Care for a Child With Diarrhea

A child has diarrhea when they pass three or more watery stools a day, which can often be a cause of alarm and concern. However, it is possible to take effective action against diarrhea with the proper knowledge of symptoms and information about treatment. Treating diarrhea consistently, as well as seeking the aid of healthcare professionals, can reduce the chance of diarrhea developing into a serious ailment or illness.

Steps

Checking for Symptoms

  1. Check for symptoms of viral infection. There are many causes for diarrhea in children, but the main cause is often a viral infection, such as rotavirus. Viral infections are often accompanied by many other symptoms including headache, stomachache, vomiting, and fever.[1]
    • Diarrhea, especially caused by viral infection, often lasts between five and fourteen days.[1]
    • Check your child’s temperature with a medical thermometer to see if they have a raised body temperature, which is often another sign of viral infection.
  2. Check the frequency of bowel movements. Many treatments and indicators of severity are tied to how frequently your child has a bowel movement. Once you begin treating your child’s diarrhea, bowel movements should become less frequent and stool should become less watery.[2]
    • The BRAT treatment is meant for those who are having watery bowel movements every four hours. However, this dietary treatment is not ideal for young children.
  3. Look for signs of dehydration. Although not always a high risk in children with mild diarrhea, many children risk becoming dehydrated while having severe diarrhea due to the amount of fluids lost. Identifying the signs of dehydration as soon as they begin to emerge will help you seek the best possible treatment as early as possible.[1]
    • Look for signs of dizziness, a dry or sticky mouth, dark yellow or little to no urine, and few to no tears when crying.[1]
    • Severe dehydration can cause serious health problems, like seizures and brain damage. Seek immediate medical care if you notice signs of severe dehydration in your child. These may include lethargy; dry, cool, pale or mottled skin; fainting or confusion; and rapid heart rate or rapid breathing.[3]
  4. Check the side effects of your child's medication. If your child regularly takes medication, or has been taking medication recently due to another illness or ailment, check the medications side-effects and see if they include diarrhea. If so, consult your child's doctor for the best course of action.[1]

Seeking Medical Attention

  1. Involve your child's pediatrician. Contact your pediatrician immediately if you are concerned or have questions about your child’s state. Keep an eye out for other symptoms that may indicate serious illness while your child has diarrhea, such as: high fever (over 102 F), dehydration, blood in stool, mucus in stool, black, tar-like stool, or frequent vomiting. [4]
    • If you are treating your child’s symptoms and they are not improving within a couple of days or are getting worse, make an appointment to see your pediatrician as soon as possible.
    • Keep in mind that diarrhea is the body’s process of removing infection and that infections need to run their course. Although your child should not be declining in health, it may still take a few days to see improvement.
  2. Prepare for your child’s doctor’s appointment. Prepare for the appointment with your child’s doctor by reviewing the length and qualities of their illness. Keep notes of how long your child has had diarrhea as well as how many bowel movements they have a day.
    • Find out what the color and consistency of your child’s stool is as well as if it contains blood or mucus.
    • Keep a note of the other symptoms your child has, like fever or vomiting, as these may be signs of other infections.[5]
  3. Avoid over the counter medications. Avoid giving your child over the counter anti-diarrheal medications as they are generally meant for adults and can cause other complications within children.[6]
    • Do not give your child any medication for diarrhea unless it has been prescribed by your doctor.

Treating Symptoms in Infants

  1. Nurse your baby often. One of the larger concerns of infants who have diarrhea is dehydration. Nursing your baby more often than usual will supply them with the fluids, calories, and nutrients they will need to get healthy and stay hydrated.[7]
    • Offer each breast to your baby for at least one to two minutes every ten to fifteen minutes until symptoms have reduced, or, if you aren’t breast feeding, use formula and a bottle.[7]
  2. Increase the amount of bottle feedings if you use formula. Increase the amount of bottle feedings to make up for lost nutrients and liquids in both newborns and infants. The amount of nutritional supplementation a baby might need depends on their size and age, for example, 1 fl oz. for newborns and 3 fl oz. for 12-month olds at each extra feeding.[7]
    • If you are uncertain of the extra amount your baby needs consult your healthcare professional.
  3. Feed them familiar semi-solid foods. Introduce semi-solid foods back into your child’s diet if they have eaten them in the past. Foods like mashed bananas or potatoes are high in nutrients and can help resupply infants who have diarrhea.[7]
    • Cereal with milk is another way to introduce nutrients and liquids back into your baby’s diet.[7]
  4. Consult your doctor about an oral rehydration solution (ORS). Ask your doctor or healthcare professional about an ORS if you are concerned your baby is not getting enough liquids from breastfeeding or formula. ORS is a special rehydration solution and is offered at many drug stores and pharmacies (most of them end in “lyte”).[7]
    • Most ORS do not give babies the amount of nutrients they need and are therefore not meant as a dietary replacement, simply a hydration supplement. Be sure to return to formula, breastfeeding, or semi-solid foods once you see improvement.
  5. Protect sensitive areas. Diaper rashes are common with babies who have diarrhea. Wash your baby’s bottom after each bowel movement, pat dry with a towel, and apply an ointment or zinc oxide paste to avoid skin irritation.[2]

Treating Symptoms in Children Aged 1-11

  1. Offer lots of fluids. Keeping enough extra fluids down is the most important during periods of diarrhea. Consuming lots of fluids will help your child keep up with the fluids they are losing during their bowel movements. A liquid only diet is recommended at the onset of moderate or severe diarrhea, with foods slowly being introduced back into their diet. [2]
    • Clear liquids are the most helpful. However, plain water does not replace lost minerals. Try to supplement liquids with an oral rehydration solution (ORS) to replenish lost minerals and electrolytes.[2]
    • If keeping liquids down is difficult encourage them to take small sips or suck on ice chips frequently to avoid dehydration.
    • Avoid refined sugars and juices. Avoid giving your child fruit juices, sodas, or sweetened sports drinks, as they are known to loosen stool.
  2. Feed your child small, frequent, bland meals. Feeding your child small and bland meals frequently will help them avoid any irritation from overeating as well as help soothe their stomachs. Feed your child about six small meals a day as opposed to three larger meals to keep a nutrient rich intake consistent.[6]
    • Try nutrient rich foods like bananas, sliced apples, pasta, white rice, or cooked vegetables.
    • Do not withhold food from your child. The higher and more frequent their nutrient rich diet, the shorter their symptoms will last.[7]
    • Avoid foods high in fat. Foods like cheese, cream, and even full-fat yogurt can cause bloating and increase pain and discomfort while a child has diarrhea.
  3. Introduce rehydration supplements and probiotics after 24 hours. After 24 hours your child will begin to benefit from ORSs and probiotic supplements. ORSs replace lost electrolytes while probiotics replace many helpful bacteria, as well as help combat harmful diarrhea causing bacteria, in your child’s GI tract.[8]
    • Yogurt is the most common and widely available probiotic, but it’s high fat content might cause discomfort. Check your local health food store or pharmacy for alternative probiotic supplements, choose low-fat yogurt options with live active cultures, or ask your doctor for advice.

Tips

  • Diarrhea usually stops after three or four days. If it lasts longer than one week, caregivers should seek help from a trained health worker.
  • All drinks must be given in a “clean cup.” Do not use a feeding bottle because it is very hard to keep clean and reinfection might occur and continue to cause diarrhea.
  • Get your child tested for a food allergy.

Warnings

  • If the child's diarrhea looks like rice water, contact a doctor. This is a surefire sign of severe cholera.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 http://www.webmd.com/children/guide/diarrhea-treatment#1
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 http://www.healthcommunities.com/diarrhea/children/treating-diarrhea-in-children.shtml
  3. ↑ https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000982.htm
  4. ↑ https://www.care.com/c/stories/4145/how-to-treat-diarrhea-in-toddlers/
  5. ↑ http://www.webmd.com/children/tc/diarrhea-age-11-and-younger-preparing-for-your-appointment
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000693.htm
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 http://www.webmd.com/children/tc/diarrhea-age-11-and-younger-home-treatment#1
  8. ↑ http://www.seattlechildrens.org/medical-conditions/symptom-index/diarrhea/
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