Diarrhea in a child 2 years old: what to do

Diarrhea in a small child is not uncommon. The phenomenon under consideration is either functional in nature, or may indicate the presence of problems with the gastrointestinal tract, infection of the body, the presence of a virus or parasites.

Diarrhea is considered to be frequent, uncontrollable defecation of a liquid consistency, which occurs due to the accelerated passage of feces.

Many parents face such a problem with their child and often do not know what to do: wait until the diarrhea goes away on its own, or take the child to see a doctor.

Due to the fact that diarrhea can be the result of a serious pathology, it is worthwhile to consider this problem in more detail, to study the causes of its occurrence, methods of diagnosis and treatment options.

Types and classification of diarrhea

The World Health Organization has developed a special document that indicates the classification of the disease.

Diarrhea is quite difficult to diagnose due to the fact that it can be a sign of a large number of pathologies. That is why the problem must be recognized in a timely manner and therapy for the underlying disease must be started.

According to the mechanism of action and distinctive symptoms, diarrhea in a child is as follows:

1. Osmotic, during the course of which there is a violation of absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, improper formation of a lump of food and its movement along the esophagus.
   In addition, the causes can be the accumulation of medications in the intestines, which presses on them and retains fluid.
2. Hyperkinetic, which is provoked by active muscle contraction in the intestine. Very often, this form of diarrhea occurs with irritable bowel syndrome and with an excess of thyroid hormones.
3. Exudative, arising against the background of inflammatory processes in the intestine and when fluid from the circulatory system enters the intestine.
4. Secretory diarrhea in a child is observed when excess water and sodium compounds enter the intestines. This diarrhea is caused by viruses or bacteria that have invaded the intestinal mucosa.

It is very difficult to stop her, even if the child does not eat anything.

What kind of diarrhea manifested itself in a baby can only be determined by a qualified specialist. Therefore, at the first alarming symptoms, the child should be taken to the doctor for a full examination.

How does an attack of diarrhea manifest?

Many are accustomed to the fact that yellow diarrhea in a child is a normal phenomenon, which does not indicate the presence of various kinds of pathologies. Often the problem arises against the background of improper nutrition.

This is true, but it also happens that the baby's liquid feces are colored in a different color and have some impurities.

It is by the color of the stool and the presence or absence of impurities that parents can understand why diarrhea has appeared and what to do next.

1. Light diarrhea manifests itself for various reasons. The most dangerous is viral hepatitis, which the child suffers from.
2. Watery stool with mucus is a sign of infection in the body. In addition, it may appear due to the fact that the baby is overfed or has an individual intolerance to cow's milk. The child does not have general malaise, but diarrhea can lead to severe dehydration. This situation is very dangerous for babies.
3. Bloody diarrhea indicates a bacterial nature of the problem. If there are green or red inclusions in the stool, then this indicates dysentery. Green or orange inclusions - salmonellosis. Another characteristic symptom is an increase in body temperature.
4. White diarrhea is not dangerous in infants, but in a child from 2 years old, it indicates hepatitis.
5. Green diarrhea, combined with a pungent odor, fever, pain in the head and abdomen, severe weakness and vomiting, suggests that the baby is infected with some kind of infection.
6. Black diarrhea for infants in the first days of life is the norm, because at this time meconium leaves the baby's body. In a child before and after a year, this phenomenon may indicate bleeding or the abuse of certain medications.
7. Foamy bowel movements occur with a lack of lactose, dysbiosis or celiac disease. In children after two years, they indicate an acute intoxication of the body.

All these factors indicate that parents, in any case, should not leave the problem that has arisen unattended, because diarrhea in a child can be the result of a dangerous pathology.

The nature of the bowel movements is very important in the diagnosis, so the mother should tell the doctor in detail about this.

Additional symptoms of diarrhea

Experts say that the more accompanying symptoms of diarrhea, the more difficult the situation is. The following phenomena are considered alarming signs:

1. Nausea and vomiting in a child.
2. Soreness of the abdomen.
3. A sluggish state.
4. Crying, refusal to eat or breastfeed.
5. Sleep problems.
6. Headache.
7. Itching in the anus.

It is worth considering that in children under one year old, diarrhea, accompanied by a rise in temperature, may occur against the background of teething.

In the event that nothing bothers the baby except diarrhea, then the parents should wait a day and observe the general condition of the child.

You need to start treating the problem only when it has not disappeared after a specified period of time.

Causes of diarrhea

Experts identify several main factors that can cause diarrhea in children. They are as follows:

1. Improper diet. Diarrhea often occurs due to the fact that a large amount of fiber enters the body of a small person. In addition, frequent bowel movements can be the result of allergies to certain foods. In a child under one year old, signs of diarrhea appear as a result of the introduction of complementary foods, and in infants - due to a violation of the diet by a lactating woman.
2. Treatment with medications. For example, antibiotics, bile acids, anti-inflammatory and antacids. This also includes laxatives that provoke loose stools.
3. Acute intestinal infection is one of the most common causes of diarrhea in a two-year-old child. This pathology is caused by a virus, bacteria, parasite or fungus. The list of infections is large: salmonellosis, escherichiosis, dysentery, rotavirus infection.
4. Lack of enzymes.
5. Dyskinesia of the biliary tract.
6. Stressful situations and emotional stress.
7. A sharp change in climatic conditions.
8. Intestinal motility problems.

If diarrhea appears during teething, then parents do not need to worry and do something. In this case, diarrhea is accompanied by a number of characteristic symptoms that are difficult not to recognize.

Causes of diarrhea in babies from 1 year to 2 years

There are several reasons for the development of diarrhea in children of this age. They are as follows:

1. An infection associated with the penetration of pathogenic bacteria into the body of a child that causes dysentery or salmonellosis.
   Rotavirus can penetrate the intestinal mucous membranes, resulting in an increase in body temperature and a deterioration in general well-being. The child is very capricious, does not want to eat.
2. Nutritional diarrhea is manifested due to improper diet or allergies.
3. Dyspeptic disorder is more often observed in infants, whose digestive system has not yet been formed and cannot fully digest food. When the internal organs begin to function normally, the diarrhea will disappear on its own.
4. The toxic form of diarrhea is considered a consequence of drug poisoning in children of the first year of life. It is forbidden to treat such a pathology on your own, without the intervention of specialists.
5. The drug type of diarrhea develops after the child has drunk antibiotics, which provoked intestinal dysbiosis.
6. The neurogenic form of diarrhea occurs after stress or nervous overexcitation. It can be promoted by fever, tachycardia and excessive excitement. But such diarrhea is typical for children from 3 to 15 years old.

It must be remembered that the true cause of diarrhea can only be identified by a qualified specialist after a thorough diagnosis of the body of a small child.

Diagnostic methods for diarrhea

In order to exclude the presence of a serious illness in a small patient, doctors have a number of diagnostic procedures in their arsenal. They are as follows:

1. Taking feces for analysis for worms and dysbiosis.
2. X-ray examination of the intestines in order to determine the rate of movement of barium through it.
3. Conducting a coprogram.
4. Biochemical and general blood test.
5. Ultrasound examination of internal organs.
6. Sigmoidoscopy.
7. Bacterial culture of feces and vomit.

Which method to choose will be determined by the doctor, taking into account the condition of the child, the type of his feces and the preliminary cause of the diarrhea. After the specialist makes a final diagnosis, he will be able to prescribe the proper treatment.

How to properly treat a baby

The treatment regimen for diarrhea in children is based on dietary nutrition, adherence to the drinking regime and medication.

What exactly to choose will be decided by a specialist who must take into account the age of the baby, the state of his immunity and the existing pathologies.

Compliance with diet and drinking regimen

Parents should give their children plenty of liquid before and after the year: tea, broth or plain water. Dairy products, fruit juices that provoke diarrhea should be excluded from the diet.

You need to drink water in small portions, which will gradually reduce the manifestation of diarrhea. In the event that the child does not feel like eating, it is not recommended to force him.

When the appetite returns to normal, it is allowed to give the child a banana, rice, crackers, boiled potatoes, beef and steamed vegetables.

Fresh vegetables, cucumbers and fried foods will have to be discarded until digestion is completely normalized.

Medication treatment

At the beginning, a child's diarrhea can be treated with over-the-counter medications. Such remedies will eliminate the discomfort, but this does not mean that it is not necessary to consult a doctor.

It is worth remembering that any type of diarrhea can become chronic.

The drugs that can be used at home include the following medicines:

1. Activated carbon tablets. Due to the fact that the drug is safe for babies of different years, it can also be given to small children. The course of treatment lasts about a week.
2. Filtrum - tablets with herbal ingredients, which are much more effective than the previous remedy.
3. Smecta is a drug with a therapeutic effect that helps to quickly cope with diarrhea and eliminate pain in the intestines.

In the event that the problem under consideration does not go away after 24 hours and the child is dehydrated, you should immediately seek the help of a specialist.

After all, it is the doctor who will be able to understand what to do to alleviate the condition of the little patient.

What is the danger of diarrhea

The fact is that loose stools can provoke severe dehydration, removing water and nutrients from the body.

In a child up to a year, each emptying takes about 100 milliliters of liquid, and in an older child, up to 200 milliliters.

The symptoms of dehydration are as follows:

1. Dry skin and mucous membranes.
2. Dropping and dark circles under the eyes.
3. Loss of appetite.
4. Intense sleepiness.
5. Darkening and less urine.

In addition to dehydration, loose stools provoke the leaching of salts from the body, which control electrolytic metabolism.

Such a violation can lead to very dangerous complications, up to the cessation of the heartbeat. With the development of such a situation, the child needs urgent treatment.

All of the above factors indicate that parents should take seriously the health of the child and do everything to alleviate the condition of the baby, no matter how old he is.

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