$Unique_ID{PAR00057} $Pretitle{} $Title{Medical Advice: Diarrhea in Young Children} $Subtitle{} $Author{ Editors of Consumer Guide Chasnoff, Ira J} $Subject{Diarrhea Loose watery stools Mucus Red blood flecks Cramps Fever appetite weight loss vomiting dehydration electrolyte solutions antidiarrhetics antidiarrheal medications improperly prepared refrigerated formulas formula digestive tract infections respiratory viruses intestinal virus bacteria parasites food allergy foods allergies} $Log{} Your Child: A Medical Guide Diarrhea in Young Children Quick Reference SYMPTOMS - Loose, watery stools - Mucus in stools - Red blood flecks in stools - Cramps - Fever - Loss of appetite - Weight loss HOME CARE - If the child is also vomiting, treat the vomiting first. Restrict the child's diet to clear liquids only. When vomiting has stopped, treat diarrhea. Stop all foods with roughage, including vegetables and most fruits (bananas and apples are all right). Do not give milk. - Stop any foods and beverages that have recently been added to the child's diet. Such additions sometimes cause diarrhea in infants. - To avoid dehydration (serious loss of body fluids), give the child plenty of clear liquids--tea, flavored gelatin water, and commercial electrolyte solutions (available from your pharmacist) are best. - Continue treating diarrhea until the child has no stools or normal stools for 24 to 48 hours. PRECAUTIONS - Do not give antidiarrheal medications to infants and children. - Diarrhea and vomiting can cause dehydration. Be alert for the symptoms of dehydration: infrequent or decreased urination, sunken eyes, drowsiness, rapid or slow breathing, sunken soft spot at the top of an infant's head, dryness in the mouth, rigidity of the skin when pinched gently. Dehydration can be especially serious in infants and children under the age of five. - In infants, dehydration can occur as rapidly as 12 to 24 hours after the start of diarrhea or vomiting. - If an infant or young child shows any symptoms of dehydration, call your doctor. - Solid foods aggravate diarrhea. If the child is drinking plenty of liquids, solid foods can be avoided for several days without any danger to the child's health. - Improperly prepared and improperly refrigerated formulas commonly cause serious diarrhea in infants. Be careful when normal refrigeration and cooking facilities are not available (picnics, camping, traveling). - Many antibiotics cause diarrhea in some infants. Ask your doctor if such a medication may be causing diarrhea in your child. (However, do not discontinue giving an antibiotic without your doctor's permission.) SYMPTOMS OF DEHYDRATION Infrequent urinating Smaller amounts of urine Sunken eyes Drowsiness Rapid or slow breathing Sunken soft spot in infant's skull Dryness in mouth Skin rigid when pinched gently Diarrhea is a condition in which the stools are loose and watery. Diarrhea is judged by the looseness of the stools, not by the frequency of bowel movements. (Having frequent bowel movements with stools of normal consistency is not considered diarrhea.) Any bowel movement that is partially or completely runny is diarrhea. The frequency and amount of loose stools indicate how severe the diarrhea is. Diarrhea in infants and young children (under the age of five) is potentially dangerous. Diarrhea can lead to dehydration (a serious loss of body fluids). The younger the child, the greater the possibility of dehydration. Common causes of diarrhea in infants are infections of the digestive tract and reactions to certain foods and drugs. In infants, infections may be caused by respiratory viruses, intestinal viruses, bacteria, and parasites. Some foods tend to cause diarrhea in most infants (corn kernels and large quantities of prunes, for example). Other foods may cause diarrhea in some infants but not in others. Individual children react differently to specific foods, and some infants are allergic to certain foods. Many antibiotics may cause diarrhea in infants. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS The looseness of the stools is the major symptom. The relatively fluid, watery stools often contain mucus and sometimes flecks of red blood. A child with diarrhea may have cramps and sometimes fever, loss of appetite, vomiting, and weight loss. There may be as few as one or as many as 20 loose bowel movements a day. However, if having only one or two loose bowel movements is followed by a return to normal, the diarrhea is probably not serious. In looking for the cause of diarrhea, consider whether a new food has recently been added to the child's diet and whether the child has recently been given antibiotics. If other children in your family are ill, your infant may be suffering from the same illness. HOME CARE If an infant or young child has both diarrhea and vomiting, treat the vomiting first, by restricting the child's diet to clear liquids only. When the vomiting has stopped, treat the diarrhea. Eliminate all newly introduced foods and beverages, eliminate foods with roughage, including all vegetables and fruits (except bananas and apples). Do not give the child milk. Do not discontinue use of antibiotics unless authorized by your doctor. Encourage the child to drink clear liquids to ward off dehydration--tea, flavored gelatin water, and commercial electrolyte solutions (available from your pharmacist) are best. Continue treatment for diarrhea until the child has had no stools or normal stools for 24 to 48 hours. PRECAUTIONS - Do not give antidiarrheal medications to infants. These are of no use and can cause severe problems. - Solid foods aggravate diarrhea and can be avoided for many days without any danger to the child's general health. It is most important that the child drink plenty of liquids. - Watch for symptoms of dehydration (infrequent urination, dryness in the mouth, sunken eyes, drowsiness, rapid or slow breathing, sunken soft spot on the top of an infant's head). If any symptoms of dehydration appear, call your doctor. - Improperly prepared and improperly refrigerated formulas are a common cause of serious diarrhea in infants. Be especially careful when normal refrigeration and cooking facilities are not available (picnics, camping, traveling). MEDICAL TREATMENT If there are signs of dehydration, your doctor will determine the degree of seriousness. (The loss of 5 percent of a baby's weight indicates serious dehydration.) Stools may be cultured for bacteria. If necessary, your child may be placed in the hospital to be given intravenous fluids or to determine if the intestines are functioning properly. RELATED TOPICS: Botulism; Constipation; Dehydration; Diarrhea in older children; Dysentery; Food allergies; Food poisoning; Gastroenteritis, acute; Viral infections; Vomiting.