If your kid is experiencing diarrhea, you should first check his or her body temperature since a fever and/or vomiting at the same time may indicate that an infection is present.
Important: Your kid must drink a lot, ideally in tiny amounts over and over again, in order to compensate for the loss of fluids and salts from vomiting. Depending on the age of your child, several methods to fluid and salt consumption are recommended:
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Here is how to treat diarrhea in toddlers:
- Breastfeeding should be continued indefinitely for infants. Breastfeeding on demand produces enough breast milk to satiate the thirst of a newborn infant.
- During bottle feeding, thin tea (fennel or chamomile tea) with a bit of salt and a teaspoon of dextrose should be given to the kid instead of newborn milk during the first six to eight hours after feeding.
When the toddler and older child has diarrhea:
- The child should not eat solid food for about six hours, but only drink a lot.
- The drinks should be chosen in a varied way.
Particularly suggested are chamomile, fennel, or thin black tea with one to two level tablespoons of sugar per 100 mL of tea (approximately equivalent to one cup) and a sprinkling of salt. Salted broths and potassium-rich fruit juices, such as banana or apricot juice, can also assist to compensate for the loss of minerals, electrolytes, and vitamins during the process of vomiting.
- If your child is already drinking from a cup on his or her own, adding a straw to enhance the amount of liquid he or she consumes is generally beneficial.
- Once your child has been fasting for around six hours, you can begin offering him or her readily digested, low-fat foods such salty mucilage soups made from oats or rice, shredded apple, mashed banana, or rusk.
In order to prevent the spread of subsequent illnesses, frequent hand washing and extra hygiene should be prioritized. This, of course, applies to every member of the household. Washing hands thoroughly with warm water and soap after each visit to the bathroom, after changing diapers, and before every meal is recommended. In addition, hands should always be completely washed before preparing meals and before eating.
Infections are the most common cause of diarrhea in children
The most common causes of diarrhea are intestinal illnesses caused by viruses and bacteria of various types.
Among children, diarrhea is frequently caused by rotaviruses and noroviruses, which are viruses that cause intestinal illnesses . These diseases are very infectious and spread mostly by smear infections: after coming into contact with viruses-contaminated items and surfaces, such as door handles, light switches, and water taps, the pathogens enter the mouth through the mouth. The germs can also be spread through food that has been infected with the virus.
Dietary poisoning, an unsuitable diet, medicine, or a food intolerance are among factors that might cause diarrhea. Stress (for example, travel fever) and other mental factors, such as dehydration, can also cause diarrhea. The majority of the time, however, the symptoms last no more than one or two days.
When a visit to the doctor is urgent for diarrhea
The majority of the time, the above-mentioned actions will result in a significant improvement within a short period of time. However, if your kid exhibits any of the following symptoms or experiences any of the following events, you and your child should seek medical attention immediately:
- If you are nursing your infant and the stool color is white, you should seek medical attention.
- If the diarrhea is bloody, get medical attention.
- If you are unable to get your child to drink.
- If your child vomits while also experiencing a fever and diarrhea at the same time, call your doctor.
- If the youngster has a high temperature and/or stomach ache at the same time, this is a red flag.
- If your child’s lips and tongue are chapped and he or she pees less frequently than every 6 hours, call your pediatrician.
- When the abdominal wall is very tight.
- For newborns, the diarrhea should be stopped after six hours, for toddlers after twelve hours, and for school-aged children after eighteen hours.
Useful observations for the doctor or physician
Because diarrhea may be caused by a variety of factors, you should constantly examine your kid as closely as possible so that you can explain any further symptoms to the physician if required. For example, the following are useful indications:
- Is your kid experiencing symptoms such as a fever, stomach ache, or vomiting?
- In what manner and to what extent does he or she wet the diaper? What does the stool’s consistency look like?
- What color is the stool, by the way?
- Does the youngster have a regular bladder emptying routine?
- Is he suffering from a cold or a cough?
- Do any other members of your family exhibit the same symptoms?
- Is the youngster seeming to be unusually weakened or impaired?
