It's no secret that the body of a little man from birth begins to gradually adapt to the world around him, so a newborn child may have serious problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Diarrhea in babies is far from harmless, it can be caused by a variety of reasons.
Can newborn diarrhea be normal?
New mothers who haven't de alt with young children before the birth of their first child may sound the alarm when they notice that their baby goes to the toilet much more than it would seem. For a newborn baby, it is considered normal if the color of the feces is light brown or dark brown, but the most interesting thing is that it can be liquid and more like porridge than plasticine.
The fact is that while the baby is fed with mother's milk or special mixtures, the stool will not be hard. The number of feces of the baby can reach 5 times - this is the norm.
What you need to know about diarrhea in a child?
Many young mothers who do not have enough care experiencefor the child, they must clearly know when diarrhea begins in the baby, what to do in this case, and how to really recognize the danger. The fact is that it is not worth drawing conclusions that a child has diarrhea, only because he often goes to the toilet. The most important thing is to carefully consider what color the feces are. If it has changed significantly, has become green or yellow, then this means that the baby has problems with the tummy. And if the child also has blood in the products of emptying, then you should immediately call a doctor. Green diarrhea in infants is considered the most dangerous, especially if there is an admixture of blood or mucus. In addition, parents are advised to pay attention to other symptoms that accompany diarrhea, as a rule, these are the following:
- Increased body temperature.
- Baby stays awake less and sleeps more.
- May vomit.
- A small child is prevented from sleeping and playing calmly by constant gas and pain in the abdomen. This can cause the newborn to become restless.
Even one of the above symptoms (along with diarrhea) may indicate a problem with the child's he alth, so you should immediately call a doctor and do not try to cure the baby yourself.
What is the essence of diarrhea in a newborn?
In the first days after the child sees the world, the baby's feces may have a dark green color, doctors call it meconium. Naturally, in this case, the child should not be treated, because this is considered normal. Shouldbeware if such feces are absent. Further, up to a month, the baby's feces already become yellowish or light brown.
Diarrhea in infants is not uncommon. A baby is born with organs that are not yet completely perfect, but in a year of his life, the formation is completely completed. If the mother feeds the child not quite correctly and does not follow the recommendations of doctors, then she will immediately face such a problem as diarrhea. Sometimes doctors, even when they are discharged from the hospital, advise young mothers to use a special medicine that is made on the basis of live bifidobacteria.
Causes of diarrhea
The causes of diarrhea in babies can be different, so it is worthwhile to dwell on the main ones:
When the mother's milk is not enough for the baby, they begin to feed him with special cereals. In addition, it is very careful to introduce various fruits and juices into the baby's diet, since most of them have a laxative effect. If you stop giving all these complementary foods to a newborn, then the stool will immediately return to normal
- When preparing mixtures, you should be careful, make sure that everything matches the instructions.
- Temperature and diarrhea in infants may indicate an intestinal infection that has managed to enter the child's body. The reason for this may be hidden in the parents who did not take care of sterility. The baby may feel acute pain in the intestines and stomach, and vomiting will also begin, there will be blood streaks in the stool itself. Usually the babyurgently admitted to the hospital.
- Infectious diarrhea is considered dangerous for a child. Green diarrhea in a baby means that a staphylococcal infection has begun to develop in the body. In addition to mucus, foam may also appear in the stool.
- It is extremely rare, but it still happens that a baby is born with pathologies of the digestive tract, and in this case, a doctor's examination, diagnosis and possible surgical intervention will help overcome diarrhea.
- When a baby gets older and his teeth start to erupt, such changes in his body can also be accompanied by diarrhea. In this case, the stool becomes liquid and frequent.
- Diarrhea with mucus in infants can also be caused by dysbacteriosis. In this case, the stool also becomes green, foamy and you can see the streaks of blood.
In any case of the above, it should be noted that self-medication can aggravate the situation and worsen the condition of the child, therefore, having noticed the first signs, you should immediately call a doctor.
What can diarrhea cause?
As soon as the baby has loose stools, parents should focus all their attention on this particular problem. The fact is that a small organism is very vulnerable, and if diarrhea is not stopped, dehydration can occur. Then not only the intestines will suffer, but also the liver. With diarrhea that has been going on for a day, the baby will be able to lose all the s alts and fluids that he needs. Gradually, the situation may worsen, the child will beginvomiting, a high temperature will rise, and blood can already be seen in the stool with the naked eye. When dehydration sets in, you may notice the following changes in your body:
- Baby is starting to lose a lot of weight.
- Urine becomes less frequent and urine will be dark in color with a strong odor.
- In newborns, the fontanel begins to recede.
- Skin becomes dry and rough.
- A baby can cry, but it won't produce tears.
With such symptoms, it is necessary to give the baby more to drink and, of course, urgently turn to specialists.
When should parents see a doctor?
Diarrhea in infants requires constant monitoring. If diarrhea begins in a child who is not yet six months old, then in any case, young parents cannot do without a doctor. Only a specialist will be able to correctly assess the whole situation and take the following actions:
- First of all, the doctor will be able to determine the exact cause of diarrhea.
- If a baby begins to show signs of dehydration, an experienced pediatrician will see this immediately and immediately tell parents how to act.
- Be sure the specialist will tell you to cancel all bait and advise on how to establish milk feeding.
When a baby constantly drinks mother's milk, then the mother will also have to stay on a diet and not consume foods that are considered laxatives
Don't expect diarrhea to go away right away, the intestines of a small child requirelong recovery.
Parental actions for diarrhea in a child
Every mom should know exactly what to do. Diarrhea in infants is dangerous, so there must be a certain algorithm of actions. Mom should call a doctor, first of all take care of collecting tests, so the contents of the child's feces should be collected in a sterile jar. This is necessary so that the doctor can examine the feces, make a preliminary diagnosis. After each act of defecation, the mother should wash the child well; in this case, you should not use wet wipes. Because of this, the child may develop allergies. Medical treatment of a child begins only after a diagnosis has been made by a doctor.
First aid for diarrhea in a child
If a baby has diarrhea without vomiting, then a young mother should try to put the baby to her breast as often as possible. The fact is that in this way the baby will be able to get both drink and food. Doctors allow dehydration of the body to give babies "Smecta", this drug is not harmful to a small organism. Naturally, the mixture should be given a little bit and every twenty minutes. Before the doctor arrives, if a small child has a severe fever, the mother can also give an antipyretic.
It is not forbidden to give a child sorbents, for example, it could be Enterosgel. Everything else will be prescribed by the doctor after he determines the cause of diarrhea in the newborn.
Algorithm of actions during treatment
If the baby has diarrhea withouttemperature, then perhaps it is associated with malnutrition of the baby, therefore, in such cases, mother and baby are not admitted to the hospital in a hospital, and treatment can take place on an outpatient basis. Every mother should know a certain algorithm of actions:
- You should give the baby more to drink, it is recommended to make a decoction of chamomile, it has an anti-inflammatory effect, or prepare rice water, which has a fixing effect.
- It is forbidden to give medicine to the baby without the knowledge of the doctor.
- Be sure to measure the temperature of the child and monitor his skin so that there is no dryness and rash.
- Carefully inspect the composition of the feces so that there are no streaks of blood.
Such simple actions will help the doctor quickly determine the cause and begin treatment.
Medicated treatment
If there is diarrhea in the baby, the treatment should be prescribed by a doctor, and there will be individual prescriptions for each child. Consider the options that a doctor can prescribe:
- First of all, if there is a temperature, then drugs are prescribed that can lower it.
- Over the counter, you can buy an electrolyte solution at a pharmacy that will help you stay hydrated.
- If it is determined that the cause of diarrhea is an infection or bacteria, then antibiotics will be prescribed.
- Bifidumbacterin is prescribed when it is necessary to improve bowel function.
Parents must clearly understand the full responsibility for the life of theirchild, therefore, noticing yellow diarrhea in infants or frequent discharge of any other color, you should immediately provide timely assistance to the small body. If you strictly follow all the recommendations, you can avoid serious complications.
Folk remedies for diarrhea
If the child does not have severe diarrhea, then you can try to normalize the work of the intestines with the help of folk remedies. If it is possible to buy lingonberry leaves, then they are poured with boiling water in the amount of a tablespoon per glass of boiling water and insisted for five minutes, after which they give the child a drink. It will be enough for the child to drink just a teaspoon ten times a day, as the work of the intestines can return to normal. Another good way to overcome diarrhea in infants is a decoction of dried pomegranate peel. The peel is poured with boiling water, after which it is boiled for about twenty minutes, let it brew for two hours, and one teaspoon is given until the mother breastfeeds it.
Prevention of diarrhea in newborns
It is important not to treat diarrhea in newborns, but to prevent it, so young mothers should be careful about their child. If the baby has noticed changes in the stool, then, first of all, the nursing mother should reconsider her diet. It is important that the mother monitors the mood of a small child, his weight, as well as the external environment. By adhering to the simplest rules, you can avoid many problems and not put your dearest little man at risk. It should also be noted that it is unlikely that it will be possible to do without qualified medical assistance,since treating a child on his own with medication can be very dangerous for his life. And even more so, you should not rely on folk methods.
