Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Treating Baby Diarrhea

Since children and babies have not yet acquired the ability to take care of themselves, having diarrhea is a critical condition for them. What parents should do is to keep them hydrated at all times to avoid dehydration, which can cause more complications. You should have gainful knowledge about the symptoms; causes and treatment for baby diarrhea so you won’t be like a headless chicken when the situation arises.

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. The stool may change depending on what the mother eats while breastfeeding the baby. Toddlers and children, who are into solid foods have firmer stool but this really depends on what they eat. All of these factors make it difficult to illustrate baby diarrhea. You should look at the bowel movement pattern of the child, occasional discharge is fine but if there is an increase in frequency, then it’s time check if the stool are watery than usual. If so, then it’s probably diarrhea.

Baby Diarrhea Causes

The usual suspects for baby diarrhea are bacterial, viral and parasitical. They enter the body via food and water, usually found in feeding bottles. The digestive tract is infected resulting to gastroenteritis. The body then defends itself by trying to rid itself of the bad bugs especially if it is a viral infection. This means there is no need for medications but always keep a balanced level of fluid and salts in the body.

Baby Diarrhea Treatment

If baby diarrhea is not treated properly, it can pose a serious problem. If the baby keep on passing watery stools, the chances of dehydration increases rapidly. This is why babies should be rehydrated as soon as possible. You can feed the baby with milk or formula if he or she has not yet gone into the vomiting stage. The doctor may give the baby pediatric electrolyte solution if the baby keeps on discharging watery stools. Children should not consume liquids containing sugar and make sure they have BRAT (Banana, rice, apples or applesauce, toast) in their diet.

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