Diarrhea in a child: causes, consequences and methods of treating diarrhea

Diarrhea in infants: causes and treatment methods

Diarrhea (diarrhea)

- This is an increase in stool frequency and a change in its consistency.

The frequency and nature of stool depends on the age of the child, the type of feeding (breastfeeding, mixed, artificial) and its individual characteristics (Table 1).

So, in breastfed children, the stool in the first six months (before the introduction of complementary foods) is usually homogeneous, mushy, yellowish in color, up to 5-7 times a day. This is the norm. An increase in frequency up to 10 times or more, complete absorption of stool into the diaper - manifestations of diarrhea.

With the introduction of formula and complementary feeding products, stools become less frequent and thicker, and change in color and smell. Bowel movements more than three times a day and a change in consistency to liquid or watery are signs of diarrhea.

Table 1. Stool frequency in young children

According to the Bristol Stool Form Scale, stool types 5-7 are manifestations of diarrhea and indicate an increase in the speed of passage of the bolus of food through the gastrointestinal tract.

Why does my baby have green stool?

With the arrival of a child in the family, parents have many concerns and reasons for concern: even the color of the baby’s stool does not always meet expectations and raises many questions. Is it normal for a child to have green stool or is there still cause for concern? Let's figure it out together.

What should a chair look like?

Stool is usually brown because it contains bile (a brownish-green fluid produced by the liver). Brown stools usually mean that the liver and pancreas are working normally and producing enough bile for digestion.

Why then can the stool be green?

A common cause is certain foods that are fed to the baby, such as leafy greens. Sometimes it can also be associated with diarrhea or bacterial infections. In general, the reasons for green stool in children can be different - it depends on various factors, including the age of the child.

Nutrition

The main reason why a baby's stool turns green is nutrition. Products containing chlorophyll are found in all green plants and can turn your stool green. Artificial food coloring gives the same effect.

Foods that cause your baby's stool to turn green:

- leafy greens (spinach, kale, lettuce, etc.) - candies, cakes and other sweets with artificial green coloring - dietary supplements containing iron.

Diarrhea

This is a common culprit for changes in stool color. With diarrhea, the water and electrolyte content in the intestines changes, and because stool moves through the digestive system faster than usual, this often causes it to turn green.

Some common causes of diarrhea in children: - norovirus - rotavirus - bacterial infections such as salmonella - certain medications such as antibiotics - caffeine - food poisoning.

Chronic diarrhea in a child may signal inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome, food allergies, hyperthyroidism and other disorders.

Green stool itself is normal in infants, but if it is accompanied by diarrhea, this is very dangerous for the child. Worldwide, diarrhea is the second leading cause of death in children under 5 years of age, as it can lead to a dangerous condition called dehydration.

Green stool in babies

Green stool is normal in infants and children under 1 year of age.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP):

- Breastfed babies usually have mustard-yellow stools. It can also come in various shades of green. The color of the stool may change with changes in the mother's diet. - in babies who are fed artificial formula, the stool is brown or yellow with a green tint. Sometimes the stool appears greener than usual.

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Green stool in older children

When children begin to eat complementary foods, food becomes a more common culprit for green stools. Parents should not worry about the green color of his stool if the child is healthy and there are no other reasons for concern.

You need to see a doctor if:

- the child’s stool is discolored, almost white - this may mean that there are problems with the liver, gall bladder or pancreas. - The stool is very dark. This is normal for newborns who are just a few days old. But in older children, very dark stools can be a sign of gastrointestinal bleeding. - the child has diarrhea and has any of the following symptoms:

• signs of dehydration
• vomiting for longer than one day
• temperature above 38 °C
• the child refuses to eat.

Attention! If you notice blood in your child's stool, he needs emergency medical attention! So, green stool is a normal option, especially for young children. Therefore, if the child feels well (eats, sleeps, gains weight, etc.) there is no reason to worry! And be healthy!

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What can cause diarrhea in a baby?

The main causes can be divided into two large groups: infectious and non-infectious.

Viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa can cause infectious diarrhea.

Food allergies (FAM), intolerance to food components (lactose), taking antibiotics, pancreatic diseases, as well as congenital diseases can cause non-infectious diarrhea.

Why is diarrhea dangerous?

Acute watery diarrhea is accompanied by a large loss of fluid and electrolytes. This leads to the development of dehydration (dehydration). Symptoms are shown in Table 2.

Table 2. Dehydration scale

The degree of dehydration is assessed by the sum of points:

What should you do if your baby has diarrhea?

Non-drug therapy

consists of three points.

1. Restoring water and electrolyte losses
2. Diet therapy
3. Probiotics with proven effectiveness

Rehydration therapy
is the use of specialized solutions. It is not just the liquid (water) that is important, but its combination with important components, as in blood plasma.

Usually these are dry powders for preparing solutions.
Diet therapy
consists of reducing the load on the digestive system. This is especially true for milk sugar (lactose) and cow's milk protein. Therefore, it is necessary (temporarily) to exclude any products containing animal milk (cows, goats, mares, etc.).

Breastfeeding must be continued! To reduce the risk of developing lactase deficiency, it is possible to use lactase enzyme preparations in consultation with the treating pediatrician.

It is preferable to replace the regular mixture with a lactose-free one, for example, Nutrilak Premium Lactose-Free, but not completely, but partially (1/3 - 1/2 of the main volume). It is possible to completely switch to a medicinal mixture for the acute period, as prescribed by a doctor.

If there are manifestations of allergy to cow's milk proteins, then the prescription of deeply hydrolyzed Nutrilak Peptide MCT or Nutrilak Premium Soya mixture, which does not contain lactose and BCM, is justified.

Probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LGG)® and Saccharomyces boulardii.

Only these two types of microorganisms are highly effective in the treatment of infectious and antibiotic-associated diarrhea. At an early age, only the first one can be used. It is especially convenient when baby food is enriched with probiotics. This saves time and does not require a separate dose of the drug with calculation of time, frequency and effort.

What to pay attention to

If diarrhea lasts (more than two weeks) and repeated episodes occur, you should consult a specialist to rule out hereditary diseases and chronic pathology of the gastrointestinal tract.

Recovery period

Intestinal infections deal a big blow to a child’s gastrointestinal tract, so normalizing stool is not a reason to relax and abruptly return to a normal diet or stop taking lactase without the doctor’s permission.

In dishes, preference should be given to cereal products (porridge, pasta) and meat. It is advisable to heat-process vegetables and fruits. It is better to exclude dairy products or replace them with fermented milk. They contain probiotics and their metabolites, which have a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract. In children under one year old, the usual formula can be partially or even completely replaced with a specialized one, for example, Nutrilak Premium Fermented Milk. It helps facilitate digestion, regular bowel movements and maintain microbiota balance.

Treatment of green diarrhea

When the test results have been received and the diagnosis has been established, the attending pediatrician prescribes the necessary treatment.

Drugs

As noted above, first of all, the child is given saline solutions, then drugs to remove toxins. If you have a high temperature, you should take medications that contain paracetamol. For fever and diarrhea in a child under one year old, suppositories are used, for older children - suspensions.

They may prescribe symptomatic tablets for diarrhea - Imodium, Calcium Carbonate, Diarol. In case of dysbacteriosis, drugs are prescribed to normalize the intestinal microflora - Acipol, Lactobacterin, Bifikol, etc.

They also take antibiotics to treat the cause of diarrhea - Nevigramon, Negram, Ceftazidime, Kanamycin sulfate. For enzyme therapy, Festal, Pancreatin, Mezim forte, Panzinorm forte are prescribed.

Diet

Babies under 6 months can be safely fed breast milk, except in cases where diarrhea is associated with lactose intolerance (then the doctor prescribes a special lactose-free or hydrolyzed formula).

A child from 6 months to a year can be given the following products:

• fruit puree (apple and banana);
• mashed boiled potatoes;
• wheat or oatmeal porridge;
• carrot or beet puree;
• white rice porridge.

Young children are given fruit after thoroughly washing it and removing the skin and seeds.

Children from one to three years old are recommended to eat:

• bananas;
• meat broths;
• boiled rice;
• applesauce;
• boiled chicken;
• fresh vegetables;
• potatoes (boiled or baked).

Children from three years old can use all of the above, and also add:

• pasta;
• baked or boiled lean meat;
• boiled eggs;
• grain crops;
• mushrooms;
• yoghurts;
• products made from white flour.

With diarrhea, the child loses a large amount of sodium, which must be replenished. Add a little salt to your baby's food (no more than 2 g).

If you have diarrhea, you should not eat fried foods, spices, sweets and foods with a lot of insoluble fiber.

When the child’s condition normalizes, regular foods are gradually introduced without overloading the digestive system.

Folk remedies

If green diarrhea in a child is not caused by dangerous infections, then treatment with proven folk recipes is acceptable. Among the many recipes are the following:

• Thin, watery fresh carrot puree.
• Infusion of dried pomegranate peel.
• Tea – chamomile, mint.
• Rice water.
• Collections of medicinal herbs that have anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and astringent effects. These include blueberries, peppermint, chamomile, immortelle, bird cherry, alder, sage and cinquefoil.
• A decoction of dried pear fruits.
• Dried films of chicken stomachs.
• A solution to prevent dehydration - add 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon of soda and salt per liter of water. For severe diarrhea, give 2 teaspoons every 10-15 minutes.
• Starch solution - add one teaspoon of starch to half a glass of cold water. You can also cook various jelly.
• Rice porridge without salt.