How to treat diarrhea in infants and children

Our son, when he was one year old, got a severe case of diarrhea and it lasted for 3 days. We ended up going to the emergency room after he was completely dehydrated and it was a painful experience. He completely recovered after the doctors gave him intravenous fluids and we were in the hospital for 2 days. It is very hard to find a vein for injecting the IV fluids when the person is dehydrated and it was heart breaking to see the way the nurses had to find a vein. We learnt a lot during that experience and I am putting together this hub as a guide to deal with infant diarrhea and how to treat diarrhea in children. Some babies may become lactose intolerant during diarrhea and you should completely avoid any milk products including breast feeding during diarrhea. Our son had it and I stopped breast feeding and he recovered. After recovery, he has no problem drinking and digesting milk.

Diarrhea are stools that are loose and watery and that occur more than 3 times in a 24 hour period. The causes of infant diarrhea vary from teething , gastrointestinal infections and antibiotics. Most cases of infant diarrhea will go away on their own. However, diarrhea can lead to dehydration which is a serious problem. Infants with diarrhea can become dehydrated in a short period of time. Using oral rehydration solutions like pedialyte can help prevent dehydration. One common cause of diarrhea in infants is the stomach flu (known medically as viral gastroenteritis). Many different viruses can cause stomach flu in infants. The most common types are Rotavirus, Adenovirus, Astrovirus.

Call your pediatrician right away if:

1. Infants under 3 or 4 months old has diarrhea.

2. Diarrhea persists in infants for 3 days or longer.

3. Diarrhea stools containing blood or pus.

4. Your baby has fever and vomitting.

5. No urine in more than 6 hours.

Signs of dehydration

Dehydration in babies is a serious problem and you should always watch your baby from not getting dehydrated. Here are some signs that your your baby is dehydrated.

• Decreased urination: If your infant has no wet diapers for 4 to 5 hours. Fewer wet infant diapers than usual in a 24 hour period..
• Infant has dry eyes and crying with few tears or no tears.
• High fever
• Sunken abdomen, eyes and cheeks.
• Infant is less active than usual.
• Your baby is thristy
• Dry skin, dry mouth and tongue
• Fatigue

1. Bacterial infections: Several types of bacteria consumed through contaminated food and water can cause diarrhea. Common bacteria include Salmonella, Escherichia coli(E.coli), Campylobacter.

2. Many viruses cause infant diarrhea. Some of them are Rotavirus, Herpes simplex virus, Cyptomegalovirus. Rotavirus is the most common cause of acute diarrhea in babies and young children. It usually affects children between the ages of 6 months and 2 years. When children have rotavirus, their stools contain large numbers of germs. Rotavirus can spread easily. It could spread by coming in contact with an infected diaper and not washing hands properly afterward by touching a toy that has germs on it.

3. Parasites: Parasites can enter the body through foods and water and settle in the digestive system. Parasites that cause infant diarrhea include Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium and Entamoeba histolytica

4. Reaction to medicines: Antibiotics, blood pressure medications, antacids containing magnesium and cancer drugs can cause infant diarrhea

5. Bowel disorders: Infant diarrhea can be a symptom of irritable bowel syndrome.

6. Intestinal diseases like crohn's disease, infalmmatory bowel disease and celiac disease often lead to diarrhea.

7. Teething and change in mother's diet if the baby is breastfed.

Treatment in infant diarrhea is to give your infant baby a lot of fluids to prevent dehydration. You can give your baby oral rehydration solution (ORS) to replace your infant body fluids that is lost during diarrhea. Follow the following diet plan for your baby during diarrhea.

Diet plan for babies suffering from diarrhea:

1. Strict oral rehydration solution like Pedialyte every 4-6 hours

2. Infant babies 4 months to 9 months: You can give your baby bland foods. If your baby is on solid foods, then give them apple sauce, strained banana, saltines, strained carrots, strained squash, mashed potatoes(no additives), rice cereal and oat meal.

3. Over 9 month infant baby: You can give toast, crackers, breads, pretzels, rice, mashed potatoes(no additives), noodles(no additives), bananas, apple sauce, carrots, squash, rice krispies, cheerios, oatmeal and yogurt with active cultures.

4. No milk products

5. No oils or butter

6. No spicy foods or sauces until the infant diarrhea subsides.

Tip: Remember the BRAT diet during diarrhea. B: Banana, R: Rice cereal, A: Apple sauce, T: Toast

Note: You should always consult with your child's doctor before starting any kind of medication or if you have any doubts.