How to treat diarrhea in a child

Diarrhea (or diarrhea) is an intestinal disorder in which you have a fluid bowel movement that occurs more than twice a day. It arises in connection with the acceleration of the intestines and the passage of its contents. Most parents faced such a problem and, as a rule, did not know how to treat diarrhea in a child - take the appropriate measures, including drug therapy and the use of folk remedies, or waiting for the problem to resolve on its own and diarrhea soon will pass. You need to have enough information about this bowel disorder in order to cure diarrhea in time and prevent the development of serious complications.

The main causes of diarrhea

There are many factors that can cause diarrhea in a child, starting with an allergic reaction of the body or a disease of internal organs, and ending with various infections. Consider the most common causes of diarrhea in children:

• an infectious bowel disease;
• improper or unbalanced diet;
• deficiency of lactase in the body of infants;
  

  Symptoms of lactase deficiency

• infection with worms (helminthic invasion);
• the consequences of taking some potent drugs. As a rule, this refers to prolonged use of antibiotics, due to which dysbiosis may occur, which ultimately leads to diarrhea;
• severe stress. Often, stress or negative emotions lead to disturbances in the regulation of intestinal motility. And this applies not only to children, but also to adult patients. This deviation can lead to diarrhea, dysbiosis, or constipation.

Other causes can also cause diarrhea, such as eating unwashed or expired foods. All these factors negatively affect not only the intestines, but also the entire gastrointestinal tract (GIT) as a whole.

Typical symptoms

Most parents immediately panic at the sight of loose stools in a child. But it does not always indicate diarrhea, since when breastfeeding, frequent liquid or mushy stools for a baby are normal. With age, the bowel movement is normalized. Diarrhea in children and adults is accompanied by thinning and frequent stools.

In addition to thinning the stool, the patient may experience additional symptoms. These include:

• increased gas formation;
• feeling of discomfort in the abdomen;
• discoloration of stools, the appearance of impurities of blood, pus or mucus in the stool;
• bouts of vomiting;
• symptoms of dehydration and intoxication of the body.

On a note! The danger of prolonged diarrhea in children is that it leads to dehydration, which can lead to serious complications. Doctors say that even a 10% loss of fluid in the body is deadly for a baby.

What is the danger of this condition

Regardless of the cause of diarrhea, this pathological condition leads to an increase in the size of the intestine due to the ingress of water into the lumen of the child's intestine through the intestinal wall. In turn, the movement of intestinal contents is accelerated, and stool frequency is increased. Untimely treatment or its complete absence can lead to serious complications - this is dehydration and impaired absorption of nutrients.

With dehydration of the body, the child's condition worsens, all processes in the body slow down, and the temperature rises. Dehydration can worsen with increased stool intensity and abundance. If diarrhea torments the child often enough, then along with the feces, useful substances leave the body, and the intestines can no longer function normally and the vitamins that enter the body with food cannot assimilated.

Diagnostic features

If the diarrhea lasts for several days without stopping, then the child needs to be urgently shown to the doctor. Perhaps the cause of this condition was some kind of disease. During the diagnostic examination, the doctor may prescribe the following procedures:

• bacterial inoculation of vomit;
• sigmoidoscopy;
• ultrasound examination of the digestive tract;
• general and biochemical analysis of the patient's blood;
• X-ray examination;
• laboratory analysis of feces for dysbiosis and parasites.

Only after the diagnosis of diarrhea has been made, the child is prescribed an appropriate course of therapy.

Treatment methods

The basis of any type of treatment is to eliminate the causative factor that provoked the development of intestinal disorders. Therapy consists of taking medication, adhering to a special diet and using traditional medicine. Let's consider each of the methods separately.

Nutrition

With diarrhea, it is necessary not only to exclude all harmful foods from the baby's diet. It is also necessary to normalize the diet. Parents should make sure that the child chews food thoroughly and feeds fractionally (often, but in small portions). These measures are effective in treating digestive disorders not only in children but also in adults.

Permitted products include:

• freshly squeezed fruit juices;
• crumbly porridge cooked in water;
• boiled eggs or steam omelet;
• low-fat cottage cheese;
• steamed fish, chicken, turkey, veal and beef.
• wheat croutons without spices.

Prohibited foods for diarrhea in children include:

• carbonated drinks;
• various sweets (ice cream, chocolate, cookies, sweets);
• crackers, chips, fast food;
• salty, fatty, fried, smoked and sour foods;
• fresh vegetables and fruits;
• coffee and dairy products.

On a note! The therapeutic diet must be followed not only during the therapeutic course, but for at least another 2-3 months after its completion. This will prevent various problems with the intestines and the entire digestive system.

Pharmacy preparations

As noted earlier, in the treatment of diarrhea, medications are often prescribed, divided into several groups:

• enterosorbents. A group of drugs with sorption properties, thanks to which the body is quickly cleansed of various toxins. The most common drugs in this group include Smecta, Polysorb and Enterosgel;
  

  Diarrhea medicines

• probiotics. Used in medicine to normalize the balance of beneficial bacteria in the body, most of which die during diarrhea. This group of drugs is used in the treatment of intestinal infections, dysbiosis and prolonged diarrhea. Also, doctors prescribe probiotics after prolonged use of antibacterial drugs;
• antimicrobial agents. These are potent drugs that are rarely used in the treatment of children. With their help, it is possible to reduce intestinal motility and stop diarrhea, thereby eliminating all the symptoms of pathology.

Regardless of the type of drug, be sure to consult a doctor before use. The child's body is not yet fully formed, so the use of potent drugs can harm it.

Folk remedies

People often use proven traditional medicines to complement traditional therapies. Of course, before using this or that remedy, you need to consult a doctor in order to avoid unexpected consequences.

Table. Recipes for folk remedies for diarrhea in children.

Name of funds	Application
Rice broth	An excellent folk remedy used in the treatment of various pathologies and disorders in the digestive system. To prepare the broth, pour 1 liter of clean water with 200 g of washed rice and cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes. Strain the finished broth through cheesecloth and give the patient 50 ml 5 times a day. Keep the medicine warm.
Herbal collection	Mix in one vessel for 1 tbsp. l. chamomile, snake knotweed, blueberry berries and peppermint leaves. Then pour 200 ml of boiling water 2 tbsp. l. cooked collection and insist in a closed thermos for 30 minutes. Strain the finished broth to get rid of plant residues, and give the child 100 ml 3 times a day. It is advisable to take the remedy before meals.
Kissel	Absorbent with soothing properties. Cooking jelly is practically no different from conventional technology, that is, jelly must be prepared on the basis of starch. Only for cooking it is necessary to take dried fruits, not fresh ones. Take daily.
Starch solution	Another starch-based drug. To prepare the solution, pour 100 ml of cold water for 1 tsp. l. starch and stir thoroughly. If desired, you can add a little honey or sugar to sweeten the medicine. Take throughout the day, dividing the prepared amount of the solution into 5-6 doses.
Pomegranate infusion	This drug is not suitable for everyone, since doctors do not recommend giving pomegranate infusion to children under 1 year old. To prepare the product, pour 200 ml of water for 1 tsp. l. chopped pomegranate peel and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. After that, insist the medicine for 2 hours. Strain the finished infusion through several layers of gauze and take 1 tsp 3 times a day. l., preferably 30 minutes before meals.

When using folk remedies, even if tested by good friends, you need to be careful. Improper preparation or non-observance of the recommended dosage can lead to serious violations.

Prevention measures

To prevent the development of dysbiosis and other problems with the gastrointestinal tract, in which the child may experience diarrhea, it is necessary to monitor the personal hygiene and nutrition of the baby. All vegetables or fruits used in the kitchen to prepare a particular dish must be pre-prepared. The same applies to meat, during the preparation of which it is imperative to follow the technology.

If a child has allergies, then make sure that no one gives him or he himself does not eat allergenic foods. All products of dubious quality should be disposed of, it is better not to risk it. Potent drugs must be treated with utmost care (you cannot self-medicate, just like deviate from the therapeutic course prescribed by the doctor).

Often, diarrhea occurs due to severe stress, so parents should make sure that their baby is always in a good mood, not exposed to nervous overload and stress. If something makes him nervous, try to get rid of it (for example, a movie or a toy). Combining all of these activities will reduce the risk of diarrhea.

Video - How to stop diarrhea in a child