Sunday, November 6, 2011

A Guide To Diarrhea In Toddlers

By Steve Alvarado


Different infections, food intolerances as well as other illnesses can cause diarrhea in toddlers. This condition can be extremely worrying for parents as the possibility of dehydration is extremely high in small children. It is a very dangerous consequence and immediate steps must be taken to avoid this happening.

To determine if your toddler is suffering from diarrhea, they would need to pass watery, loose, unformed stools more than 3 times in one day. The frequent passing of normal formed stools or the occasional loose stool does not qualify as diarrhea.

There could be several reasons why this condition is present. If your child is suffering from a viral, bacterial or parasitic infection, they may be prone to this condition. Food intolerances and some illnesses could also cause the condition. Viral gastroenteritis, or stomach flu as it is also known, can cause this condition.

There are foods like milk and dairy products that could be the cause of the problem. A child who is lactose intolerant and who eats these foods may get diarrhea. Sorbitol, a difficult to digest complex sugar which is found in pear, cherry and apple juice could cause this condition. It is advisable to offer your child grape juice instead.

It is important to prevent dehydration if your toddler is suffering from diarrhea. Lost fluids and electrolytes must be replaced. The most effective way of doing this is to give your child special fluids. These can be purchased over the counter, without prescription. The oral rehydration therapy will not stop the condition.

If the diarrhea in toddlers has continued beyond 24 hours, you should seek medical advice. It is also important to take your toddler to your doctor if there has been repeated vomiting as well as watery stools. If their stools contain blood, pus or mucus, you should immediately take your child to his/her health-care provider. Children with temperatures that are above 101.4 degrees F should see a doctor. In the case that there are signs of dehydration like dry tongue or mouth, listlessness, irritability, or frequent crying, you should visit your medical practitioner.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment