How to help child with diarrhea

How to Treat Diarrhea in Kids – Children's Health

Nothing can slow down a child's fun – or interfere with family plans – more than a case of diarrhea. Diarrhea is a common condition that occurs when stool has too much water in it.

"The colon is designed to absorb water so that the stool has form and consistency. At times, the stool absorbs too much water, resulting in diarrhea,” explains Lauren Lazar, M.D., Pediatric Gastroenterologist with Children's Health℠ and Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern. "If your child has a loose or liquid stool at least three or more times per day, it's probably diarrhea.”

The best treatment for your child's diarrhea may depend on its cause, but there are ways to provide relief from diarrhea symptoms. Learn how to treat diarrhea in kids, including advice on anti-diarrheal medicines, home remedies and the best foods to give your child.

What can cause diarrhea in kids?

Usually, when children get diarrhea, it's considered "acute,” meaning it lasts from a few days up to a week. The most common cause of acute diarrhea is some sort of infection, whether viral, bacterial or parasitic.

Beyond stomach bugs, diarrhea in kids can also be triggered by other issues, including:

Food allergies
Lactose intolerance
Eating or drinking too much sugar or artificial sweetener
Certain antibiotic medications

Chronic diarrhea is diarrhea that lasts longer than 2-4 weeks and is less common. Like acute diarrhea, it can be caused by a bacterial, viral or parasitic infection. Chronic diarrhea might also be triggered by underlying inflammation in the body, genetic or autoimmune conditions such as celiac disease or inflammatory bowel disease, or functional GI disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome.

What can I give my child to stop diarrhea?

Usually, medicine is not necessary to treat diarrhea in kids. In most cases, acute infectious diarrhea will stop when the body clears out the infection.

"Diarrhea is like a cough when you have a cold. Your gut is trying to get the bad stuff out,” explains Dr. Lazar. "If you slow down the gut with an anti-diarrheal medicine during infectious diarrhea, you're keeping the infection inside.”

If your child's diarrhea lasts more than a few days, check with your pediatrician to determine the cause and best treatment. For chronic diarrhea, your doctor might suggest a change of diet, medication or other ongoing treatment.

Information about diarrhea medicine for kids

Generally, antibiotics are not used to treat infectious diarrhea in children.
Always check with your doctor before giving your child over-the-counter diarrhea medications such as Imodium and Pepto-Bismol.
For some types of infectious diarrhea, probiotics may be helpful. You can purchase probiotics over the counter in liquid and pill form. Make sure to buy the version that is "for children.” Check with your doctor before using probiotics if your child is under age 3.
Do not give any type of medication to children under age 3 without first consulting your physician.

What are home remedies for diarrhea in kids?

There is no one specific food, drink or home remedy that will stop your child's diarrhea. The best treatment for your child's diarrhea is supportive care. To provide relief from diarrhea symptoms, focus on:

Keeping your child hydrated
Offering a variety of nutritious foods
Identifying triggers or problem foods

"With diarrhea, the body loses salts and electrolytes, so it's very important to help your child stay hydrated,” says Dr. Lazar. "Avoid juice and other sugary beverages.”

To keep a child with diarrhea hydrated, offer plenty of fluids, such as:

Water
Broth or soup
Pediatric electrolyte solutions in liquid or freezer pop form
Sports drinks, such as Gatorade or Powerade (choose low-sugar varieties)

What should you feed a child who has diarrhea?

If your child has diarrhea, it's important to feed them a healthy, well-balanced diet in addition to plenty of fluids. In the past, doctors suggested the "BRAT” diet (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast) as a solution to help children with diarrhea. Now, many doctors don't recommend it.

"The BRAT diet is restrictive and does not necessarily help stop diarrhea,” explains Dr. Lazar. "Instead, we recommend that children continue to eat a nutritious, well-rounded diet, as there is evidence that the intestine heals when the child is fed.”

For breastfed babies and children, breast milk continues to be a great option for nutrition through diarrhea. "Breast milk is easily absorbed and has more nutrients than electrolyte solutions,” says Dr. Lazar. However, parents should keep in mind that infants, especially newborns, are very susceptible to dehydration with diarrhea, so if you notice any change in a baby's stool pattern, you should contact your pediatrician.

In certain cases of diarrhea, your child's pediatrician might suggest a dairy-free or low-sugar diet – on a short-term basis. If your child's diarrhea persists, try keeping a food diary. For some people, certain foods can trigger diarrhea. For example, some patients with irritable bowel syndrome notice that high-fat, high-sugar or spicy foods tend to cause problems. For some children, gluten or dairy might trigger diarrhea. If you sense that a particular food is causing a problem for your child, write it down and discuss it with your doctor.

Will fiber or certain foods stop my child's diarrhea?

Fiber is often used to regulate bowel movements and can be used in both constipated and diarrheal states, depending on the type of fiber in the food. Pectin, a naturally occurring substance in food, can also be used to thicken stools. Certain fiber-rich foods may help slow your child's diarrhea. High-fiber foods that may help with diarrhea include:

Apples (not the skin)
Bananas
Barley
Oats
Beans
Peas
Sweet potatoes (not the skin)

Discuss with your doctor if a fiber supplement is appropriate to give your child.

When should I take my child to the doctor for diarrhea?

Call a physician about diarrhea if your child:

Is less than 6 months of age
Has blood in the stool
Shows signs of dehydration (low urine output, no tears, no spit in the mouth, excessive sleepiness or low activity level)
Is vomiting
Has a high fever that does not improve with fever medication
Has abdominal distention (swelling or enlargement)
Has a history of abdominal surgeries
Shows symptoms lasting longer than 2-3 days

"Even if your child is staying hydrated, I would recommend going to the pediatrician if the diarrhea is not improving after two or three days – just to make sure no other evaluations are needed,” recommends Dr. Lazar.

Learn more about childhood diarrhea and gastroenterology

The Pediatric Gastroenterology Division at Children's Health offers specialized programs to help children and their families manage a wide range of gastrointestinal conditions. Learn more about our GI program, services and support we offer children and families.

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Diarrhea in Children: What Parents Need to Know

When children suddenly get loose, watery and more frequent bowel movements, they have diarrhea. Diarrhea is a common symptom of illness in young children. In the United States, children younger than 4 years may have diarrhea 1 or 2 times each year.

Here are some questions you may have if your child has diarrhea, tips to help manage it, and when to call the doctor.

What's the best way to treat or manage diarrhea?

Mild diarrhea without vomiting. Diarrhea often goes away in a couple of days on its own. Most children with mild diarrhea do not need to change their diet and electrolyte solutions are usually not needed. You can keep giving human (breast) milk, formula, or cow's milk. However, if your child seems bloated or gassy after drinking formula or cow's milk, ask your child's doctor if these should be avoided.
Mild diarrhea with vomiting. Children who have diarrhea and are vomiting will need to stop their usual diets. Electrolyte solutions should be given in small amounts, often until the vomiting stops. In most cases, they're needed for only 1 to 2 days. Once the vomiting has lessened, slowly return to your child's usual diet. Some children are not able to tolerate cow's milk when they have diarrhea and it may briefly be removed from the diet by your child's doctor. Breastfeeding should continue.
Severe diarrhea. Call your child's doctor for severe diarrhea. Children who have a watery bowel movement every 1 to 2 hours, or more often, and signs of dehydration may need to stop eating for a short period (such as 1 day or less) to focus on drinking to replenish fluid lost in those stools. They need to avoid liquids that are high in sugar, high in salt, or very low in salt (ie, water and tea). For severe dehydration, children may need to be given fluids through the vein (IV) in the emergency department.

Diarrhea and dehydration

Children with viral diarrhea have a fever and may vomit. Soon after these symptoms appear, children get diarrhea. The most important part of treating diarrhea is to prevent your child from becoming dehydrated.

Call your child's doctor right away if your child shows any signs and symptoms of dehydration (see here).

Also, call your pediatrician if your child has diarrhea and:

Fever that lasts longer than 24 to 48 hours
Bloody stools
Vomiting that lasts more than 12 to 24 hours
Vomit that looks green, tinged with blood, or like coffee grounds
Abdomen (stomach, belly) that looks swollen
Will not eat or drink
Severe abdominal (stomach, belly) pain
Rash or jaundice (yellow color of skin and eyes)

Does my child need electrolyte solutions?

Most children with mild diarrhea do not need electrolyte solutions. Electrolyte solutions are very helpful for the home management of moderately severe diarrhea.

Electrolyte solutions are special fluids that have been designed to replace water and salts lost during diarrhea. Soft drinks (soda, pop), soups, juices, sports drinks, and boiled milk have the wrong amounts of sugar and salt and may make your child sicker.

Do not try to prepare your own electrolyte solutions at home. Use only commercially available fluids—store brand and name brand work the same. Your child's doctor or pharmacist can tell you what products are available.

Should my child with diarrhea fast (not eat)?

Fasting is not a treatment for diarrhea. However, some children may benefit from reducing their intake of solid food if they are vomiting. It is appropriate to continue to offer small amounts of fluids, particularly electrolyte solutions, in these cases. As children recover, it is fine to let them eat as much or as little of their usual diet as they want.

Does the BRAT diet help?

The bananas, rice, applesauce, toast (BRAT) diet, once recommended while recovering from diarrhea, is no longer considered useful. Because BRAT diet foods are low in fiber, protein, and fat, the diet lacks enough nutrition to help a child's gastrointestinal tract recover. Some pediatricians believe that it may actually make symptoms last longer. Ideally, children can resume eating a normal, well-balanced diet appropriate for their age within 24 hours of getting sick. That diet should include a mix of fruits, vegetables, meat, yogurt, and complex carbohydrates.

What about antidiarrheal medicines?

Over-the-counter antidiarrheal medicines are not recommended for children younger than 2 years. They can also be harmful in older children. Always check with your child's doctor before giving your child any medicine for diarrhea.

Also, do not give your child homemade remedies. Some may not be effective and some may actually make things worse.

Do probiotics help diarrhea?

Probiotics are types of "good" bacteria that live in the intestines. They may have beneficial health effects with regard to diarrhea, although more studies are needed.

How can I reduce my child's risk of diarrhea?

Most diarrhea in children is caused by viruses. Diarrhea can also be caused by bacteria, parasites, changes in diet (such as drinking too much fruit juice), problems with the intestines (such as allergy to foods), and the use of some medicines. Here are some ways to help prevent diarrhea:

Stop germs from spreading. Wash hands frequently with soap or using a hand sanitizer. Try to keep your child away from children who have diarrhea or are vomiting.
Do not give your child raw (unpasteurized) milk or foods that may be contaminated.
Avoid medicines, especially antibiotics, if they are not needed.
Breastfeed your baby. Breast milk has many substances that formulas don't have that help protect your baby from many diseases and infections.The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding as the sole source of nutrition for your baby for about 6 months. When you add solid foods to your baby's diet, continue breastfeeding until at least 12 months. You can continue to breastfeed after 12 months if you and your baby desire.
Limit the amount of juice and sweetened drinks.
Make sure your child has received the rotavirus vaccine.The rotavirus vaccine protects against the most common cause of diarrhea and vomiting in infants and young children.

More information

Diarrhea
Vomiting with Diarrhea

The information contained on this Web site should not be used as a substitute for the medical care and advice of your pediatrician. There may be variations in treatment that your pediatrician may recommend based on individual facts and circumstances.

how to treat and how to stop diarrhea with and without fever

Diarrhea is a fairly common problem in children. Its causes may be different - malnutrition, intestinal infections, taking certain medications, an allergic reaction to certain foods.

Types of diarrhea in a child

According to their varieties and origin, the following types of diarrhea are distinguished: infectious, alimentary, dyspeptic, toxic, drug-induced and neurogenic.

Non-infectious

Non-infectious types of diarrhea include: alimentary, dyspeptic, toxic, drug-induced and neurogenic.

Infectious

Diarrhea can be caused by a viral or bacterial intestinal infection.
Viral infections include:

Adenovirus infection . In this disease, the virus infects the intestinal mucosa, upper respiratory tract, and eyes. Against the background of elevated temperature, abdominal pain and diarrhea are added to the symptoms of a cold (sore throat, cough, runny nose).
Rotavirus infection or "intestinal flu" manifests itself in the form of fever up to 38-39 ° C, diarrhea, vomiting.
Enterovirus infection also manifests itself in the form of flu-like symptoms, that is, sore throat, runny nose, cough, to which vomiting, diarrhea, and bloating are added.

Among the most common bacterial infections are:

Samlmonellosis is an intestinal infection caused by Salmonella.
Dysentery infection caused by bacteria of the genus Shigella that infects the lining of the large intestine.

Causes of diarrhea in a child

Diarrhea in a child is a serious problem that should not be underestimated. However, do not confuse diarrhea with a single liquid stool, which can occur when the child has taken unfamiliar food. Loose stools usually do not cause significant discomfort to children.

Consider the most common causes of diarrhea in children.

Infectious diarrhea is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection and is most often accompanied by fever.

Alimentary diarrhea may occur in case of prolonged violation of the diet, a monotonous diet poor in vitamins, as well as in case of allergy to certain foods (strawberries, strawberries, eggs, nuts, etc.) or drugs (for example, iodine, sulfonamides, antibiotics, etc.).

Dyspeptic diarrhea occurs with secretory insufficiency of the gastrointestinal tract. This condition develops when the stomach, pancreas, liver or intestines do not produce enough enzymes to break down and digest food.

Toxic diarrhea may be caused by poisoning with heavy metals (eg, mercury, arsenic) and other toxic substances - nicotine, ethyl alcohol. The cause of toxic diarrhea can also be the accumulation of endotoxins in the body, for example, in chronic uremia (increased blood urea due to kidney damage).

Drug-induced diarrhea develops with prolonged use of antibiotics that disrupt the normal intestinal microflora and contribute to the development of dysbacteriosis.

Neurogenic diarrhea is caused by a violation of the nervous regulation of bowel function. This type of diarrhea can develop under the influence of negative emotions (anxiety, fear, excitement).

Treatment of diarrhea in a child

If diarrhea develops in children under 1 year of age, hospitalization is necessary, since the loss of a large amount of fluid can be life-threatening for the child.

How to treat with drugs

Treatment of diarrhea in older children is primarily aimed at eliminating the cause that caused it. For example, taking enzymes with insufficient production of them by the stomach, pancreas.

Adsorbents are indicated for alimentary diarrhea and allergic reactions to foods or drugs.

If you have bacterial diarrhea, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics.

In case of dysbacteriosis it is recommended to prescribe preparations containing intestinal bacteria. General strengthening therapy in the form of a complex of vitamins can also be prescribed. In case of indigestion, enzyme preparations can be used.

Since a child loses a lot of fluid during diarrhea, it must be replaced with saline solutions.

Home treatments

Before the doctor arrives, your baby can be given an antipyretic such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. Since the body loses a lot of fluid during diarrhea, which can be very dangerous for children under 3 years old, the child must be given mineral water without gas, cooled with boiled water. Before the doctor arrives, you can give the child an adsorbent.

Prevention of diarrhea in a child

The main cause of intestinal infections is poor personal hygiene. From an early age, a child must be taught to wash hands before eating, after going to the toilet and walking in the air. Food products must be subjected to thorough heat treatment. Wash fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly in running water before eating. Subject to all these simple rules, the likelihood of intestinal infection will decrease several times.

Diarrhea in a child | Treatment of diarrhea in children

Diarrhea in a child develops on the background of errors in nutrition, stress. Diarrhea is often a sign of an intestinal infection, inflammatory bowel disease, a manifestation of a food allergy, or drug damage. For the treatment of diarrhea in a child, an integrated approach is used: diet therapy, rehydration, drug therapy to eliminate the causes and consequences of diarrhea.

Causes and symptoms of diarrhea in a child

Diarrhea in children can be physiological and pathological, caused by the action of pathogens and other external stimuli. Let's consider these types in more detail.

Physiological factors

Frequent bowel movements, liquid stools are normal for newborns and infants. Stools in infants may be pasty or unformed, and have a sour smell when breastfeeding. In children on artificial feeding, the stools are more dense and viscous.

Normally, the daily number of bowel movements in newborns is up to 8 times.

Short-term diarrhea is a frequent consequence of dietary errors. This can be caused by eating too many sweets or fatty, unhealthy foods at one time. In infants, physiological diarrhea occurs when changing the mixture, introducing complementary foods. Diarrhea can be a reaction to stress, but after the elimination of provoking factors, it disappears on its own.

With physiological diarrhea, the stool returns to normal within 1-2 days, the general state of health is normal, there are no other negative symptoms.

Acute intestinal infections (AII)

It is intestinal infections that most often cause diarrhea in children of different ages. They are especially dangerous for children under 5 years of age due to the rapid development of dehydration.

Intestinal infections always begin suddenly, proceed in an acute form. Infectious diarrhea is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, rumbling in the abdomen, flatulence, and sharp pain in the abdomen.

OII groups:

Viral. The main causative agents of pathology in children are enteroviruses, rotaviruses. When entering the body, they cause loose stools with mucus impurities, the daily number of bowel movements increases up to 15-20 times. In severe secretory diarrhea, a watery discharge with a fecal odor is observed during bowel movements.
Bacterial. Salmonellosis is accompanied by liquid green stools with a sharp unpleasant odor, with escherichiosis, stools become orange or bright yellow. With dysentery during defecation, a small amount of mucus interspersed with blood is released. A characteristic sign of cholera - feces resembles rice water.
Protozoa. Signs of Giardia infection are similar to enterocolitis, enteritis. Amoebiasis is accompanied by mucous stools, in which there are many blood streaks.

Food allergy

In allergic enterocolitis, a child has loose stools with a lot of mucus and particles of undigested food. In a severe course of the disease, blood impurities appear in the feces. The severity of symptoms depends on the amount of the allergen that has entered the body, the type of allergic reaction.

Diarrhea occurs hours or days after exposure to the allergen. In addition, skin and respiratory signs of allergy are observed.

Chronic pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract

In diseases of the digestive system, diarrhea lasts more than two weeks, periods of remission are replaced by an exacerbation phase. The problem mainly occurs in schoolchildren against the background of non-infectious lesions of the digestive system.

Disease groups:

Congenital pathologies. Protracted and repeated diarrhea in a child occurs with celiac disease, disaccharidase deficiency. Diarrhea occurs after eating intolerable foods. Fecal masses have an unpleasant odor, liquid with particles of undigested food.
Somatic diseases. Periodically, diarrhea occurs when the rules of nutrition and treatment of cholecystitis, pancreatitis, and hepatitis are violated. Exacerbation develops after the use of prohibited foods. Loose stools are accompanied by pain in the abdomen in the area of \u200b\u200bthe diseased organ, bouts of nausea and vomiting.
Inflammatory processes in the intestines. Crohn's disease is accompanied by repeated diarrhea, severe pain in the abdomen. In the feces, blood is often present in the form of scarlet streaks or dark clots. Signs of nonspecific ulcerative colitis - poor diarrhea, blood in the stool.

Inflammation of the appendix

In children, an attack of acute appendicitis often resembles food poisoning: there are repeated diarrhea without foreign impurities, refusal to eat, nausea, single vomiting, pain in the navel, in the right side. In this case, the protective tension of the muscles of the peritoneum, pathognomonic physical symptoms can be blurred.

Consequence of antibiotic therapy

The problem often occurs in children of the first years of life due to the inferiority of the intestinal microflora. Most often, loose stools are observed during treatment with macrolides, lincosamides, cephalosporin or tetracycline antibiotics. Diarrhea up to 15 times a day, feces frothy, greenish, with a pungent odor.

Diarrhea in newborns

Diarrhea in newborns is most often physiological, diarrhea occurs against the background of adaptation of the digestive tract. If the number of bowel movements in infants up to three months is not more than 7 times a day, there are no other negative symptoms, there is no reason for concern.

Abnormal diarrhea in a newborn may be a manifestation of hereditary diseases - enzymatic deficiency, congenital chloride diarrhea or exudative enteropathy. Less commonly, the cause of diarrhea in infants is a viral infection, dysbiosis. Dysbacteriosis develops against the background of late attachment to the breast, with artificial feeding, errors in the mother's diet, and taking antibiotics.

Diarrhea in an infant up to one year old

After the introduction of complementary foods, food allergies and intolerance to certain products often appear. Diseases are manifested in the form of foamy stools, bloating.

Celiac disease, or gluten intolerance, develops 1–3 months after the introduction of products that contain barley, wheat, rye into the child's diet. The second common cause of diarrhea in children under one year old is an allergy to cow's milk protein, which manifests itself after the introduction of dairy products.

Loose stools can be caused by the abuse of juices, water, mixtures. Such diarrhea does not apply to pathologies, it disappears after correction of feeding.

Diarrhea in children from one year old

After 12 months, the child begins to actively explore everything around, often puts hands and foreign objects in his mouth. As a result, the likelihood of poisoning, the development of infectious diarrhea of a viral or bacterial nature increases.

Diarrhea may be caused by atony or weak bowel contraction. The problem occurs with some lesions of the nervous system, stress.

After 18 months, the child may develop adult-type lactase deficiency. In infancy, there was enough lactase, but as they grow older, the synthesis of the enzyme slowed down. After a year, there may be debuts of inflammatory, autoimmune bowel diseases, irritable bowel syndrome. Most often, these diseases begin after severe stress, nervous shock.

Do's and Don'ts:

force-feed if there is no appetite;
give antibiotics, antidiarrheals, enzymes and other medicines without a doctor's prescription;
use potassium permanganate for gastric lavage;
vomiting and diarrhea are protective reactions, as the body is cleansed of toxins, therefore it is impossible to immediately give medicines for diarrhea and vomiting;
prohibit drinking water for fear of vomiting.

Be sure to call a doctor if:

there are blood impurities in the feces, vomit;
dark green vomit;
the child completely refuses to eat, drink;
there was a sharp and severe pain in the right side of the abdomen;
the temperature has risen sharply;
diarrhea lasting more than 8–12 hours;
child constantly thirsty;
there were signs of dehydration - dry skin and mucous membranes, a decrease in the volume of urine and the number of urination, no tears when crying, retraction of the fontanel in the baby.

Diagnosis

If your child has frequent diarrhea, visit the pediatrician. After collecting anamnesis, physical examination, consultation with a gastroenterologist, allergist, infectious disease specialist may be required.

Diagnostic methods:

Abdominal ultrasound. Assign to exclude urgent surgical conditions, to study the structural features of the gastrointestinal tract. It is possible to identify chronic inflammatory processes, congenital malformations, symptoms of damage to the liver, pancreas, and other organs of the gastrointestinal tract.
X-ray of the gastrointestinal tract with contrast. The study of the state of the walls of the stomach, intestines, colon.
Fecal analysis. The coprogram shows the presence of undigested food particles, striated muscle fibers, an increase in the level of mucus, leukocytes.
Bakposev, PCR of feces. Assign to exclude or confirm viral, bacterial intestinal infections.
Clinical, biochemical blood test. It is carried out to identify the inflammatory process, assess the functioning of internal organs, the degree of dehydration, and select effective therapy.
Serological blood tests are necessary in severe infectious pathologies.

Treatment

Before diagnosis, the main goal is to avoid dehydration. The child needs to drink a little salted water, dried fruit compote, rice water - often, but in small portions of 1-2 tsp. every 5-10 minutes, the liquid should be warm. After each bowel movement, drink 50–200 ml of water. To quickly cleanse the body of toxins, give enterosorbents.

Conservative therapy in a satisfactory condition of the child can be carried out on an outpatient basis. In severe, dangerous pathological conditions, hospitalization in the infectious, gastroenterological, and surgical departments is required.

The treatment regimen depends on the severity of dehydration:

For mild exsicosis, oral rehydration agents are prescribed. Breastfed babies need to breastfeed more often.
For moderate dehydration, an increased fluid load is administered orally in the first 4 hours to eliminate the effects of frequent defecation. After improving the patient's well-being, they are transferred to standard maintenance rehydration.
For severe dehydration, saline solutions are given intravenously. The volume depends on the patient's body weight, blood test results.

Diet therapy is an important part of the treatment of diarrhea in a child. In the early days, sparing nutrition is shown: slimy soups, pureed cereals, biscuit cookies, stewed vegetables in a small amount. Gradually, lean meat dishes, dairy products are introduced into the diet. If diarrhea is caused by diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, intolerance to certain foods, the diet is prescribed taking into account the underlying disease.

Drugs for drug therapy are selected according to the cause of diarrhea in a child. For mild and moderate intestinal infections, specific treatment is not required. Antibiotics are prescribed for severe bacterial infections, primary or secondary immunodeficiency, with a history of severe concomitant diseases.

Pathogenetic treatment - enterosorbents, drugs for vomiting and diarrhea. Probiotics and prebiotics are prescribed to restore the balance of the intestinal microflora.

Acute appendicitis requires emergency surgery. Elective surgeries are performed for severe, recurrent bowel diseases - Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis. Surgical treatment is necessary to eliminate bleeding, remove the ulcerated area, segmental resection, and anastomosis.

Features of the treatment of diarrhea in newborns, infants and toddlers

Diarrhea often occurs in children of different ages, and parents are not always in a hurry to see a doctor. But in infants, diarrhea is more severe than in adults, and severe dehydration quickly develops, since there is practically no internal fluid supply. Therefore, with frequent and loose stools in a child, it is imperative to consult a doctor.

At home, you need to give your child a little water to make up for the lack of liquid. Slightly salted water is suitable for small children. Older children - rice water, weak tea without sugar, vegetable broth, special pharmacy solutions for rehydration. You can not drink sweet and carbonated drinks, juices. But if the child wants to drink only forbidden drinks and they do not cause an attack of vomiting, let him drink. In such situations, it is important that some kind of liquid constantly enters the body.

There are no restrictions on the amount of fluid consumed. Minimum - 50-200 ml after each bowel movement. In severe dehydration, the fluid is urgently started to be administered intravenously.

With diarrhea, appetite often disappears, it is recommended to completely refuse food for 4-6 hours, but this method is not suitable for small children. With diarrhea, the absorption of nutrients is disrupted, and a long break between meals is dangerous.

Children with diarrhea should be given light but nutritious meals. During the acute period, a diet of rice, applesauce, bananas and toast or crackers is indicated, with the addition of tea. The diet helps to cope with diarrhea, but contains little protein, so you can’t stick to it for a long time.

Babies with diarrhea can be switched to a lactose-free formula. If diarrhea started after the introduction of complementary foods, it is better to temporarily stop complementary foods.

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