The child has severe diarrhea than to treat. How to stop diarrhea in children at home
To the great regret of parents, children quite often get sick: either a sore throat will overtake them, then the flu, or even such an unpleasant and rather dangerous disease as diarrhea. They call it a painful condition of the intestines, in which the child often and fluidly goes to the toilet.
Fighting diarrhea is not easy, but it must be done to prevent dehydration, weight loss and other troubles associated with the health of the child.
What could be the causes of diarrhea?
Among the reasons for which there is a disorder of the gastrointestinal tract, there are:
Intestinal infections
They are characterized by diarrhea, fever, profuse vomiting and intolerable abdominal pain.
Dysbacteriosis
Diarrhea in a child becomes a consequence of taking antibiotics that caused a violation of the intestinal microflora. Most often it is frothy, has a greenish tint and is accompanied by pain.
Plentiful food
Sometimes busting with the amount of food eaten (fruits or sweets) causes diarrhea and vomiting.
Cold
Sometimes with a cold, in addition to a runny nose, fever, cough and other symptoms, intestinal upset is also added.
food intolerance
If you change your baby's diet, be prepared for the fact that he may have diarrhea. This happens when a child is transferred from the usual mixture to complementary foods. It happens that intestinal upset is caused by an allergy to honey or even milk.
Stress
Neurosis, anxiety and stress - all these factors can cause an intestinal disorder. As a rule, with the elimination of the cause of the experiences, diarrhea also passes.
diarrhea symptoms
The main symptoms of diarrhea in children include:
- frequent acts of defecation, accompanied by loose stools;
- rumbling in the stomach;
- pain;
- frequent urge to go to the toilet (including false ones, when the child wants to go, but there is nothing);
- bloating and grumbling;
- apathy;
- loss of appetite;
- nausea;
- weakness;
- mucus or blood in the stool.
Features of diarrhea
seasonality
An upset stomach can begin in a child at any time of the year, regardless of the season. However, most often diarrhea haunts children in the summer, when they eat a lot of fruits, and food spoils faster in the heat.
In winter, gastrointestinal infections caused by rotaviruses are more common.
Transfer mode
It is transmitted from baby to baby either through food or through contact - through dirty hands or hygiene and household items. In this case, the incubation period depends primarily on the cause of diarrhea.
Duration
In terms of clinical development, doctors divide intestinal upset into acute, lasting no more than two weeks, and chronic, passing much longer.
What should be done with children's diarrhea?
Examine the chair
After the child went to the toilet, do not flush the feces into the toilet, but carefully inspect them.
See the blood? This is a bad sign, indicating both damage to the intestinal mucosa (red color of blood) and damage to the stomach (dark color). In this case, you need to call your doctor and call him at home.
Feel the belly
Of course, you don’t need to press hard on the baby’s tummy: you should be careful not to hurt the baby. Touch the skin gently and gently with your fingers. Your task is to detect tension in the abdominal walls.
A hard and “petrified” belly, as well as a strongly inflated one, is a signal to call a doctor as soon as possible.
Examine the skin and mucous membranes
If diarrhea is caused by an allergy to some foods, then you will notice redness of the baby's eyes and nose, as well as the appearance of a rash on his body.
To measure the temperature
If the baby has a fever, his pulse has quickened, and the pressure has dropped, this may indicate that the cause of diarrhea was poisoning.
Remember what the baby ate
Could the child have swallowed something foreign while eating? Did he overeat? Overeating also causes diarrhea, and it is very important in this regard to notice the loss of food from the refrigerator in time.
Treatment of diarrhea in children: going point by point
- We make a menu for the baby and include easily digestible foods in it, removing everything salty, spicy and fatty. Allergic foods and sweets should also be avoided.
- In the case of putrefactive diarrhea, we stop feeding the child with protein foods, and with fermentation we do not give him carbohydrates.
- We split the food, dividing the daily meal into 5-6 parts and be sure to give it in equal portions.
- We make sure that the baby chews food efficiently and does not try to “bite”. The child should know that fast food is unhealthy. It is also important not just to chew food, but to moisten it abundantly with saliva in the mouth while chewing.
- We are moving to a new mode of life - this is the exclusion of all physical activity. The baby should go to bed earlier and rest as much as possible.
Treatment with folk remedies
Diarrhea in children can be treated with folk remedies time-tested. We offer you two of the most effective recipes based on tradition traditional medicine.
Rice congee
Perhaps the most affordable remedy in the fight against diarrhea, which is prepared simply and with a bunch of useful properties possesses.
Among them are:
- efficiency associated with the ability to envelop the intestine or improve its peristalsis;
- astringent properties: the starch contained in rice and ingested, absorbs excess fluid and helps to thicken the contents of the intestines;
- the fight against flatulence in a child: rice water prevents fermentation;
- safety of use: even those children who are allergic to drugs can be given water with a decoction of rice;
- availability: plain rice can be found in every home.
Recipe
Dip 2 teaspoons of rice in 0.5 liters of boiling water poured into a saucepan (before that, it must be soaked briefly in ordinary, cool water). Rice should be cooked for 50 minutes, stirring regularly. Ready, it should cool thoroughly, so that later you carefully strain the broth through cheesecloth.
How to give?
It all depends on the age of the child. The dose varies from 50 to 100 milliliters, which are given to the baby 3-4 times a day.
Improvement occurs about an hour after the first dose of the decoction.
Rice porridge will also help to strengthen the condition of the child, which can be fed to him in between drinking rice. After a qualitative improvement, in the future, you can replace the decoction with sweet strong tea and rye crackers.
bird cherry
In folk medicine, both bird cherry flowers and its bark are actively used to combat diarrhea. The beneficial effect of this plant on the body is due to the high content of tannins in it.
Exceptions
You can use bird cherry at home when the nature of the diarrhea was non-infectious. It is also impossible to use the plant constantly so that the glycoside contained in it - amygdalin does not accumulate in the baby's body in the form of hydrocyanic acid (this is a potent poison).
All means and infusions, which include bird cherry, must be prepared strictly according to the prescription and only after their use is approved by the attending physician.
decoction recipe
Rinse the bunches of bird cherry, put them in a glass (half of the container) and pour into a saucepan. Pour bird cherry with 2 cups of boiled water and brew in a water bath for 30 minutes.
For another half an hour after this, the broth should be infused under the lid, then it is filtered and poured with the same amount of blueberry juice.
How to give?
The resulting decoction is given to the baby every hour for 1 tbsp. l. Children under 3 years of age drink a teaspoon every 2 hours - and no more.
Help Medications
Antibiotics
Quite often, diarrhea in a child, parents most often seek to suppress various antibiotics like Levomycetin or Enterofuril.
Of course, these drugs stop diarrhea, but this type of treatment is fundamentally wrong, because the decision to prescribe antibiotics for the treatment of diarrhea should come exclusively from the doctor.
Reception features
Not every infection needs to be treated with antibiotics, as some will go away on their own in 2-3 days. They also treat infections of a predominantly bacterial type, but against diseases caused by enterovirus or rotavirus, antibiotics do not help.
Finally, these drugs are rather unsafe and cause a number of complications, and their frequent use provokes the addiction of bacteria to their active group of action. Therefore, we strongly do not recommend taking them without consulting your doctor!
Antidiarrheals
The most common in this group are the drugs "Loperamide" and "Smecta", which help fight increased intestinal contraction and increase the tone of the anal sphincter.
Reception features
They must be used with caution, as they cause a number of side effects. "Loperamide", for example, provokes the development of obstruction.
In addition, if the baby's diarrhea was the result of poisoning or an intestinal infection, then the use of such drugs will slow down the removal of toxins from the sick body.
Enterosorbents
It could be like Activated carbon, and a newer drug called Filtrum-sti. Both of them eliminate diarrhea by absorbing bacteria and toxins, thickening the baby's stools.
Reception features
Enterosorbents are quite safe for the baby, but overdose can lead to a number of serious complications.
Prebiotics and Probiotics
A popular drug group, which includes Linex, Hilak Forte and Laktofiltrum, which prevent the growth of infection. They actively restore the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract and well help to cope with the consequences of diarrhea and antibiotic therapy.
When should you see a doctor?
Parents of a baby who has diarrhea should immediately contact a doctor if:
- the baby's condition is rapidly deteriorating;
- the child has already lost more than 5% of the weight;
- the baby is apathetic;
- he has a temperature;
- he vomits;
- the child suffers from pain in the abdomen,
- there is blood in the stool or it has become an unnatural color.
Prevention of dehydration in diarrhea
Most often, diseases associated with diarrhea, with consistent treatment, adequate fluid intake and bed rest, pass quite quickly.
A greater danger in diarrhea is dehydration, in which the necessary balance of water and salts is disturbed, the body intensively loses them and, as a result, becomes dehydrated.
Signs of dehydration
Mild to moderate dehydration in a child is characterized by 5% weight loss, lethargy, dry mouth, no or few tears when crying, and an infrequent urge to urinate.
Severe dehydration is characterized by 5-10% weight loss, lethargy or irritability, dry mouth, lack of tears, pale skin, infrequent urge to urinate, and dark yellow urine.
How to prevent dehydration?
It is necessary to monitor the child and his behavior and without fail to water the baby as often as possible. It is also worth giving him special solutions and making a dropper as prescribed by the doctor.
Diarrhea (diarrhea) is a protective reaction, which is aimed at removing harmful and dangerous substances, pathogenic microorganisms and substances from the body.
You should not panic when a child has a single manifestation of loose stools.
We need to find out the connection between food intake and diarrhea.
However, when diarrhea in a 5-year-old child recurs and is associated with a gag reflex, this is a dangerous sign that indicates disorders inside his body.
It indicates any possible intestinal infections.
Treatment of diarrhea in a child of 5 years
Diarrhea is a response of the body to the influence of pathogenic bacteria, toxic irritants, drugs, etc. in the intestinal walls.
Not in all situations, the appearance of loose stools in a child needs immediate intervention and active treatment.
You should not worry when such a pathology manifested itself only once. However, if the problem reappears and is associated with additional symptoms, this indicates a disorder in work. internal organs child.
Mild and short-term diarrhea will practically not affect the general well-being.
In some situations, diarrhea occurs as a result of eating laxative products, such as plums, herbs, beans, or any stressful situations.
Therefore, before treating a child, eliminating diarrhea, or carrying out various activities, the root cause of diarrhea should be established. Based on it, the appropriate treatment is selected.
Kinds
The following types of diarrhea in a child are known:
- infectious - appears under the influence of various kinds of infections (bacterial, viral);
- alimentary - causes malnutrition, lack of vitamins and beneficial bacteria in the diet;
- dyspeptic - begins in the process of insufficiency of the secretory function of the gastrointestinal tract or due to a lack of enzymes;
- medication - is formed after the use of antimicrobial agents that destroy the microflora and provoke dysbacteriosis;
- toxic - is a consequence of intoxication with toxic substances (for example, arsenic or mercury), due to impaired functioning of the kidneys;
- neurogenic - caused by difficulties with intestinal motility, disorders in neuronal regulation.
Viral diarrhea can appear due to rotavirus infection, which is often experienced by children 5 years old.
Therapy of this type of diarrhea must be comprehensive and take place in the infectious diseases department under the supervision of a doctor.
Causes
Diarrhea in a child at 5 years old, as well as at 4 years old, is mainly considered a manifestation of diseases that belong to the group of diseases of “dirty hands”. They appear as a result of non-compliance with hygiene rules.
At the same time, bacteria are able to penetrate the body through unwashed hands and in the process of using household items.
In addition, pathogenic microflora can enter the body in parallel with food.
The causes of diarrhea in children of 5 years of age are as follows:
- Intestinal infection. The most unpleasant symptomatology, requiring an immediate visit to a specialist. Given the degree of damage to the digestive system, the stool is intense watery or scanty with blood and mucus. However, in each situation there is a deterioration in the general well-being of the child, nausea, vomiting, lethargy, loss of appetite. And almost always there is an increase in body temperature.
- Unbalanced diet. In the process of eating a significant amount of products that have a laxative effect, incompatible components or dishes that do not correspond to the age of the child, diarrhea also occurs. The characteristic symptoms of "food diarrhea" are: the absence of pathological blood impurities, the general condition of the child does not worsen, no fever is observed.
- Worm invasion. Worms often become a factor that provokes the appearance of liquid and frequent bowel movements. In the coprogram, undigested food residues, muscle fibers, fatty acids, mucus, and sometimes blood are noted.
- The use of any medication. Mostly, this applies to antibiotics. The use of these drugs for diarrhea disrupts the normal balance of microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract, provokes the appearance of dysbacteriosis and diarrhea. It must be borne in mind that dysbacteriosis itself is not the cause of temperature, a sudden deterioration in the condition, or a gag reflex.
- stressful situations. Extremely often, negative emotions provoke disorders of nervous regulation in the peristalsis of the gastrointestinal tract, which leads to constipation, dysbacteriosis and diarrhea.
Symptoms
Liquid stools can be mushy or watery, depending on the factor that provoked diarrhea:
- During dysentery, the feces are initially dense, over time it will become liquid, but insignificant, false urges are possible, blood and mucus will appear. This pathology can also be suspected by a characteristic subjective picture.
- When it was provoked by salmonella, the feces may become green or yellowish, the number of bowel movements over 10-20 times a day, repeated vomiting, abdominal pain, fever.
- In the process of infection with an amoeba, glassy blotches of mucus and blood are observed in the feces.
- Viral diarrhea is in all cases frothy, offensive, and there is soreness in the abdomen, especially around the umbilicus.
- A colorless stool can be a symptom of hepatitis.
Before treating diarrhea in a child at 5 years old, as at 4 years old, you need to collect an anamnesis, focusing on the symptoms. This information must be presented to a specialist who will select the appropriate course of therapy.
In addition to loose stools, diarrhea is characterized by the following manifestations:
- intense rumbling inside the abdomen;
- bloating;
- pain discomfort;
- constant, ineffectual urge to defecate;
- colic;
Non-long diarrhea actually does not affect the health of the child in any way.
Prolonged and intense diarrhea leads to weight loss, malnutrition, vitamin deficiencies, and pronounced changes in internal organs. Therefore, chronic diarrhea must be treated without fail.
Treatment
In a 5-year-old child, as well as at 4 years old, liquid stools that last 3-6 days appear as a result of rather dangerous reasons, which it is not possible to counteract on your own.
Therapeutic measures in this situation should be purposeful. For these purposes, it is necessary to establish the factor that provoked the gastric disorder.
Speaking about treatment, first of all, it is necessary to emphasize that the use of potent drugs is an undesirable measure, since an unformed organism suffers from therapy more than from the pathology itself.
Diet for diarrhea and stomach upset
The main focus of therapy is to maintain a balanced diet. On day 1, it is recommended not to feed a child at 4 years old, only to give a drink.
Every 5 minutes he should take 0.5 tsp. rehydration solution.
- crackers from wheat bread (the rest of the bakery products are excluded);
- soups without fat on unsaturated meat, fish broth, adding mucous decoctions of cereals, boiled and pureed meat;
- lean meats in the form of cutlets boiled in water or steamed;
- low-fat varieties of fish, which are also boiled in water or steamed;
- dairy products - it is permissible to use fresh or mashed cottage cheese, cow's milk and other milk products are excluded;
- cereals - cereals on the water from rice, oats, buckwheat;
- vegetables - only as decoctions that are added to the soup;
Medical treatment
In a 5-year-old child, as well as at 4 years old, liquid stools that do not stop for several days appear as a result of various factors, which must be eliminated by joint efforts with a specialist.
Therapy for diarrhea should be targeted, and for this purpose it is necessary to establish the cause that caused indigestion:
- When diarrhea in a child at 5 years old, as at 4 years old, is provoked by disturbances in the functioning of the pancreas, he is prescribed medications that restore her work.
- With the appearance of dystrophy of the gastric mucosa, the use of substitutes for digestive enzymes is recommended.
- Loose stools, which are caused by a lack of vitamins in a child at the age of 4, must be treated with certain vitamin complexes.
It is necessary to take drugs that help to collect and remove from the body all toxic substances - adsorbents.
- Smecta;
- Activated carbon;
- Enterosgel;
Along with cleansing the body, positive bacteria are washed away, which is why it is imperative to use drugs such as probiotics and prebiotics, which enrich the body with beneficial microorganisms that counteract pathologies and restore the proper microflora in the gastrointestinal tract.
These drugs include:
- Linex;
- Baktisuptil;
- Khilak - forte;
- Normobact;
- Florok;
- Acipol.
Before using them, you should read the instructions, the list of contraindications and special instructions.
It is forbidden to give a child medication without a thorough examination by a doctor.
Folk remedies for diarrhea
- Dried films of chicken stomachs. In the process of butchering the chicken carcass, the stomach is washed, and the film is separated from it. Then it is washed in cold water and dries on a clean sheet of paper (the next day it dries completely). In the process of diarrhea, the film of the chicken stomach is crushed to a powdery mass and is used twice a day for 0.5-1 tsp, drinking plenty of water. Store the product in a cool dry place.
- Also useful is a decoction of dried pears. It has proven itself from the best side due to its fixing effect.
- starch solution. This remedy is prepared as follows: 1 tsp. starch is diluted with half a glass of chilled boiled water. It is permissible to cook as jelly, adding sweets. Eat a child 1 glass three times a day.
- Infusion of partitions of walnuts. It is necessary to make the remedy as follows: 0.3 kg of walnuts are split and partitions separating parts of the nuclei are taken out. Pour them with 0.25 liters of alcohol (70 degrees) and insist for 3 days. Adults take 5-10 drops, diluted with pre-boiled water, three times a day; children are advised not to use it.
- Tincture of dry pomegranate peel. You need to make the remedy as follows: 1 tsp. dried pomegranate peel is poured with 1 glass of water. Boiled for 15 minutes, infused, wrapped, 2 hours, filtered. As a treatment, you need to give 1 tbsp. l. three times a day before meals, small children - 1 tsp.
- Rice porridge, which is boiled in water, hard-boiled without salt, (recommended for adults and children).
- A decoction of rice (recommended if the child has diarrhea). 1 tea cup of washed rice is poured with 6-7 cups of water, put on a small fire and boiled. The finished product should be cooled, strained and given to the child 1/3 cup every 2 hours.
Diarrhea in a 5-year-old child is a pathological condition of the gastrointestinal tract that occurs when exposed to external stimuli and malfunctions in the functioning of various organs and systems in the body.
Preventive measures are carried out in order to prevent the appearance of a pathological process, and during the onset of initial symptoms, it is necessary to immediately resort to the help of a specialist.
Timely received medical help prevents the formation of various adverse effects and adverse reactions.
Useful video
Diarrhea in a child is not a rare phenomenon, especially in babies of the first year of life. The baby's stomach is just beginning to get used to the "new way of life" and digest the food that enters it.
But sometimes diarrhea is too frequent or the contents of the intestines are not homogeneous, bloody, and also with the presence of mucus. When loose stools are not dangerous, and in what cases it is worth starting to worry and call a doctor - let's figure it out together.
What are the signs of diarrhea
This phenomenon is difficult to confuse with something and every mother knows its main symptoms:
- the stool becomes liquid;
- drawing pains in the abdomen;
- frequent urge to potty;
- sometimes nausea and vomiting;
- rarely fever;
- babies become lethargic and whiny.
If the child has a fever, most likely the diarrhea is due to infection or bacteria entering the intestines. But in any case, it is worth getting a consultation with a doctor and donating feces for dysbacteriosis. This will help to find out the true cause and get rid of all the symptoms of diarrhea as soon as possible.
What signs require immediate medical attention
In most cases, mothers cope with diarrhea in a child on their own, but sometimes it can be a sign of a serious illness and lead to serious health consequences.
If your baby has any of the following symptoms, call your doctor immediately:
- diarrhea often occurs in a younger child preschool age, especially the baby;
- accompanied by vomiting and fever;
- the feces contain elements of blood or mucus;
- diarrhea lasts more than a day;
- the stomach rejects food and water;
- loss of appetite;
- the child has become lethargic, does not go to the toilet “little by little” and cries without tears.
These signs fully or partially indicate dehydration of the body, which threatens with many consequences, including death.
There are many causes of diarrhea, so only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis. But to help him with this, you must know the list of the main reasons and name the most likely of them.
Common causes of diarrhea in childhood:
- malnutrition;
- non-compliance with the rules of personal hygiene;
- unwashed products;
- allergies to food or medicines;
- transferred stress or nervous diseases;
- rotavirus infection.
After the pediatrician examines the child, interviews the parents and receives the test results, he will be able to accurately tell the cause and prescribe medication. Up to this point, it makes no sense to self-medicate and choose medicines.
First aid for diarrhea in a child
When diarrhea appears, you should immediately begin to do everything in your power to stop it and restore the water-salt balance.
First aid for diarrhea:
- If the child is breastfeeding, then feed him as often as possible (if there is no vomiting), offer the elders to drink water.
- Pharmacies sell special oral solutions that prevent the body from losing fluid. If you don't have one on hand, make your own. To do this, you need 1 liter of boiled water, 1 teaspoon of salt (preferably sea) and 4-6 teaspoons of granulated sugar. It should be drunk 50-100 ml each time after vomiting or diarrhea.
- In the absence of vomiting, continue your normal diet, just exclude sweets, purchased juices and soda from the diet. Feed boiled meat, vegetables and dairy products.
Put the child to bed - during the period of illness, it is important to observe bed rest and not create a stressful environment. If he refuses to eat, do not force him to eat. Place the tray on a table or chair next to your bed to stimulate your appetite.
The main thing in the treatment of diarrhea is to ensure the supply of a sufficient amount of water, only thanks to this the body will be able to overcome the disease.
How to stop diarrhea in a child
For the treatment of diarrhea, there are many drugs and recipes of traditional medicine, but not everything can be taken by the baby due to his age and the lack of formation of the basic functions of the body. Therefore, be careful with the choice of drugs.
Means for restoring water-salt balance
Until the water-salt balance of the child's body returns to normal, it is pointless to fight not only with diarrhea, but also with any other diseases. The most popular remedy for its restoration is the drug Regidron. But also in pharmacies you can find analogues: Hydrovit, Reosolan, Trihydron, Citraglucosolan and others.
Regidron is available in the form of a powder, for oral administration it is necessary to dilute one sachet in a liter of boiled and cooled water. Do not add additional sweeteners, as well as dilute in juice, tea or other liquids. The finished product is stored for no more than a day.
Babies after the onset of diarrhea should be given a small amount of solution every 3-5 minutes. To calculate the daily dose in milliliters, multiply 40 by the number of kilograms your child weighs. If diarrhea is severe, then double the dosage.
The composition of the product includes calcium chloride, sodium chloride, sodium citrate and glucose - everything that is necessary to restore the natural water-salt balance and eliminate intoxication of the body. Contraindications include individual intolerance to the child and unconsciousness.
Folk remedies for diarrhea
Using the products that every housewife has in the kitchen, you can make effective and safe remedies for diarrhea. For example, take a glass of steamed white rice, rinse it, pour it over with three glasses of water and cook for a quarter of an hour without adding salt and sugar. Strain the water and give your baby a teaspoon of it every 10 minutes until the symptoms disappear. Rice has not only strengthening properties, but also protects the walls of the stomach and intestines from infections.
Never throw away the peel from the eaten pomegranate, but dry it, freeing it from white streaks. Such a decoction helps to cope with diarrhea, in addition, it will contain many vitamins to strengthen weakened immunity. Pear compote also helps, this fruit is hypoallergenic and can even be given to babies.
For older children, offer to eat a few dried blueberries, drink mint tea, a decoction of wild rose or aspen buds. Many note a positive effect after boiled carrots. Ask your local pediatrician which of the above remedies is suitable for your baby in order to avoid unpleasant consequences in the form of allergies.
It is equally important to get rid of diarrhea to follow a diet. So the child can quickly replenish the supply of lost strength and restore work. digestive system.
What to eat with diarrhea:
- apples;
- bananas;
- rye crackers;
- yogurt;
- kefir;
- potatoes boiled in uniform;
- fruit and berry compotes;
- boiled turkey, chicken, beef;
- boiled eggs;
- baked fruits and vegetables;
- vegetable soups.
What not to eat with diarrhea:
- cocoa, tea;
- fatty and fried foods;
- peas, asparagus, beans;
- carbonated drinks;
- whole milk;
- raw fruits and vegetables;
- nuts;
- purchased juices;
- whole wheat bread.
So that in the future the child does not have problems with digestion, you should accustom him to proper nutrition. Products such as fast food, convenience foods, instant meals that contain preservatives and flavor enhancers can disrupt the stomach and cause upset.
Such remedies can be taken only in extreme cases, when the diarrhea has a watery consistency or lasts a long time. Contraindications to them are the presence of blood in the stool and high fever.
The help of drugs against diarrhea remains in question, since diarrhea and vomiting are the body's reaction to the appearance of pathogens. It is advisable to quickly clear the intestines from the source of the disorder, and not to suppress this process. Therefore, if nothing threatens the health and life of the child, it is better to limit yourself to drinking plenty of water.
Antibiotics
Many parents believe that by offering the baby a broad-spectrum antibiotic, they will solve the problem with diarrhea, so they ask the doctor to prescribe a medicine in order to quickly end the torment. But even if the improvement soon comes, it is only temporary.
The fact is that diarrhea is often caused not by bacteria, but by viruses that are insensitive to antibiotics. Moreover, most gastrointestinal infections can be cured without medication at all, but only by taking enough water.
Moreover, such drugs have many side effects, including a violation of the intestinal microflora, which will only slow down recovery. Instead, provide your child with peace and quiet, nutritious food and plenty of fluids.
Accurate diagnosis is required to correctly prescribe an antibiotic. Otherwise, such treatment will lead to the fact that some of the pathogenic bacteria living in the intestines of the baby will develop immunity to the medicine and stop responding to it in the future.
If your baby has diarrhea, then first of all do not let the body lose a lot of fluid. To avoid this, offer your child plenty of water, drink compotes and saline. If the baby gets worse, call the doctor immediately. The health and life of the child may depend on your timely actions.
Video: how to stop diarrhea in a child
Which of the children has not been exposed at least once to an acute viral infection that caused loose stools? Poor hygiene can lead to diarrhea. The task of adults is to teach kids not to eat unwashed fruits or vegetables, and, most importantly, to protect them from contact with carriers of infections.
Liquid frequent stool called diarrhea. Symptoms of the onset of the disease are always pronounced. It begins with spasmodic acute attacks in the abdomen, diarrhea, vomiting, and sometimes fever.
Diarrhea in a child is dangerous due to dehydration. You can stop diarrhea only if you follow a diet, treat with antibiotics and follow the recommendations of a doctor.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a document presenting the classification of the disease. The difficulty in diagnosing is the fact that diarrhea is a symptom of many diseases, so it is so important to differentiate childhood diarrhea and eliminate the underlying cause.
The classification is based on the mechanisms of action of diarrhea and the distinctive symptoms.
| Types of diarrhea | Main symptoms |
| Osmotic | The process of absorption in the digestive tract is disturbed. Insufficient formation of a food bolus in the stomach and its further promotion. Some drugs accumulate in the intestinal lumen, creating additional pressure, while water is retained |
| hyperkinetic | Diarrhea is caused by overactive contractile muscle movements of the intestinal rings. It is characteristic of irritable bowel syndrome and with a hyper-elevated content of thyroid hormones |
| Exudative | Occurs with inflammation of the intestines and in the process of penetration into the intestinal lumen of fluid from the circulatory system |
| Secretory | Excess water and sodium compounds penetrate into the space of the intestines. Even if the child does not take food, diarrhea is difficult to stop. Perhaps only a decrease in fecal masses. This diarrhea is caused by viral microorganisms, bacteria that are dangerous for children, affecting the intestinal mucosa. |
In addition, diarrhea varies in duration and degree of damage to the intestinal tract. The ratio of diarrhea with any kind is determined after an instrumental examination, testing, identifying antibiotics that the child took.
When choosing a treatment for diarrhea and other viral diseases occurring in the body, the main symptoms are established for the appointment of antibiotics or other drugs.
Diarrhea causes and symptoms
Liquid stools can be caused by domestic causes or contacts with sick people. But there are other factors in the development of the disease, including:
Manifestation of symptoms in children under 2 years of age:
- bloody fibers, plaque are visible in the feces;
- pain colic in the tummy, flatulence;
- temperature up to 38-39 degrees;
- dizziness, vomiting or nausea.
Babies between the ages of 1 and 2 often develop diarrhea for the following reasons:
- infectious diarrhea caused by pathogenic bacteria that can cause salmonellosis. The main culprit is. It is introduced into the intestinal mucosa, affecting it. The temperature rises sharply, health worsens. The child loses his appetite, is naughty. This form occurs in infants.
- Alimentary diarrhea occurs with impaired nutrition, taking strong drugs, especially antibiotics.
- Dyspeptic diarrhea overtakes infants before the second year of birth. The reason for the violation is the inability of the digestive system to cope with the incoming food. After the full formation of the developing internal organs associated with digestion, diarrhea can be stopped.
- Toxic diarrhea caused by drug poisoning in young children under one year old. Treatment at home is not recommended.
- Medical diarrhea is a consequence of long-term use of the antibiotic, developing symptoms and disturbed flora.
- Neurogenic form of diarrhea noted with stress, neuroses. Accompanied by fever, tachycardia and intense excitement. Affected children from 3 to 8-10 years.
Diagnostics
The pediatrician begins to differentiate the diagnosis from the collection of anamnesis, for which a whole range of diagnostic measures is carried out:
- determination of the amount of liquid consumed by the child, its type (water, soups, tea and other drinks);
- feces of a liquid consistency are sent for bacteriological examination to identify;
- examination of feces for occult blood; attention is drawn to the consistency of feces - watery, foamy, mushy with mucus;
- the frequency of feces is found out - a frequency of more than three times a day indicates the onset of diarrhea;
- if necessary, ultrasound of the abdominal organs is performed.
Complications
There are two dangerous consequences of diarrhea not only for health, but also for life:
- dehydration of the body;
- infection.
Treatment of children with diarrhea
First of all, you need to organize a diet for the child and follow drinking regimen. How to treat, by what methods depends on the age of the child, the state of the immune system and concomitant diseases.
Diet and drinking regimen
Children should be given more liquids in the form of broth, water. Avoid dairy products fruit juice which can cause diarrhea. If the child is breastfed, it is undesirable to wean him from the breast.
During the treatment of a newborn, cow's milk should be excluded and replaced with ordinary boiled water. Drink water in small portions to stop loose stools. If the child loses his appetite and refuses to eat, do not force him.
With the normalization of appetite, take in small portions: bananas, rice porridge on the water, crackers, Hercules porridge, boiled potatoes, vegetables, steamed veal. Until the activity of the digestive tract is normalized, it is necessary to exclude fresh fruits, cucumbers, fried foods from the diet.
The diet includes legumes and grains. They aid in digestion without increasing the acidity in the stomach. Useful black rice, bran and foods with a lot of fiber. Boiled beans are an invaluable product in the diet. The main thing is not to overdo it, as the beans cause the formation of gases, which will cause discomfort to the child.
The menu with a diet will replenish fruit and vegetable dishes. Among them should be peaches, apples, pumpkins, pears, bananas enriched with vitamin elements.
Medical treatment
On the initial stage children can be given over-the-counter diarrhea medicines. At home, they will ease the condition of the baby. But you need to see a doctor as soon as possible so that diarrhea does not become chronic.
If the duration of diarrhea exceeds two days, the help of a specialist is urgently needed. Especially, in cases of persistent dehydration, severe spasmodic pain in the abdomen. With the continuation of the development of the disease, the doctor prescribes drugs that stop the symptoms. But these appointments are excluded for children younger age. The children are being treated in the hospital.
At home, you can take drugs based on activated charcoal (Microsorb-P, Karbolen) as prescribed by the pediatrician.
Activated carbon - black tablets are packaged in 250 and 500 mg. The course at home lasts up to 7 days. The drug is allowed to be taken from the first birthday, it is completely safe for babies. Shown when switching to artificial feeding.
Filtrum - a remedy of natural origin, available in tablets of 0.4 gr. The tool is much more effective than activated carbon.
Smecta for newborns
A newborn baby is often transferred to artificial feeding. This leads to disruption of the digestive tract.
During breastfeeding with mother's milk, the necessary microorganisms and enzymes enter the child's digestive tract. This is the best nutritional resource for a newborn. When a baby is fed formula, he begins to experience abdominal discomfort and rejection of new food.
To prevent such phenomena, Smecta is used. The tool has a healing effect and replaces many tablets, allowing you to cope with loose stools, pain and discomfort in the intestines at home.
Smecta is produced for newborns in powder, which is packaged in sachets of 3 grams. The agent gently envelops the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines. Smecta increases the protective properties of the body, eliminates acute pain.
It is very important for a newborn to receive Smecta, in view of its absorbent action. It helps to remove toxins and normalizes the intestinal microflora without causing the formation of gases. The drug does not cause dysbacteriosis.
The combination of diet and consumption of Smecta contributes to the normalization of the digestive organs. Undesirable effects of bile salts, pathogenic bacteria that enter the body of a newborn through a nipple or a bottle of water are reduced.
Children often get sick, react very subtly to any pathogens, and are prone to allergic reactions. Often there are problems with the "chair". When the feces become liquid, it is necessary to immediately pay special attention to the health of the child, examine him, determine if there are any other signs, and consult a doctor. It is important to stop diarrhea in a child, but at the same time not harm the baby's body.
Loose stools can be the main symptom of many diseases, both viral and exacerbated chronic. Sometimes diarrhea signals an allergic reaction, severe mechanical irritation of the gastrointestinal tract, overeating or malnutrition. Be sure to pay attention to the menu of the child, his behavior during meals. Often, children are just in a hurry, they chew their food badly. This also leads to a violation of metabolic, digestive processes. You must find out how your baby feels, if he has any other dangerous symptoms. Consider your limitations: it is likely that you will have to call a doctor. Do not be afraid of this, postpone the call, because delay can harm your child. In some cases, it is necessary to conduct a complete examination, take an x-ray, observe the patient in a hospital in order to accurately determine the cause of loose stools, and cure the disease. Many are concerned about the question: how to stop diarrhea in a child? It often starts suddenly, and action must be taken immediately. Remember a few recommendations, folk remedies, try to keep the most common, effective and versatile drugs at home.
The child started having diarrhea. Inspection, identification of signs
If your baby has diarrhea, you must first try to determine its causes, as well as identify all possible signs and symptoms of the course of the disease. There are some of the most common causes of loose stools in children:
- poor chewing of food;
- mechanical irritation of the walls of the stomach, intestines when ingesting inedible objects (mosaic details, designers, fragments of toys);
- malnutrition;
- binge eating;
- poisoning with a specific product (stale dishes, hot sauces, fatty cold gravy);
- allergic reaction;
- cold;
- exacerbation of colitis;
- viral disease;
- exacerbation of gastritis, cholecystitis.
- First of all, carefully examine the feces themselves. Don't rush to flush them down the toilet. The presence of blood impurities is a very bad sign. Please note that the blood can be either red, when the integrity of the mucous membrane at the exit from the intestine is violated, or dark, almost black, when they bleed upper divisions intestines, stomach. If traces of blood are found, a doctor should be called. It is advisable to keep samples of feces for visual inspection and analysis.
- Pay special attention to the baby's belly. Strongly press on the abdominal walls, it is impossible to push through the stomach during examination. Be extremely careful, do not make any effort. Lightly touch your stomach with your fingers to find out how tense the abdominal walls are. When the stomach is hard, petrified, or excessively swollen, you need to consult a doctor.
- Examine the skin, mucous membranes of the child. It is possible that diarrhea is caused by an allergic reaction. If the eyes, nose are reddened, there is a rash on the skin, this is probably a sign of an allergy. It can appear on cow's milk, eggs, seafood, any canned food, chicken meat, berries, and much more.
- Take your child's temperature. It is desirable to have at home and a device for measuring pressure, pulse. Rapid pulse, fever, low blood pressure often indicate poisoning. It is important to contact a specialist in a timely manner, to undergo an examination.
- Find out what the baby ate, whether he could swallow a foreign object. Determine if he ate his portions entirely, did not throw away food. Sometimes kids overeat. Then you will find the missing products.
Stopping diarrhea in a child
You can stop diarrhea in a child on your own, alleviate his condition. Use various means, methods, remember useful recommendations.
- First of all, make a new menu for your baby. All foods should be easily digestible. Eliminate any salty, spicy, fatty foods, as well as foods that you may be allergic to. Do not give your child sweets.
- Food should be fractional. Divide the usual diet of one day into 5-6 parts, give the child food in approximately equal portions.
- Prevention of dehydration. Make sure your baby doesn't get dehydrated. Give him more water. You can take special solutions, drugs, put a dropper, after consulting with your doctor. Darkening is a sign of dehydration skin or pallor, crying with difficulty in secreting tears, dark urine, decreased quantity. If the child has become noticeably less likely to go to the toilet, the urine darkens, thickens, it is important to consult a doctor without fail. Dehydration is extremely dangerous.
- Make sure your child chews food well treated her with saliva. Try to explain to the baby that eating quickly is very harmful, and it is important not only to grind any product with your teeth, but also to moisten it well in your mouth with saliva. That's how he can get used to it.
- We follow the regime. It is important to determine a new regimen for the child. Need to exclude physical exercise to provide rest for the patient. It is important to go to bed earlier, take more time to sleep and rest.
Effective remedies to help stop diarrhea in a child
Act comprehensively to deal with the problem. To stop diarrhea in a child will allow special drugs that can be purchased at a pharmacy. Some of the tools you can easily prepare yourself. 
- Rice broth. Rice broth gives an excellent effect. It can be given to children calmly, while the decoction copes well with loose stools, quickly and reliably fastens. Watch the consistency of the broth. It should not be too thick, viscous. A good solution is to give along with a decoction and some soft rice porridge, without milk and sugar.
- Medical preparations. You can also use professional products, which are available in a large assortment in pharmacies. The most commonly used is bifidumbacterin, which restores the normal intestinal microflora, as well as smectite, activated charcoal.
- Herb tea. Chamomile, mint tea works well. It can be given five times a day. Please note that in chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, this remedy should not be used. It is better to consult a doctor.
- Pomegranate peels. Effective remedy- an infusion obtained by brewing pomegranate peels. Nothing needs to be added to it, the liquid should be taken 4-5 times a day, after meals, a few tablespoons will suffice. This tool is ideal for teenagers.
- Hawthorn. A decoction of hawthorn fruit helps stop diarrhea in children, relieves discomfort removes toxic compounds from the body. Five grams of fruit is enough to get a glass of broth. It is insisted, and then given three times a day, a teaspoon is enough.
