Each mother in the process of raising a child is faced with such an unpleasant phenomenon as diarrhea, otherwise - uncontrolled loose stools, in which the process of defecation without the possibility of restraining the urge to defecate occurs more than 5-6 times a day. The total number of bowel movements depends on the age of the baby and the reasons that caused this process in the body.
Is diarrhea in children really harmless?
What does the famous pediatrician Komarovsky think about this? Diarrhea in children, in his opinion, at first glance may seem a very harmless phenomenon, so to speak, a temporary misunderstanding.
However, parents should not be mistaken about this, because certain he alth problems can be a provocateur of the alarming state of the child's body. Therefore, a mother with a baby must definitely seek the advice of a doctor in order to determine with him the causes that caused diarrhea in the child.
Komarovsky is the mostrenowned pediatrician
Evgeny Olegovich Komarovsky is a doctor of the highest category, the author of a large number of scientific papers and books, the host of his own program on television, who received a large quota of trust from millions of parents. He has been associated with the field of he althcare for more than a quarter of a century. Since 1983, after graduating from the Kharkov Medical Institute, he worked in the regional infectious diseases hospital. In 2000, he moved to a private clinical center as a leading consultant in pediatric admissions. Since 2006, patients have been receiving patients in their own private clinic.
A wide parental audience is familiar with the famous pediatrician from the TV show "School of Doctor Komarovsky", which started in the spring of 2010 on the Ukrainian TV channel "Inter". Also, Evgeny Olegovich often takes part in television programs devoted to medical topics, and inspires maximum confidence in matters related to children's he alth.
Breastfeeding Diarrhea
According to Dr. Komarovsky, diarrhea in children can be triggered by breast milk, which, with the mother's diet, has got substances that irritate the digestive organs of the newborn. The baby’s stomach, which is still forming, cannot cope with them and signals about the problems that have arisen with diarrhea. What should mom do? Identify an unfavorable product and refuse to use it for a while, as well as adhere to a diet in which breast milk will only benefit the baby.
Maybe the cause of diarrhea is in infant formula?
How elseexplains the reasons for the deterioration of well-being in children, Dr. Komarovsky? Diarrhea in children can be caused by individual intolerance to products that come both with breast milk and during complementary foods. It has been observed that breastfed infants suffer from stomach disorders less frequently than formula-fed infants. After all, bait mixes are often provocateurs of loose stools, with which the mother tries to diversify the baby's diet. If a child has diarrhea, what should I do? Komarovsky advises, at the first sign of its manifestation, to abandon the mixtures that provoked intestinal upset and return to a more adapted diet.
Causes of dehydration
Overfeeding, inflammatory processes in the body, infectious diseases, pathologies of the internal organs of the gastrointestinal tract are also provocateurs of uncontrolled bowel movements, says Dr. Komarovsky. Diarrhea in children, even the most common, can cause dehydration, leading to anemia, weight loss, decreased immunity and other negative consequences.
When is diarrhea safe?
Diarrhea in a child Komarovsky considers normal if frequent loose stools are associated with a change in diet, ongoing physical processes in the body (for example, teething), as well as the experiences of the baby.
In very young children, loose stools can be observed throughout the day about 20 times, which is considered quite acceptable. Upon reachingBy 3 years of age, stools are usually mushy, yellow or brown in color, and have 1 to 3 bowel movements per day.
If the loose stool in a child has not stopped by the age of 3 and pesters him with the same intensity, you should urgently contact a pediatrician who will try to identify the causes of the disease as accurately as possible to make the correct diagnosis.
The doctor will be interested in the duration of the bowel disorder, stool and urination frequency, stool consistency, weight loss, tears during bowel movements, blood and mucus in the stool, as well as associated symptoms: vomiting, rash, fever, abdominal pain. Also important is information about the child's visits to childcare facilities, illnesses among family members at the time of the survey, sources of drinking water, etc.
Provocateurs of diarrhea in older children
Diarrhea in older children can be caused by:
- substandard or prohibited products;
- infectious lesions and acute inflammation;
- lack of food enzymes;
- inflammatory processes;
- helminthic infestations;
- poisoning;
- chronic diseases of the digestive system;
- acute leukemia;
- the use of antibiotics that cause intestinal upset and dysbacteriosis;
- stress;
- strong emotional stress.
What should a mother do if a child has had diarrhea without fever for some time? Komarovsky byOn this occasion, he says that, most likely, there is a violation of the function of digestion, and this may be due to both physiological and psychological factors. A change in the consistency and color of feces, their acquisition of wateriness, the presence of impurities with a sour smell can be observed against the background of an expansion of the baby's menu.
Parents are often concerned about the question: "If a child has diarrhea, how to treat?" Komarovsky advises giving a sick baby a medicine that slows down intestinal motility ("Loperamide", approved for use from 6 years old) and supports its microflora ("Linex"). Before taking medication, be sure to consult your doctor. In mild cases, a he althcare professional will recommend drinking plenty of fluids instead of diarrhea remedies.
Diarrhea and fever in a child
Komarovsky explains to his patients that sometimes, against the background of diarrhea, there may be a fever, which parents of infants often associate with the eruption of the baby's first teeth. Indeed, for young children, the growth of new teeth is stress, to which the baby's body reacts with frequent loose stools. If parents are sure that indigestion is due precisely to this cause, then they can give the baby a medicine that slows down intestinal motility. Along the way, the use of fastening products is recommended: a drink made from raisins or rice water. The main thing is that these products are suitable for the age of the child.
Danger of rotavirus infection
Also adverse symptomsmay indicate the presence in the body of a rotavirus infection, discovered quite recently - in 1973. Translated from Latin, the word rota means "wheel", as the virus under a microscope is vaguely shaped like a wheel.
Rotavirus infection is spread through food, as well as by household contact. Regardless of the living conditions and the degree of hygiene, almost all children are ill with rotavirus. The highest percentage of infection with such an infection is among babies in the age category from 2 to 6 years. With rotavirus, vomiting, diarrhea in a child without fever can occur. Komarovsky recommends that you definitely visit the attending physician, pass the tests prescribed by him, on the basis of which the causative agent of the disease will be identified. Guided by an accurate diagnosis, the pediatrician will be able to prescribe an effective treatment. As a rule, antimicrobial drugs ("Enterofuril") are prescribed. Parents are advised not to give their child any medication on their own. The maximum of what they can help their child with is to give them plenty of fluids to stop dehydration, sorbents (activated carbon, Enterosgel, Polysorb).
To normalize the child's condition, it is recommended to use drugs that lower the temperature ("Paracetamol"), and provide a diet selected by the attending physician according to the age of the child and the course of his illness.
If diarrhea is accompanied by vomiting
Intestinaldisorders accompanied by vomiting, as well as pain in the abdomen (determined by palpation in the epigastric zone), indicate a possible poisoning or the presence of harmful microbes in the intestines that cause the development of harmful infections.
The manifestation of vomiting and diarrhea is a kind of attempt by the body to defend itself and get rid of pathogenic microbes that destroy the microflora. The real cause for concern is the unnatural color of the feces: green indicates a bacterial pathology, black indicates internal bleeding. You should be alarmed if you find bloody discharge or a large amount of mucus in the feces. It is also very dangerous to vomit without diarrhea in a child. Komarovsky claims that the painful condition itself will not go away, so the child should be urgently hospitalized. No self-treatment is allowed: only a doctor's consultation and the use of prescribed drugs.
At such moments, parents need to give their child plenty of fluids to drink (you can give Regidron) and not force them to eat a lot, since for a weakened body, eating in the usual volume will be a heavy burden. After 8-12 hours, after the end of rehydration therapy aimed at replenishing fluid in the body, you can gradually introduce into the diet foods characterized by easy absorption: rice, bananas, crackers, dried bread.
When is hospitalization needed?
If the manifestation of vomiting is observed against the backgroundother adverse symptoms, you should consider hospitalizing the child, because food poisoning should be treated only under the supervision of experienced doctors. This is exactly what Dr. Komarovsky advises to do in doubtful situations. Vomiting, diarrhea in a child cause the loss of a huge amount of fluid, which leads to dehydration for 2 days. It is quite difficult to make up for her losses, because the baby during such a period refuses water and food due to poor he alth. The most dangerous is the manifestation of such symptoms in children under the age of 1 year. Doctors first cleanse the stomach by washing it, after which they apply symptomatic therapy aimed at alleviating the condition of a sick child. In the process of such treatment, doctors must be able to determine the cause of the disease and prescribe appropriate drugs.
What should parents do? Be sure to contact a medical specialist for therapeutic measures aimed at replenishing the electrolyte composition of the blood and replenishing fluid reserves.
