Diarrhea in children: causes, symptoms, how to deal with it

When children have more bowel movements than usual, parents should be more vigilant. This is done so that the child does not experience acute diarrhea. Moreover, children are more prone to experiencing this condition. What are the causes of diarrhea in children and how to deal with it? Check out the full explanation below!

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What is diarrhea in children?

Diarrhea in children is a condition when your little one experiences digestive disorders which results in frequent bowel movements than normal.

Therefore, parents need to be more alert because children often go back and forth to the bathroom. Not only that, the feces become softer and even runny.

Quoted from Hopkins Medicine, this condition may last for one to two days and can go away on its own.

If the diarrhea lasts more than two days, it is possible that he has a more serious problem.

There are two types of diarrhea that can be experienced by children, namely:

1. Short-term diarrhea (acute)

This is a type of diarrhea that lasts one to two days and can stop on its own.

It is possible that this condition occurs when the food or drink consumed is contaminated with bacteria.

2.Long-term (chronic) diarrhea

This type of diarrhea experienced by this one child can last for several weeks.

Therefore, it is possible that this could be due to other health problems such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or other intestinal diseases.

How common is this condition in children?

Diara in children is a digestive disorder that is quite common in children under the age of five.

Moreover, this condition can occur from time to time, as can diarrhea in babies.

Quoted from the American College of Gastroenterology, diarrhea in children that occurs in developing countries can cause serious problems such as malnutrition or malnutrition.

Signs and symptoms of diarrhea in children

The first sign or symptom that is often experienced by a child is when he feels abdominal pain and even feels cramps.

Then, the child will experience diarrhea or feces that are thinner than usual.

Not only that, there are also several other symptoms that can be felt by children, such as:

• Feeling the need to immediately go to the bathroom to remove feces
• Abdominal pain accompanied by bloating
• Pain in the rectum
• The child feels nauseous and wants to vomit
• Weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Fever
• Dehydration

When diarrhea occurs in children, it is possible that they are dehydrated. This condition can occur when there is less fluid intake during diarrhea

The following are signs of dehydration in children that can occur when diarrhea:

• Children so rarely urinate
• Dry lips and mouth
• Looks thirsty
• Limp
• eyes look cowong
• the skin tugor slows down
• Became more cranky than usual
• Decreased energy and easier sleepiness

In some cases, the symptoms or signs of diarrhea that your child is experiencing may look like other health problems.

You need to be more careful because severe diarrhea can be a sign of serious illness. Immediately take it to the doctor in order to get the right diagnosis.

Causes of diarrhea in children

It can be said that diarrhea is one of the most tiring health problems.

However, diarrhea in children is also the body's way of cleaning itself from germs and other bacteria.

Here are some of the most common causes of diarrhea in children:

1. Change in diet

Children can experience diarrhea because of changes in diet. For example, when the digestive system does not tolerate large amounts of juice, fruit, or even milk.

Moreover, packaged fruit juices contain sugar and carbohydrates which are difficult for the child's digestive tract to absorb.

Including when the child does not match the content of certain milk so that it makes their stomach become bloated and leads to diarrhea. There is nothing wrong with changing children's milk.

2. Infections of the digestive tract

Another cause of diarrhea in children is an infection in the digestive tract, namely the intestines. These infections are caused by viruses (most commonly), bacteria, and parasites.

Therefore, it is possible for children to experience diarrhea due to food poisoning.

Viral infection

Viral infections usually originate from rotavirus, causing watery diarrhea. This type of virus usually occurs in winter or rainy season.

Then, there is also the gastroenteritis virus that causes stomach flu in children. Not only diarrhea, children can also experience nausea and vomiting.

Several other viruses that cause diarrhea in children are enteroviruses.

Bacteria

Various types of bacteria that cause diarrhea in children include E. Coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter , and Shigella .

This type of bacteria is what makes children get food poisoning so they experience diarrhea.

Parasite

Infections from parasites that cause diarrhea usually originate from giardiasis and cryptosporidiosis.

3. Other causes

It has been explained a little above that diarrhea is a common thing in children.

However, there are several conditions that make diarrhea or loose stools a serious health problem, such as:

• Gastrointestinal problems, such as inflammatory bowel disease or intussusception
• Diseases that interfere with digestion (malabsorption) such as cystic fibrosis or celiac disease

Risk factors for diarrhea in children

As is well known, children can experience diarrhea when indigestion occurs.

As a parent, you also need to know that there are several other conditions that can increase a child's risk of experiencing diarrhea, such as:

• Travel out of town or abroad
• Swim in a pond or lake that is apparently polluted
• Dirty conditions of day care centers or schools
• Use of antibiotics

Diagnosis of diarrhea in children

The first thing the doctor will do is ask about symptoms, what is the child's medical history, and perform a physical examination.

If necessary, there is the possibility that he will also perform laboratory tests to check stool and blood.

This is done to find out what types of bacteria or viruses cause diarrhea in children.

Here are some questions your doctor may ask you:

• What was the last intake of food or drink?
• When did symptoms start and how often did you have a bowel movement?
• Is the diarrhea watery and appears blood?

Then, it is possible that the doctor will use a sigmoidoscopy to examine the inside of the child's large intestine.

This helps to find out the causes of diarrhea, abdominal pain, constipation, and bleeding.

How to treat and treat diarrhea in children?

Treatment that can be done when a child has diarrhea actually depends on their symptoms, age, and medical history. It also depends on how severe the child's health condition is.

Parents need to know that if it is caused by a virus, diarrhea can stop on its own.

If it is caused by bacteria, it is possible that you need pediatric diarrhea medicine such as antibiotics. Do not give diarrhea medicine like adults to solidify the stool.

Diarrhea in children may even get worse if you are not accompanied by the right way.

So, so that you don't take any wrong steps, here are some ways to overcome that you can do to relieve diarrhea in children at home:

1. Give drink plenty

Diarrhea in children usually makes him more fussy because of thirst. However, in some cases, severe diarrhea actually makes children lazy to drink.

Regardless of whether the child is thirsty or not, it is important to regularly give your little one drinking water if he has diarrhea.

Giving him lots of drinking water can overcome or prevent dehydration that often occurs in your little one when diarrhea.

Don't forget to pay attention to the cleanliness of drinking water for your little one. Make sure the drinking water comes from clean and boiled water so as not to increase the risk of bacterial contamination.

Then, also avoid giving juices to children. Although they contain water, vitamins and minerals, juices tend to trigger stomach upset which can worsen the child's condition.

2. Alternate water with ORS

Apart from plain water, giving ORS can be a fast way to deal with diarrhea in children over 6 months of age.

ORS is a drug to replace electrolyte levels and body fluids lost due to dehydration.

Available in the form of powder medicine which must be dissolved or in the form of a ready-to-drink liquid.

Children over 1 year old can be given as much as 100-200 milliliters. However, parents may need to spoon the solution a little into their mouth if they are not used to drinking from a glass by themselves.

ORS is able to restore body fluid levels within 8-12 hours after consumption.

You can buy it directly at a drugstore or pharmacy, you can also make this solution yourself as a way to treat diarrhea in children at home.

You simply mix two teaspoons of sugar and half a teaspoon of table salt in one glass of clean, boiled water.

If you are still unsure about the dosage of ORS in your child, don't hesitate to consult a doctor.

3. Give him small meals

Diarrhea in children can reduce appetite. However, he still has to eat to meet nutritional intake and recharge his energy so he doesn't feel weak.

You can outsmart by giving food in smaller portions, but often.

Giving direct food in large portions can actually trigger his stomach to become sicker.

So, instead of eating large portions of your little one 3 times a day, it's better to give him 6 calorie dense foods a day.

4. Choose foods that are easy to digest

If your child is getting used to eating solid food, you need to be more careful in choosing food for him.

Find out first what foods are good for children when diarrhea and which foods should be avoided when defecating.

Foods that are good for treating diarrhea in children are foods that are soft in texture, calorie dense, and easy to digest.

Meanwhile, avoid giving foods high in fiber. Foods high in fiber can make the child's stool soften so that the diarrhea gets worse.

Therefore, you should first avoid foods such as green vegetables and high-fiber fruits.

Also avoid foods that are high in fat and which are fried in oil because they are heavy on the intestines, which slows down the healing process.

Also pay attention to certain food choices if the child has allergies or intolerances. The reason is, foods that trigger the immune system to overreact can make diarrhea worse.

If you have done the above, but the child still has diarrhea, immediately consult a doctor. Usually doctors will prescribe zinc and probiotics for child digestion.

How to prevent diarrhea in children

Preventing diarrhea experienced by children may be quite difficult to do.

However, you can lower the odds by doing the following:

• Make sure children wash their hands regularly. Especially after getting out of the bathroom, before eating, and after playing.
• Keep the living room, bathroom, and children's room clean.
• Avoid drinking from less clean water.
• Avoid unprocessed milk to kill certain bacteria.