Children and baby diarrhea are critical moments for them because they don’t have the ability to treat or fight this ailment. Parents should always give their children a lot of fluids to keep them hydrated so there won’t be any complications. You should also know the different symptoms, causes and treatment for baby diarrhea in order to handle this situation properly.
What are the Symptoms of Baby Diarrhea?
Consider first the specific routines of the baby. Newborn babies often poop, almost every time after feeding plus their poop is typically fairly soft. If he or she is nursing, the baby’s stool may change depending on what you’ve eaten and if breastfed. Children of older age have firmer stools and it varies with their diet. These factors are the reasons why it is difficult to illustrate baby diarrhea. The essential thing to do is familiarize yourself with the child’s bowel movement patterns wherein occasional stool discharge is fine, but if there is a sudden increase in frequency of discharge, check whether the stools are watery than usual. If so, then it’s probably diarrhea.
What are the Causes of Baby Diarrhea?
The usual suspects for baby diarrhea are bacterial, viral and parasitical. They can penetrate the body through food and water, it can be found in feeding bottles in most cases. The digestive tract is infected resulting to gastroenteritis. The body turns to defensive mode by discharging the bad bugs, especially if it’s a viral infection. The body need to balance the level of fluids and salts, hence medication is not yet an option.
Baby Diarrhea Treatment
Baby diarrhea should be treated properly for it can pose a serious problem if not taken seriously. A baby can become dehydrated because of passing watery stools. Babies and children should be given a lot of fluids to keep them rehydrated. If the baby is not vomiting, you can feed it with breast milk or formula. A pediatrician may prescribe pediatric electrolyte solution to rehydrate the baby if it keeps on discharging watery stools or vomiting. There should be BRAT (bananas, rice, apples, or applesauce, toast) in the children’s diet and prevent them consuming sodas, or liquids that contain sugar.