How Can Severe Diarrhea In A Child Be Treated?
My 1 year old daughter is having diarrhea for the past 2 days and the poop count of the 1st day was 6, second day was 10.. the quantity varies from little to heavy.. i consulted her pediatrician and he gave her 5 day probiotics course.. i have been giving probiotics since day 1 but the poop count increased on the second day.. the poop color varies from yellow to green.. not sure if it is mucousy as i dont know how mucus looks.. from today i have started her on taxim 3 ml as suggested by her doc.. till now she has passed stools 6 times.. few were watery n few were of paste consistncy.. she doesnt hav fever or vomiting.. is th diarrhea due to atomach virus or teething? Can babies get diarrhea while teething.. ? If it is stomach virus how long ll the diarhea persist? N if it is teething then how long? She is active and playful.. she has bad diaper rash.. n i have been using diaper rash cream n is a littl better.. wad food can be givn to make the diarhea better?
If the child is active and playful there is no reason to worry.
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for asking on HealthcareMagic.
I have gone carefully through your query and understand your concerns. Your child is suffering from diarrhea. The diarrhea is likely to be due to viral cause. It could be due to contaminated food or improper hand hygiene. The role of teething is only indirect. During teething children put anything and everything in their mouth and therefore could be susceptible to such diarrheal episodes. In such cases such an episode may last for 3-7 days. There is no restriction of types of food that can be given. However, it is advisable to restrict intake of milk and fruit juices.
The mainstay of treatment is ORS (oral rehydration solution). Unless the lost salts and fluids are replenished the child would become dehydrated. The urine output needs to be monitored. If the frequency comes down it indicates dehydration and calls for additional supplementation of fluids. But if the child is active and playful there is no reason to worry. However, if the child becomes lethargic you would need to take the child to a hospital without delay. The cause is self-limiting and does not need to be treated with antibiotics unless the stool is blood stained.
Give zinc supplements like Zinconia Syr 5 ml once daily for the next 10 days. You need not worry. It should gradually return back to normal. Also give curd or yogurt since it contains plenty of beneficial bacteria and should help. Alternatively you can give some probiotics like Enterogermina or the ones that you are giving. Continue to apply the cream for diaper rash. Try to keep the area clean and dry.
The loose stools may persist for 2-4 days before it resolves. Please be patient. Feel free to write back.
Regards
Complete the course of antibiotics since you have started it
Detailed Answer:
It is better to complete the course of Taxim since you have started the dose. Administering 6 ml should be absolutely fine and not a cause for concern.
At this age the frequency of passage of stool is not concerning even if it is ten times a day. The main concern is the hydration. All you need to do is to replenish the water and salts lost.
Probiotics simply replace the normal bacterial flora of the intestines that the antibiotics kill off.
Do not expect any improvement. Just go on with life is the child is otherwise active and playful.
Regards