Acute diarrhea is the most common infectious disease seen mostly in children aged 0-5 years. It is an inflammation of the stomach and intestines. Especially those caused by viruses will correct themselves. Diarrhea is transmitted by eating food contaminated with the causative agent, drinking water, and putting dirty hands in the mouth. While the amount and liquid content of stool is high in diarrhea originating from the small intestine, the amount of fluid is less in diarrhea originating from the large intestine. Diarrhea in children is usually accompanied by vomiting. . In a child with diarrhea and vomiting, there is inflammation in the mucous membrane lining the inner surface of the stomach and intestines due to bacteria, parasites or viruses that cause infection. Diarrhea, especially caused by viruses, resolves on its own.
What Causes Diarrhea?
Diarrhea is transmitted by eating food contaminated with the causative agent, drinking water and putting dirty hands in the mouth.
Microbes that cause diarrhea live in nature in water contaminated with human and animal feces.
- Nausea,
- vomiting,
- abdominal pain,
- high fever,
- anorexia,
- It is weakness.
In diarrhea where fluid and salt loss is not excessive, fluid and salt loss due to oral diarrhea is replaced. There is no need for hospitalization or vascular access for these cases.
Symptoms of water loss in the body:
ยทย dryness of lips and mouth, inclination to sleep, collapse in eyeballs, acceleration in pulse rate, decreased amount of urine.
While replacing fluid in the treatment, attention is also paid to the diet of the child. The child is fed with fat-free and pulp-free foods until the diarrhea subsides.
In severe diarrhea cases where oral fluid and salt loss cannot be replaced, hospitalization is made for intravenous fluid and electrolyte treatment. protects from infections. If diarrhea develops in the case of breastfeeding, the baby should continue to be breastfed or even breastfed more frequently.
If the baby is fed with formula, the water for preparing the formula should be boiled, and the bottles and pacifiers should be sterilized.
Care Tips for the Child with Diarrhea
Care is very important during diarrhea, especially in young children and infants. Small children and babies should be closely monitored and fed, as they cannot meet their fluid needs adequately and fluid-electrolyte deficiency will quickly turn into unconsciousness. For this purpose:
- For infants (< 2 years old) 50-100 ml ( half-1 tea glass)
- > 100-200 ml (half-1 cup) of water should be given to children aged 2 years.
- In children or babies with diarrhea and vomiting, the liquid should be replaced in the form of 1 spoon or sip every few minutes.
- The feeding of children and babies with diarrhea and vomiting should not be interrupted. The amount of food to be taken at the meal should be reduced and the number of meals during the day should be increased. Thus, the total amount of nutrients
- For diarrhea, yoghurt, ayran, grilled fish, well-cooked meat and meat products, potatoes, bananas and freshly prepared fruit juices are recommended.
- Even if the rate of diarrhea slows down, the amount of nutrients in meals should not be increased. Finger-like protrusions (villi) that play a role in nutrient absorption in the intestine are shed with diarrhea. In order for these structures to recover and become functional, a period of 2 weeks should be allowed, then the old feeding frequency and amount of meals should be returned.
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