Most diarrhea in children
is short-lived, caused by a virus and goes away on its
own. Both adult and baby diarrhea are frequent and watery
bowel movements. Babies with diarrhea can dehydrate
quickly so they should be watched carefully particularly
under the age of 3 months. Infant diarrhea can be dangerous
because it drains water and salts from the baby. The
signs of dehydration are:
Mild – slightly dry mouth, less wet diapers,
less active, more irritable.
Moderate – sunken looking eyes, lethargic, dry
skin (not springy)
Severe – sunken soft spot on top of the head;
no urine for 6 hours; when skin is pinched between
fingers, it does not spring back; very lethargic or
even unconscious.
If your child has diarrhea, it is most important
to give your baby enough liquids. Continue to give
your baby breast milk or formula. Yoghurt contains
bacteria that are good for digestion so this can be
given to older babies. Oatmeal mixed with a little
breast milk or formula also helps to control diarrhea.
However, if your baby cannot keep anything down then
you need to contact your doctor who will probably
prescribe a pediatric electrolyte solution or an oral
rehydration solution (this is an exact mixture of
water, salts and sugar and is available from drugstores
in ready-to-serve preparations, frozen pops and powders).
Apart from a virus, other causes of diarrhea in babies
can be an allergy, a bacterial infection, a change
of diet (or a change of diet in mother if she is breast
feeding), medication or a number of rare diseases.
It is normal in newborn babies for them to have up
to 12 small bowel movements per day that reduce to
about 1 per day by 3 months. A sudden increase in
the frequency of a baby’s bowel movements combined
with its water content can mean diarrhea.
You should call your doctor if any of the following
apply in the case of your baby:
Diarrhea in a newborn baby
Bloody or black stools
Still vomiting after 4-6 hours
A fever higher than 38.5 degrees C or 101.5 degrees
F
Signs of dehydration
Diarrhea germs are easily spread from person to person
and especially from child to child. This spread can
be reduced if parents and children all wash their
hands carefully after every diaper change and after
using the toilet and before preparing and eating food.
