It is common in children to suffer from diarrhea at some time. We will try to clarify some doubts about it, but as always we advise you, the most sensible thing is to go to the doctor.
The diarrhea It is the increase in frequency and fluidity of bowel movements in a previously healthy child. We can say that there is a diarrhea, when the frequency of bowel movement is more than three times a day for more than three days. You can say they exist two classes of diarrhea
The sharp It is the most common and is usually cured with diet, it does not last more than a week or two (whenever it is treated) and is not accompanied by other symptoms that suggest another type of disease. The most frequent causes of this type of diarrhea, are due to an infectious process caused by the ingestion of contaminated food and water or in poor condition, it is also common to be caused by viral gastroenteritis or stomach flu.
The chronic diarrhea, is one that lasts more than four weeks and is accompanied by other symptoms such as abdominal pain, weight loss, nausea, vomiting or fever. The most common causes They are the continued use of laxatives, antacids, medications and toxins. It also occurs due to malabsortive diseases (celiac disease), intestinal tumors, food allergies, enteric infections, inflammatory bowel diseases, vascular diseases and intestinal motility disorders.
In the Acute diarrhea which is the most common, it is very important to control the feeding, having to continue diet and of course drink much liquid to rehydrate the child. The objective is to reduce the duration and discomfort of it.
The first thing we should do is a homemade serum with mineral water, lemon, salt, a little sugar and a little tip of baking soda. This preparation can be taken by children as often as possible, to avoid dehydration. It is not convenient for them to eat anything for a few hours, but if they are very hungry we can give them bland diet in small quantity but frequently.
The bland diet It includes boiled rice, grilled fish or chicken or if you can, better cooked, ham, defrosted broths and as fruits only apple and banana, when they improve we will gradually include the normal feeding of the child.
When they have diarrhea we must take into account that there are Forbidden foodWe must avoid vegetable fiber, milk, stews, fried foods, sausages, fats and fruit juices.
However, when children are young, it is best to go to the pediatrician or doctor and as a general rule, it is not advisable to use antidiarrheal drugs without the indication of specialists as they can complicate the evolution of diarrhea.
