Diarrhea and Your Child

One of the most common problems of infants and early childhood is diarrhea. This affliction is often caused by gastrointestinal infections. Diarrhea features loose, watery bowels and can be caused by viruses, bacteria infections, and even parasites. Probably your child will display various symptoms. Starting with cramps and abdominal pain with diarrhea following. It can last for a few days or a few weeks.

If your child experiences two weeks of diarrhea, this could be severe diarrhea. Babies with this often begin to lose weight and stop growing. They many not show any other symptoms but severe diarrhea is a real problem because it can lead to severe dehydration, especially in infants and small children.

Most diarrheas are usually caused by infections, but could be associated with parasites, bacteria, and viruses or even by toxic material in the system. If that is the case, other symptoms also go with chronic diarrhea, fever, nausea, vomiting, and weight loss.

If you find blood in your child’s stool, that is a serious infection that is causing damage to the lining of the bowel.

Rotavirus is a common virus in American children. Commonly found in children during the winter and early spring months, it can be found on play items and toys. These germs can live for long periods on these items and day care centers, preschool, and children’s hospitals are especially vulnerable. One way to rid your toys of this virus is to often and thoroughly spray with a disinfectant. It only takes a few minutes but is important to the health of your children and the children you care for. Frequent hand washing can reduce rapid outbreaks in these environments. Caregivers should set good examples, by washing hands after sneezing, coughing, or blowing their nose. If hand washing that often isn’t practical in that environment, you can substitute antibacterial waterless hand wash. Children should wash their hands before they eat and after using the toilet. Dirty hands carry infectious germs and carry infections to all areas of the body. The child could bite their nails, put any part of their hands or fingers in their mouth after they have touched an item that has active bacteria.

With frequent and thorough washing of their hands, another way to avoid infections that cause diarrhea is to keep all bathroom surfaces clean. Use a good disinfectant and if there is someone already sick in your household, it could help someone else from getting diarrhea.

Avoid infectious germs and bacteria by washing all fruits and vegetable before they are eaten. Keeping your kitchen counters and cooking utensils clean, especially after working with raw meat and poultry is another good precaution. Always refrigerate meat as soon as you get home from the grocery store. Cook them thoroughly and refrigerated leftovers immediately.

Diarrhea is infectious and can spread throughout the family or child’s environment by dirty hands, or by touching something that has the active bacteria alive and well on it. Again, frequent hand washing will help keep the infection from spreading.

Children and infants who have been exposed to a germ that causes diarrhea will start to show symptoms in as little as four hours or as long as seventy-two hours. The length of the symptoms will vary depending on what type of virus or bacteria it’s being caused from. Normally your child will recover after a few days. The child should rest and drink plenty of fluids. If the child is young or has a compromised immune system, antibiotics may be given to keep any infection from spreading to other parts of the body.

When is diarrhea serious enough to warrant a trip to the doctor or emergency room? If the child’s diarrhea has lasted for a longtime, if accompanied by fever, vomiting or severe pain in the abdomen or if you notice blood in the child’s stool. It’s especially important to control dehydration. Signs to look for: dry lips and tongue, sunken eyes, listlessness, and especially a decrease in urination. For an infant if they have fewer than six wet diapers a day that would be a cause for concern and a visit to the doctor would be called for.