Diarrhea in infants: causes, symptoms and treatments

Diarrhea in infants is a fairly common problem, which is why every mother should know what to do and whether to experience. In fact, diarrhea can occur for a variety of reasons, and in some cases have very dangerous consequences.

Diarrhea in infants: how to determine it?

Yes, in fact, a newborn baby is normally feces calibrated, therefore it is more difficult to determine the presence of diarrhea than an adult. First, it is worth paying attention to the frequency of bowel movements - as a rule, this happens in two, and even three times more often. Secondly, it is necessary to study the appearance of the stool - it becomes more liquid, with impurities of mucus and emits an acidic odor.

Diarrhea in infants and its causes

As already mentioned, diarrhea can occur for various reasons. For example, diarrhea can occur when eating an unsuitable food for the newborn, since it is not digested, but begins to rot in the intestine. In addition, quite often diarrhea occurs as an allergic reaction to food or medications. Diarrhea can also be a symptom of intestinal dysbiosis, which happens quite often, since the intestinal microflora of the baby has not yet formed.

Known among the people and the term "hungry diarrhea" in children, which occurs as a result of a lack of food. It happens and vice versa - the child begins to carry with too frequent and abundant feeding. In some cases, diarrhea is the result of poisoning.

However, the most common cause of diarrhea in infants are infections of a different nature - bacteria, fungi and viruses. They enter the body together with dirty toys, a pacifier, poor-quality drinking water, improperly prepared food, and insufficient hygiene of the breast of a nursing mother.

As you can see, the causes of diarrhea are many and very difficult to understand here. Therefore at the first suspicions it is necessary to call a doctor or take the child to the hospital. Especially dangerous are those cases when diarrhea is accompanied by fever, a strong bloating and a small amount of blood along with feces.

Diarrhea in infants: why is it dangerous?

It is not a secret for anyone that prolonged diarrhea is fraught with undesirable consequences - for example, dehydration. But if an adult does not feel a loss of water especially, the baby's first signs of dehydration can be noticed after a day (and sometimes several hours) from the onset of diarrhea. The child becomes sluggish, often crying, the skin deteriorates significantly, as it loses its elasticity, the muscles become soft.

Than to treat diarrhea in infants?

In such cases, self-medication is not recommended, since first you need to find out the reason. Therefore, it is necessary to preserve fecal samples for laboratory analysis. In the event that diarrhea is caused by an infection, the child is prescribed antibiotics or antiviral drugs, depending on the nature of the pathogen.

In order to stop the process of dehydration and normalize the balance of electrolytes, the doctor prescribes a special drink that restores the mucous membrane and establishes metabolism and absorption processes in the intestine.

In addition, the child needs to drink as much as possible. You can prepare a weak broth of chamomile or rice broth, which have a binding effect. If the baby does not want to drink, then the liquid should be slightly sweetened with sugar syrup. One kilogram of the child's weight should account for approximately 150 ml of fluid per day.

If diarrhea in babies occurs as a result of the introduction of a product in the diet, then it must be excluded for a while. In the event that the newborn is breastfed, the mother needs to carefully review her diet and exclude those foods that can damage the baby's body. But stop breastfeeding is not in any case.