eggs, coprogram)
• Bacterial culture of feces
• Evaluation of bowel movements
• Visual tests that make it possible to detect intestinal structural abnormalities and inflammation
• Allergy and food intolerance tests
• Colonoscopy
• Sigmoidoscopy
• Rectomanoscopy

How to treat diarrhea in a child

What to do if a child has diarrhea, the pediatrician will tell after getting acquainted with the results of the diagnosis. He will select drugs that neutralize pathogenic microorganisms and remove toxic substances, prevent dehydration.

In children, the main danger is not diarrhea, but the dehydration associated with it - loss of fluid and salts. Therefore, the doctor prescribes rehydrants - solutions of glucose electrolytes (glucosolan, citroglucosolan, Rehydron) to restore the water-electrolyte balance. Babies are usually doused with cooled boiled water or still mineral water. Also, the pediatrician can recommend Rehydron solution.

Drug treatment may include:

• antibiotics (for bacterial infections);
• sorbents - remove waste products of pathogenic microorganisms and toxins from the body;
• antispasmodics - relieve spasms and relieve pain syndrome;
• enzymes - restore the proper functioning of the pancreas and digestion;
• probiotics - normalize intestinal microflora;
• antipyretics (for fever).

In case of non-infectious diarrhea, in addition to symptomatic therapy, the main disease that caused the diarrhea (allergy, colitis, enteritis, pancreatitis, dyskinesia) is treated. If the diarrhea was provoked by stress, then it is unnecessary to treat it. It will pass by itself.

Diarrhea diet for a child

How to stop diarrhea in a child? An integrated approach is important. In addition to taking medications, it is necessary to follow a diet.

• Dairy products, sweets, bread, pastries, juices, smoked meats, fried and fatty foods, pork, raw vegetables and fruits, corn, citrus fruits should be avoided.
• The diet should consist of boiled cereal soups, pearl or rice porridge, hard-boiled eggs, fermented milk products, tea with crackers.
• You can gradually include fish and low-fat steamed meat, low-fat cheese, vegetable puree, baked apples, dried fruit compote in the menu.

Prevention of diarrhea

To prevent the development of diarrhea, it is necessary:

• observe personal hygiene, be sure to wash your hands before eating;
• wash vegetables and fruits, dishes and the area where food is prepared;
• carry out heat treatment of eggs, meat, fish, milk before eating them;
• eat food immediately after cooking;
• drink only purified water;
• store products correctly;
• strengthen the child's immunity.