The stool of a child who is breastfed is usually plentiful and relatively liquid, so it is difficult for parents to understand whether he is healthy or he has diarrhea and diarrhea. It is important to know other symptoms of diarrhea in order to identify it in time, consult a doctor and avoid the most dangerous consequences. How and how to treat diarrhea in a child, find out in the article on "Treatment of diarrhea, diarrhea in a child."
Acute diarrhea
This diarrhea is the most common type, it lasts less than 2 weeks, its origin can be bacterial or viral. In addition, it occurs when taking certain medications, especially antibiotics, which destroy the intestinal flora. In the latter case, after cessation or interruption of treatment, the flora is restored and diarrhea ceases.
Chronic diarrhea and diarrhea
It lasts more than 2 weeks. The main causes of chronic diarrhea in children - intolerance or poor digestibility of certain substances (lactose, gluten) or intestinal parasites (giardiasis).
The most common symptoms of diarrhea and diarrhea:
- Stomach cramps
- Abdominal pain, as with colic
- The feeling of heaviness in the stomach
- Nausea
Rotavirus is a common cause of diarrhea of infectious origin, the most common in children. With the outbreak of diarrhea, the child becomes weak and sluggish, almost does not eat or drink. If he pales, his eyes fall, and in the stool there is blood, you should immediately consult a doctor, because these are serious symptoms.
- Persistent urge to defecate
- Temperature increase
Infectious diarrhea
Infections are the main cause of diarrhea in children. These infections can be caused by bacteria, parasites and most often by viruses. To date, more than 70% of microorganisms that cause diarrhea have been identified. Especially often in young children occurs rotavirus rights - the cause of more than 50% of hospitalizations of children with diarrhea.
Objectives of treatment
- Prevent dehydration by replenishing fluid reserves or maintaining the water-salt balance of the intestine.
- Prevent damage to the intestinal flora or restore it.
- Avoid nutritional deficiencies and maintain health. With any diarrhea it is useful to inject fluids and salts into the body, most often they are taken orally, and in the most serious cases, they are administered intravenously.
- Infections occur most often as a result of ingestion of contaminated water or food into the body. Microorganisms overcome the protective barriers of the digestive tract and enter the intestine, where they can have a twofold effect:
- Infect and destroy cells, cause inflammation. Such a diarrhea is called invasive.
- Develop toxins that stimulate the secretion of liquids and electrolytes (sodium, potassium, etc.) from intestinal cells into the intestinal tract and prevent their re-assimilation. Such a diarrhea is called secretory.
Treatment
It is very important to give the baby an oral rehydration solution as soon as possible. He should also offer liquid - often, but little by little, about 1-2 tablespoons, even if the child is sick of it. If vomiting does not subside or worsen, wait 15 minutes, and then again offer the baby a liquid. The amount of fluid and the duration of the diet depend on the doctor's recommendations and vary depending on the severity of diarrhea and the degree of dehydration. If the child has severe dehydration or a significant deterioration in the general condition, as well as intolerance to rehydration solutions, it must be placed in the hospital and continue to replenish fluid loss intravenously. After an attack of acute diarrhea, it is recommended to transfer the child to a balanced diet in order to restore the balance of nutrients. Limit your basic food. Oral solutions for rehydration play a primary role in the treatment of diarrhea. These solutions contain the sugar and salts needed to restore the normal balance of the digestive tract. Solutions are sold already in finished form or in the form of bags with powders, which should be dissolved in boiled chilled or mineral water. Some solutions are flavored and therefore more attractive for children.
If the child is breastfed, the amount of breast milk feeding should be increased. If the baby eats milk mixtures, they should be briefly discarded (about 12-14 hours). All this time the child needs to be offered only rehydration solution, and then it is necessary to return to feeding with milk formulas again. But research has shown that it is more useful to start feeding the baby right away, without giving the intestines time to recover. About whether it is worth giving the infant formula during diarrhea, there is controversy: it is believed that milk protein and sugar (lactose) aggressively affect the intestinal mucosa during an outbreak of diarrhea. Another subject of debate is the use of milk formulas without lactose or with proteins of plant origin. It is generally believed that they should be given only in selected cases, with an identified intolerance or with prolonged diarrhea. The introduction into the diet of food that the child ate before the onset of diarrhea should occur gradually, starting from the second day. Kids can be given food with rice flour or puree of astringent fruits (bananas, apples), older children - rice puree, carrots, boiled white meat or white fish, natural yogurt. Other products can be added gradually, but in the first few days avoid those that have a laxative effect. Malnutrition in the initial stages of diarrhea leads to an increase in its duration.
Medications are rarely required, anti-diarrheal drugs and antibiotics are prescribed only in selected cases. Antibiotics are prescribed only to very small children, if there is a risk of generalization of the infection, or to children with weakened immunity, with persistent infection, after detection of microorganisms that caused diarrhea. Usually an antibiotic is prescribed to treat a particular infection. In this case, the symptoms soften. Currently, there are no drugs to combat diarrhea of viral origin. Classical antidiarrhoeal drugs are usually ineffective, too expensive and even give the opposite effect. Now we know how to treat diarrhea, diarrhea in a child.