Treatment of diarrhea in infants

Infant diarrhea and its treatment is an important topic for parents.

It is very important to know the main symptoms and causes of the disease so that you can help your baby.

Symptoms and danger of diarrhea in infants

It is not easy to detect diarrhea in infants. In different children, the physiological norms of the stool can vary significantly.

If the baby is breastfed, then he can walk "big" just once a day.

In some cases, especially with artificial feeding, the bowel movement occurs after each meal.

The consistency of the newborn's stool can be quite fluid, and this does not indicate any digestive disturbance, because the child uses exclusively liquid food in the first months of life.

The absence of solid particles in the baby's nutrition prevents the formation of a hard stool.

If the feces of the child are not liquid, this may indicate that they have a constipation problem. Therefore, diarrhea in a newborn is manifested through other signs than in an adult.

To cause concern, foamy or too watery stools, characterized by a sharp unpleasant odor.

In normal state, feces in infants have a smell of fermented milk products. A bad symptom is the presence of traces of blood and mucus in it. Diarrhea in infants causes weight gain to stop, and in some cases even loss.

The color change of feces to greenish may be a sign of high iron content in it.

If the child does not become whimsical, and there are no other signs of diarrhea, green feces should not cause particular concern.

In the very first days of a baby's life, his feces generally can be dark green or black. This, the so-called, original feces.

In some cases, with insufficient nutrition of the baby, the original feces may come out later than the first two days of life.

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This dark color is caused by the peculiarities of the baby's nutrition in the womb and is not a sign of the disease.

The content of curdled impregnations in the feces of the child indicates insufficient digestion of milk.

This phenomenon is not a symptom of diarrhea and is corrected by a change in the mother's diet.

When a digestive disorder in a child, behavior changes. The newborn begins to be capricious, presses his legs to the tummy, cries, refuses food. Feces come with a characteristic sound reminiscent of cotton.

Fear should cause a quickening of the stool with no changes in diet. If the child was transferred from breastfeeding to artificial feeding or supplementary feeding, the increase in stool is the norm.

The most important risk of diarrhea in infants is the serious risk of dehydration. For a baby, the loss of 10% of the body weight is critical.

Since the child's own weight is very low, it is not always easy to notice the fact that it has become easier for 300-400 grams.

During diarrhea, the body of the baby, along with the liquid, exits the necessary electrolytes. Violated water-salt balance.

Prolonged diarrhea leads to trauma to the small intestine mucosa. As a result, the necessary nutrients, vitamins and trace elements are absorbed by the child's body much worse, which leads to a lack of growth.

Signs of dehydration in a child are drowsiness, dry skin and mucous membranes. He behaves sluggishly, rolls his eyes. In some cases, changes in the shape of the fontanel of the baby are observed.

Causes of diarrhea

In some cases, the causes of diarrhea in infants may be quite harmless.

For example, a change in stools may be accompanied by the introduction of a new mixture into the diet, a large amount of "front" milk, which is characterized by a high content of carbohydrates, and minor changes in the mother's diet.

Over time, the child's chair is adjusted independently and does not require additional treatment.

A serious cause of diarrhea, which should be treated, is dysbiosis. As a result of taking antibiotics or general weakening of the body, the child is disturbed by a healthy balance of the intestinal microflora.

Useful microorganisms perish, and this leads to the growth of pathogenic bacteria. Usually, the intestinal microflora is capable of self-healing.

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But the child in the first months of life, not all protective processes have formed.

The risk of dysbacteriosis increases with no breastfeeding. Artificial mixtures do not always contain enough prebiotic substances that help in regulating healthy microflora.

Taking antibiotics causes the baby to develop a dysbacteriosis if it lasts more than 14 days or if two or more drugs are administered simultaneously.

The same can occur if the dosage of medicines is exceeded.

Various diarrhea infections can cause diarrhea in a baby. Insufficiently formed immunity of the child is not always able to cope with the bacterial threat in time.

The acidity of the baby's intestines is still not large enough. Therefore, the baby runs the risk of contracting diseases that do not pose a serious danger to adults.

Infection in the child's body is indicated by a sharp increase in body temperature( sometimes up to 38-39 degrees) and vomiting.

Mucus particles, spotting may be present in diarrhea. A child suffering from an intestinal infection, usually very naughty, refuses food.

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If these symptoms occur, seek medical help immediately. In case of severe infection, the child should be hospitalized.

Diarrhea in infants may result in a deficiency in the body of certain enzymes.

Lactose insufficiency is the inability of the baby's body to digest lactose, including that contained in the mother's milk.

There is such a violation in the watery, foamy consistency of the stool, which also has a distinct acidic odor.

Disturbance of lactose digestion is revealed in the analysis of feces and requires correction of infant nutrition.

The child at a later age sometimes has a disruption in the digestion of sucrose and fructose.

This is usually associated with a large amount of carbohydrates in the diet.

It is not recommended to introduce sweet food into the lure, a large number of undiluted fruit juices.

Diarrhea in breastfed babies can respond to the introduction of new products into the mother's diet.

If this reaction does not take place within a few days, then you will have to return to the old power system.

If during the breastfeeding the mother takes antibiotics or other medicines, it is recommended to temporarily transfer the child to artificial mixtures.

Milk in this period should be decanted, then to return to breastfeeding.

Prevention and treatment of diarrhea

The main preventive measure aimed at maintaining a healthy stool in a nursing infant is proper breastfeeding.

It is necessary to observe a diet of the baby, ensuring the supply of "front" and "rear" milk in his body in sufficient quantities.

If, for any reason, the newborn feeds on artificial mixtures, then they must be matched with regard to the state of health and the characteristics of the child's body.

If diarrhea is still observed, then a number of measures should be taken immediately to combat it.

The most important measure in the case of diarrhea is the restoration of a lack of fluid and electrolytes in the baby's body.

In case of severe diarrhea, it is better to use a special rehydrating solution, the formulation for which is sold at the pharmacy. To solder a toddler follows fractional portions every 5-10 minutes.

After replenishing the fluid, you must proceed to restore the baby's diet. To do this, use breast milk or the usual artificial mixture.

On the first day of treatment, the concentration of the mixture is reduced by a factor of three. Then, within 2-3 days, it is gradually increased to the usual consistency.

It should be ensured that during the diarrhea the child receives a sufficient amount of nutrients.

If necessary, the baby is given a doctor-assigned absorbent. Usually, new generation special preparations based on activated carbon are used.

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By appointment of the doctor, special preparations are added to the diet to restore the intestinal microflora.

At the age of 6 months, the baby's diarrhea may be a result of teething. However, in some cases, teeth can appear after 3 months of life.

It is necessary to closely monitor the baby's diet at this time, give him enough fluids and nutrients.

In case of intestinal infections, a doctor should be called in immediately, who will prescribe the baby the treatment and the necessary course of antibiotics.