The passing of unusually runny stools more frequently than is typical for your child is known as diarrhea. While diarrhea in babies can be concerning, it is unlikely to cause any risk to a kid’s general health in older children as long as you make sure your child drinks lots of fluids while the diarrhea is occurring. Viral infection of the digestive tract is the most typical cause of diarrhea (gastroenteritis). The ideal treatment is to let the body naturally get rid of the illness because, in most situations, medications are ineffective.
CAUTION!
Warning signs
If any of the extra warning signals listed below are present, a kid who is experiencing diarrhea may be critically unwell.
- Stomach ache that lasts for at least six hours
- Vomiting repeatedly for more than 12 hours
- Sunken eyes
- Unusual sleepiness
- Not having urinated for at least six hours
Call you doctor without any delay!
Treating your child’s gastroenteritis
Try the home remedies below if you think your child has gastroenteritis or a related condition. In addition to reducing dehydration, this enables the body to clear itself of the illness. Within 24 hours of starting the therapy, the frequency of bowel movements should decrease. However, stools may remain runny for 5 to 7 days.
Basic points
Give a lot of clear fluids 2 to 3 pints (1 1/2 liters) every day. This can include “flat” soft drinks, sweets made of gelatin, and unsweetened well-diluted fruit juice.
Give drinks in little frequent sips – 30-60 mil (1-2 Fl oz) every hour – if your child is throwing up.
Give no dairy products for a week (including milk, yoghurt, and cheese).
Applying a heating pad to your child’s tummy may help ease any discomfort they are experiencing.
When to contact your doctor
If your child is under 2 years old or if the symptoms do not start to go away within 48 hours, schedule an appointment with your doctor. If your kid shows any of the warning indications mentioned above, contact your doctor at once.
Preventing the transmission of an infection
It’s crucial to stop the transmission of illness if someone in the home has gastroenteritis.
After using the bathroom and before making meals, properly wash your hands.
Never exchange facecloths, sponges, or towels.
FOOD ALLERGIES AND DIARHEA
Though most people identify allergies with hay fever, eczema, and asthma, rare cases of constant diarrhea can also be brought on by allergies, generally to a specific food. If one or both parents have allergies, a kid is more likely to develop them as well. The most frequently consumed food ingredient that results in chronic diarrhea due to an allergic reaction is cow’s milk protein. Few people have hypersensitivity to gluten, which is present in bread and other wheat-based items. Additional potential offering substances include fish, eggs, nuts, coloring and preservatives.
Allergy tests
Because of the symptoms and the exclusion of other disorders (such infection) that have symptoms similar to food allergies, a doctor may assume that your child’s diarrhea is caused by a food allergy. Removing the suspected food from the diet should result in an improvement within 48 hours if the diagnosis is accurate. When the meal is reintroduced, the symptoms will return, but they will also get better when it is removed again. Lab tests could be beneficial as well. These tests consist of scratching or picking a small quantity of the material into the skin; if a raised or red patch appears within 15 or 20 minutes, it may indicate a hypersensitive reaction to that substance. These tests, however, can come back negative even when the youngster is obviously allergic.
Treatment
The most common method of treating food allergies in children is to remove the offending food from their diet. This is only useful, though, if your child has food sensitivities to one or two foods. Treatment is more challenging if your child has allergies to numerous substances. Without seeking a doctor’s counsel, avoid attempting a long-term nutritional treatment. To avoid vitamin or nutritional deficiency, any special diet should be under the guidance of a qualified dietitian.