Signs and characteristics of diarrhea in infants that parents should be aware of

Diarrhea is one of the most common digestive disorders. Even so, diarrhea in infants must be quickly recognized and handled swiftly. The problem of bowel movements can be a danger because babies are very susceptible to dehydration and it can be fatal for them. So, parents need to know the various signs and characteristics of babies who have diarrhea so that they can get treatment quickly.

Characteristics of babies with common diarrhea are shown

Each baby may show different characteristics when they have diarrhea or loose stools.

Quoted from Kids Health, the initial characteristics that usually occur are babies experiencing pain to cramps in the stomach to watery bowel movements.

This happens because the causes of diarrhea in babies are viruses, bacteria, parasites, or food poisoning.

Knowing the signs will help you deal with this indigestion more precisely.

The following are signs and characteristics of babies when diarrhea that may occur:

1. Urinate more than usual

One of the most characteristic signs of diarrhea in infants is bowel movements that are more frequent than usual.

According to Seattle's Children's Hospital, the normal frequency of bowel movements for babies who consume breast milk is 6 times a day.

Meanwhile, formula-fed babies will defecate up to 8 times a day in the first week.

Newborn babies tend to have frequent bowel movements. However, if the frequency exceeds the normal limits mentioned above, this indicates a characteristic or sign of a baby when diarrhea.

What about the bowel pattern of babies who are older? Entering the age of 2 months, the frequency of defecation in babies generally decreases.

Babies 2 months of age and older who are breastfed will normally pass urine 3 times a day. Babies who are fed formula milk normally urinate 1-2 times a day.

Again, if you observe your baby's bowel habits more frequently than normal, chances are that he has diarrhea.

2. Watery and foul-smelling stools

Apart from having more frequent bowel movements, another characteristic of babies during diarrhea that parents need to pay attention to is how the baby's stool looks.

The stool from a healthy baby who is breastfed looks soft and yellowish in color. Meanwhile, the form of stool for babies who drink formula milk is denser and brownish in color.

If you notice that both the shape and color of the baby's stool changes drastically, this could be a sign that he has diarrhea.

Diarrhea stools generally will be more liquid with a more pungent odor. Sometimes, diarrhea can also make the baby pass slimy stools.

3. Fever

As explained a little above, the cause of diarrhea in infants is usually due to bacterial, viral and parasitic infections.

This infection occurs because babies tend to have the habit of putting dirty hands or toys in their mouths.

After the hand goes into the mouth, germs can infect the digestive tract.

Well, fever is one of the signs that the baby shows that his body's immune system is fighting an infection that causes diarrhea.

Not all fever in children should be lowered. However, an increase in body temperature higher than 38.9–40 ℃ can increase the child's risk of developing dehydration.

4. Baby's stomach sounds loud

One of the characteristics of babies when they have diarrhea that you can quickly recognize is the sound of their stomach. In normal conditions, healthy babies sometimes make a roar from their stomach.

The sound of a baby's stomach is a normal reaction that results from intestinal contractions while digesting food.

However, stomach noises that sound irregular and are louder or louder than usual can be a sign that your baby is having diarrhea. This condition occurs due to an infected baby's intestine.

Other digestive problems that can be experienced by babies are having a hard stomach due to bloating, to nausea and vomiting.

You may also find that your little one has no appetite when he has diarrhea.

5. Fussy

The baby has not been able to communicate clearly with you. He can only cry when he feels uncomfortable. So even when your little one has diarrhea.

However, listen carefully to what the pattern of the crying looks like. The sound of a baby crying because of hunger or sleepiness will be very different from that of a baby crying out of pain.

The baby may be in pain if he suddenly cries out loud. On the other hand, a baby who is sick may also cry softly in a weak voice due to lack of energy.

In general, if he looks weak and is very or more fussy than usual, this could be a sign or sign that the baby is having diarrhea.

So, those are five common characteristics that babies show when they have diarrhea. However, not all babies who have diarrhea will show the same signs.

There may also be other signs not mentioned above according to your health condition.

Moreover, there are also features or signs of diarrhea that may look like other health problems. If you feel unsure, you should immediately take it to a doctor for further examination.

Characteristics of a baby experiencing dehydration when diarrhea

Apart from some of the signs of infant diarrhea that are shown, parents must quickly provide first aid when a child has diarrhea so that the condition does not get worse.

Diarrhea that continues without treatment can result in dehydration.

Do not underestimate dehydration in children and babies because this condition can be fatal for him.

Be aware of the following characteristics of dehydration in infants with diarrhea:

1. Urine decreases and changes

When a baby with diarrhea has become dehydrated, the first warning sign you can see is the appearance of urine.

Dehydration will make the urine pass small and dark yellow or dark.

This change in urine color occurs because of the back and forth of bowel movements and fever due to diarrhea, which makes the baby tend to lose a lot of body fluids.

2. Dry lips and sunken eyes

Dehydration makes body fluids less so that the characteristics of a baby's skin during diarrhea may look drier.

You can confirm the condition of the skin by gently pinching the skin of the child's stomach and holding it for 30 seconds.

Healthy baby skin should feel supple and bounce back after pinching in less than 1 second.

If the new skin returns to its normal condition in 5-10 seconds or even more than 10 seconds, it means that the baby is quite severely dehydrated.

You can also check this by touching the crown of the baby's head. If after touching the surface of the skin it curls down and returns for a long time, this is a sign that the baby's skin is bad due to dehydration.

In addition to drying out your baby's skin, dehydration also makes her lips look dry and chapped.

Moderate to severe dehydration can also make your baby's eyes look haggard and sunken (celong).

3. The baby looks weak

Characteristics or signs of a baby when diarrhea has not reached the dehydration stage if he still looks active and cheerful even though he continues to defecate back and forth.

Your little one is also not dehydrated if he still asks to drink white as usual, and his eyes are not sunken (celong).

However, when the baby becomes more passive and continues to cry, this may indicate that he has diarrhea.

The characteristics and signs of diarrhea in babies that must be checked by a doctor immediately

Diarrhea in babies must be treated promptly so that the condition does not get worse.

Moreover, babies' immune systems are not as mature as adults, so they are more prone to falling ill with more severe symptoms.

In addition to providing first aid and diarrhea medication for infants, immediately take them to the doctor if they show the following characteristics of a baby with diarrhea:

• Diarrhea occurring for more than three days or repeated bowel movements
• Vomiting repeatedly but unwilling or unable to drink fluids other than breast milk
• Stool that comes out mixed with blood

Even though it shows the characteristics of a baby when having diarrhea, parents are expected not to stop breastfeeding or formula milk because these are foods that they can digest.

Meanwhile, in babies who are older or over 6 months, there are other things you can do.

Diarrhea can be relieved by giving more plain water alternated with ORS solution to prevent dehydration and other complications of diarrhea.

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