How to Deal With Your Infant's Acute Diarrhea

Acute diarrhea is medically termed 'gastroenteritis" and comprises a great percentage of infant and toddler acute infections. Diarrhea is an increase in the fluidity of the stool often accompanied by a passage frequency that is higher than normal.

Acute diarrhea is the consequence of inflammation caused by viral and bacterial invasion of the gut cells. Accordingly, digestion is hindered leading to detainment of undigested particles in the cavity of the gut. Bacteria would ferment these undigested food materials producing gases and fluids and this would manifest as bouts of diarrhea. Diarrhea can sometimes cause dehydration, which is an alarming sign that necessitates action.

Many micro-organisms are responsible for gastroenteritis. Viral causes include Enteroviruses, Rota virus, and other RNA viruses. Bacteria like Esherishia Coli, Typhoid Bacilli, Enterobacteria and Shigella are occasional causes of acute diarrhea. Protozoa and fungi are additional etiologies of this illness. Most of those pathogens are transmitted though droplet and feco-oral routes, rendering them preventable using proper hygiene.

If your child is losing fluid, you must encourage him/her to drink a lot. Avoid drinking excessive plain water, as it might disturb the body salt concentrations and this could be dangerous. Pediatricians recommend oral re-hydration solutions (ORS) as the optimum choice for oral fluid replacement during diarrhea. Fluid should be allowed as small sips every 5-10 minutes as this prevents vomiting which could complicate the process of re-hydration. Vomiting can precede, accompany or sometimes follows the occurrence of diarrhea. Persistent vomiting is an ominous sign that sure necessitates a visit to the doctor's office. Moreover, if your child has a persistent fever, or becomes sleepy and less reactive; medical consultation is indispensable.

Feeding during periods of acute diarrhea is a key factor in the success of treatment. Infants who are not weaned should continue to breast feed if they do. Sometimes it is better to shift to a lactose free formula as decided by the pediatrician. If the child is weaned, light foods with low fat content are encouraged. These include, vegetable soup, apples, boiled rice and fresh fruit juice.

Treatment of acute diarrhea is somehow conservative and symptomatic. Nevertheless, sometime antibiotics are indicated in proved cases of bacterial gastroenteritis. Zinc has recently been recommended as a useful supplement in cases of acute diarrhea. Zinc stimulates the healing of inflamed intestinal cells. Antiemetics, intestinal antiseptics and zinc are amongst the most commonly used drugs in gastroenteritis.

Acute diarrhea is a rather common infection in children. Careful assessment of your child's fluid losses and intake is vital in his treatment and is more important than most of the prescribed drugs. However, persistent vomiting and decreased alertness would surely need urgent medical consultation.