What does diarrhea look like in babies?

Diarrhea is an involuntary, volumetric discharge of liquid stool, most often having a watery consistency. Diarrhea (the medical name for diarrhea) is usually accompanied by severe abdominal pain, fecal incontinence, intestinal cramps, and nausea. The main danger of prolonged diarrhea is severe dehydration, since feces with diarrhea is almost 90% water absorbed in the large intestine. Together with the fluid, the body loses mineral salts, vitamins and other substances necessary for normal the functioning of all organs, therefore, against the background of diarrhea, a violation of the water-electrolyte balance.

Diarrhea is especially dangerous in newborns and infants of the first year of life. Abundant fluid loss can lead to the development of acute heart failure over several hours, therefore in infantile diarrhea, especially if it is of an infectious nature, treatment is carried out in an infectious hospital. Diarrhea is one of the three most common problems faced by parents of babies, so every mom should know what diarrhea looks like in infants, what may be its cause, and what symptoms are true diarrhea.

The appearance of feces in infants

Stool in infants changes several times during the first months of life, as the formation of the digestive the system completely ends by 4-6 months (in some children, partial fermentopathy can be observed up to 8-10 months). In a newborn, feces have an unformed consistency and consist of hair, amniotic fluids, mucus, epithelial cells, bile components that are digested during intrauterine fetal development. Such excrement is called original feces (meconium), has a sticky and sticky structure and is completely removed from the baby's intestines within 2-3 days after birth.

Until recently, it was believed that the intestines and stomach of a child before birth were completely sterile, but studies carried out by scientists from Spain have revealed the presence in the meconium masses of two types of bacteria: E. coli and lactic acid bacilli, producing lactic acid and forming the immune system newborn. If the amount of Escherichia coli in the child's gastrointestinal tract exceeds the permissible norm, the appearance of diarrhea is possible in the first days of the baby's life - in In this case, the use of antibacterial therapy and the infusion of drugs that maintain water balance (sodium chloride solution, solution glucose).

Fourth day after birth

The design of the chair in newborns occurs on the third or fifth day from the moment of birth. The feces become light brown in color, and their consistency becomes pasty or resembles gruel. If this does not happen, it is necessary to conduct an examination and exclude intestinal pathologies, for example, meconium ileus. This is intestinal obstruction caused by obstruction (blockage) of the intestinal lumen with meconium, which has an increased viscosity. If the diagnosis is confirmed, the child will be prescribed surgical treatment.

Important! Stool clearance in healthy breastfed babies occurs within 10-20 days from birth.

Features of the chair in infants and children - "artificial"

Stool with a mushy consistency, yellow or light brown color and a slight smell of sour milk is considered normal in children of the first year of life. If the baby feeds on breast milk, feces may contain undigested white particles that resemble curdled curd. In children who receive milk formulas as the main food, there are no impurities in the feces, and the excrement itself has a yellow-green or marsh color and a pungent, unpleasant odor.

The consistency of the stool in the "artificial" is more dense, in the form of pasty sausages, which may have a shiny surface. The smell and texture of excrement may change when changing milk formula or introducing complementary foods. In children who eat mother's milk, feces can change with climate change, taking certain medications and exposure to a psychological factor (fatigue, fear, increased excitement).

Loose stools are diarrhea?

From the moment of birth, the digestive tract of a child continues to be populated with beneficial microorganisms, therefore, stool formation can occur up to 4-5 months. In infants who feed on breast milk, the appearance of feces largely depends on whether the nursing mother follows a diet and what foods are included in her diet. All substances that a woman receives during the day, almost in full, enter breast milk (and with it - into the body of a newborn). The lack of some enzymes does not allow the child to completely digest everything that enters his body, so any inaccuracies in nutrition can affect the appearance of feces.

In children under 2-3 months of age, bowel movements can occur up to 6-8 times a day, provided that the baby does not receive any food other than mother's milk. From 4 to 6 months, stool frequency decreases slightly, but can also be 3 to 5 times a day.

Important! Loose stools in breastfed babies are normal if they do not contain mucus, blood, or other pathological impurities. Severe dilution of stool in infants receiving adapted formula milk is a dangerous sign that most often indicates an infection or disease of the digestive system.

How to distinguish pathology from the norm?

Do not be alarmed if a child receiving only breast milk defecates several times a day, and his feces has a liquid consistency, if the baby is feeling well, does not suffer from sleep disorders, and is not disturbed appetite. Nevertheless, it is necessary to closely monitor the condition and well-being of the child so as not to miss alarming symptoms and provide him with the necessary assistance in a timely manner.

You can recognize diarrhea in babies by the following signs:

• yellow, brown, or green watery stools that occur more than 8-10 times a day;

• unpleasant, offensive odor;

• the appearance of foam, bloody streaks, undigested lumps, a large amount of mucus and other impurities uncharacteristic for the feces of a healthy child;

• excretion of faeces as a "fountain";
• vomiting and nausea (with the infectious nature of diarrhea);
• refusal to breast or bottle;
• poor general health.

Important! If a mother suspects that her child has diarrhea, it is necessary to give up for a few hours use of diapers, as they contain an absorbent layer, and the absorption of liquid occurs in within 1-2 minutes.

Why a symptom occurs: causes and factors

True diarrhea in infants always has a specific cause, so it is important to know what exactly can provoke diarrhea in children in order to provide first aid correctly.

Features of complementary foods

The child's body can react with diarrhea to the introduction of new foods for complementary foods, if his digestive tract does not produce enough enzymes needed to break down or digest specific substances. Watery vegetables (e.g. squash, which is recommended as a first complementary food and can be added with 4 months) increase the amount of fluid absorbed into the colon, which in itself contributes to strong liquefaction chair.

No treatment is required in this case. The mother needs to temporarily exclude the product that provoked diarrhea from the child's diet and observe it for 1-2 days: non-infectious diarrhea completely disappears during this period.

Advice! Children over 5 months of age can be given a small amount of rice water (about 30 ml) as a remedy for diarrhea.

Intestinal infections

This is one of the most common causes of diarrhea in children of any age. The following factors can lead to the development of infection in infants:

• insufficient sanitization of bottles, nipples and utensils for feeding a child;
• the use of diapers of insufficient sterility (no boiling, ironing);
• poor handling of toys;
• irregular wet cleaning indoors;
• the presence of sick animals in the apartment.

Infectious diarrhea is always accompanied by fever, vomiting, and lack of appetite. If the cause is a rotavirus or enterovirus infection, a pink pinpoint rash may appear on the child's body.

Treatment of infectious diarrhea in infants

Drug group	What medications should you give your child?	Image
Enterosorbents to cleanse the blood of bacteria and toxins	"Smecta" Enterosgel "Neosmectin"	Enterosgel
Suspensions based on nifuroxazide with antidiarrheal and antibacterial action	Enterofuril "Stopdiar"	Stopdiar
Probiotic preparations	"Enterol" (open the capsule and mix with liquid) "Enterol" (open the capsule and mix with liquid)	Enterol
Antipyretic drugs (at temperatures above 38 °)	"Paracetamol" Ibuprofen "Tsefekon"	Ibuprofen
Rehydration solutions (only as prescribed by a physician)	"Regidron"	Regidron

Important! Self-medication for infectious diarrhea is unacceptable. If the baby has signs of intestinal infection, it is necessary to call the local pediatrician (in case of a strong deterioration in health - "ambulance").

Video - Intestinal infections

Teething

The first teeth in a child erupt usually between the ages of 5 to 9 months. The baby becomes irritable, moody, refuses to feed, or becomes anxious while sucking on the breast and bottle. In many children, the eruption of the first teeth is accompanied by diarrhea, but in some cases this symptom may be a normal variant. During the appearance of teeth, the activity of the salivary glands, which contributes to hypersalivation (increased salivation). Part of the saliva flows out of the child's mouth, the remaining volume flows down the back of the pharynx and enters the stomach, and from it into the intestines.

If the amount of secretion produced is very large, it is possible to naturally thin the feces, which mix with the processed saliva in the small intestine. In this case, no treatment is required, but it is important to observe the baby so as not to miss the alarming symptoms of true pathology.

Advice! Cooling and pain-relieving gels can be used to relieve pain during teething, such as “Dentinox" or "Kamistad».

Antibacterial treatment

If the child has been prescribed antibiotics, stool thinning is the result of a violation of the intestinal microflora (intestinal dysbiosis). Dysbacteriosis is dangerous not only by local manifestations, but also by systemic weakening of immunity, therefore, antibiotics for young children are always prescribed simultaneously with bifidopreparations. From the first days of life, babies can be given the following drugs:

• Linex;
• "Bifidumbacterin" (powder);
• "Bifiform Baby";
• "Acipol" (the capsule is opened and its contents are diluted in water).

The course of treatment with these drugs can be from 5 to 10 days. Longer-term use is allowed only as directed by a doctor.

Note! Despite the absence of age restrictions for use, you should carefully study the instructions before use. For example, "Bifidumbacterin" contains milk sugar, so it should not be given to children with signs of lactase deficiency.

A little about hygiene

If the baby has diarrhea, in addition to the main treatment, hygiene is of great importance. Liquid feces, if excreted more often than 3-4 times a day, irritate the baby's skin and can lead to severe irritation, therefore, after each bowel movement, it is necessary to wash the baby with a warm running water. Do not use detergents more than 1 time a day, as even soft gels and mousses can disrupt the acid-base balance of the genitals and lead to increased dryness of the skin.

After washing, it is useful to arrange air baths for 20-30 minutes. If possible, diapers should be avoided until diarrhea stops, as prolonged contact with feces can provoke prickly heat, skin irritation and the introduction of secondary infections. If irritation and redness appear, the skin should be lubricated 3-4 times a day with baby cream or ointment containing dexpanthenol ("Panthenol», «Bepanten»).

Video - Diarrhea, diarrhea in a child