How to stop infant diarrhea?

To feed Probiotics in any form like from foods or in powder forms like yogurt or kerif is helpful in Diarrhea, as per Dr. Heather Finlay-Morreale, University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Group(a pediatrician) Babies must be taken by a nurse or a formula, and that to more frequently.

• Continuity in nursing or feeding a formula
• It is helpful to feed on a frequent basis
• You can use probiotics on powder in the food form for older children

When to go to the doctor?

Reasons are mentioned to call a doctor, according to Dr. Finlay-Morreale, are:

• Dehydration
• Prolonged Diarrhea
• Persistent Vomiting
• If a baby is less than just 3 months
• Stool in white, black, tarry, or red color
• Blood Diarrhea
• A bigger volume of stools every day
• If you’re back from any international travel or camping

Symptoms of Diarrhea:

It can be said that a stool with a watery and loose appearance, more than 3 times in 24 hours. Normally, it recovers on its own. But it can lead to the serious problem, which is dehydration.

Poop of infant is naturally softer, babies who feed on formula have less runny poop than babies who are breastfed.

Keeping that in mind, the infant can get diarrhea as well. The symptoms of this are, a poop gets more watery, loose, and it can become more than a normal poopy diaper.

Symptoms of dehydration in children and infants:

The most serious concern that can cause due to Diarrhea is dehydration. It happens, that body tends to lose more water, when a poop is more watery than normal, and so one must keep an eye on its signs;

• Lack of tears
• Fast Heartbeat
• Weight Loss
• Lethargy
• Limpness
• Dry or sticky Mouth
• The Number of diapers is decreased
• Sunken Eyes
• Poor Skin Turgor

Foods used in the treatment of Diarrhea and dehydration:

If your child is consuming solid food, then try to give him normal food. Normally Doctor does not recommend minimizing the food to BRAT diet (Banana, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast). Give them more water, small water coolers available in market, which keeps water pure and healthy.

Below is the diet plan that can help your baby in its recovery:

• Pedialyte every 4-6 hours, which is an oral rehydration solution: It is a very vital step to follow. Avoid your baby from getting dehydrated. Consistently, breastfeed and give a formula. First, check how your baby is reacting to milk and then make a decision whether to temporarily stop the feeding or not. It is possible that nothing will stay in its stomach. Use Pedialyte, in case your baby refuses milk.
• Bland Foods: Try Banana, Applesauce, saltines, strained Squash, strained carrots, mashed potatoes if your baby eats solid food. You can also try toast, crackers, pretzels, bread, mashed potatoes, noodles, bananas, Rice Krispies, Cheerios, oatmeal, yogurt with active cultures.
• Milk Products: It is possible, that a baby can go lactose intolerant sometimes, so consulting your pediatrician is a must.
• No butter and oils.
• Avoid giving spicy foods and sauces until body the fully recovers from Diarrhea.

*Note: If any more doubts are there, please consult a doctor before giving any medication to your child.

Diarrhea treatment of baby at the hospital: Once, a baby got serious diarrhea which can last up to 3 days. Due to complete dehydration, a baby was directly taken to n emergency room. And his recovery happened when doctors started giving intravenous fluids, but the baby was there for 2 days.

It is truly bad to see that nurses check for the veins to insert as it is difficult to get the vein when a person is dehydrated. This article was written as a result of the experience to treat diarrhea.

Normal Causes of infant diarrhea:

• Celiac Disease.
• Teething.
• Due to changes in the mother’s diet, if the infant is breastfeeding.
• Inflammation like norovirus.
• Rotavirus. It spreads through hand contact with germs.
• Milk or other protein intolerance.
• Reaction to medicines.
• Bacterial infections from contaminated food or water.

Prevention from Diarrhea:

• Norovirus can occur in winter seasons. Wash your hands and child’s hands once you are back from any public places or every time before eating. Soap and water work best for norovirus more than a sanitizer.
• It is possible that diarrhea may spread through food, so it is better to wash and cook food thoroughly when meats and eggs are there.
• Keeping hygiene is important to keep your family away from diarrhea. After handling dirty diapers or vomit, thoroughly wash your hands with soap and warm water.
• To clean bathrooms and changing tables, use bleach wipes.

Do Antibiotics cause Diarrhea?

As per Finlay-Morreale, there are many ways through which diarrheas can cause. An antibiotic called “Amoxicillin-clavulanate can cause diarrhea in many people due to clavunate portion. Even gut flora can cause diarrhea. Other bacteria called c.difficile can increase with the following antibiotic use which can cause severe diarrhea.

What anti-diarrhea medicine will doctors prescribe?

Anti-diarrheal medication is not used for children as per Dr, Finlay-Morreale. Bismuth salicylate and loperamide, are common ones, but not advised for children. After confirming bacterial infection is confirmed by stool culture, an anti-biotic are recommended. Ondansetron can treat vomiting but can make diarrhea worse.