Diarrhea in a child: causes, treatment and what to do at home. Diarrhea, diarrhea in a one-year-old child, causes and treatment. A 1-year-old child has severe diarrhea.

Babies' stools look different from those of an adult. Therefore, we can talk about diarrhea not so much based on the results of observing its consistency, but rather based on the results of counting the number of bowel movements and the presence of impurities in the stool. in children under one year old it can be physiological and pathological (a consequence of gastrointestinal diseases, penetration of bacteria and viruses into the intestines).

Diarrhea is frequent, repeated loose stools.

While a person is in this state, he does not fully absorb the incoming nutrients and fluid. Therefore, dehydration may result. This is dangerous for adults, and for small infants it is deadly.

The video will tell you about diarrhea in a child:

Diagnosis of diarrhea in infants

Diarrhea does not always affect the child’s well-being.

The main signal of the onset of diarrhea is increased frequency. Each age group has its own norms.

Knowing them, you can orient yourself in time and begin to fight the pathological condition without delay.

  • . Diarrhea is most difficult to diagnose in very young children. They can normally defecate after each feeding. Therefore, the number of bowel movements is sometimes 10 times. Stool at this age is completely liquid, so you can’t rely on consistency either. The stool should be liquid. This feature is associated with the consumption of exclusively liquid foods. Usually people start talking about diarrhea when signs of dehydration are already visible. Careful observation of the stool gives a good result. If deviations from the usual condition are detected, you should consult your local pediatrician.
  • One-year-old children normally have already formed feces. Therefore, it is easier to understand that diarrhea has begun. Signals of the onset of pathology are unformed and the number of bowel movements exceeding 5 times a day.
  • Children 2–3 years old go to the toilet generally no more than 2 times a day. they have it decorated. If the stool becomes liquefied and bowel movements become frequent (more than 4 times a day), diarrhea is said to have begun.

Causes of diarrhea

Diarrhea is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection.

Diarrhea in young children can appear out of the blue. There are many reasons for the development of this condition:

  1. Eating unwanted foods most often leads to diarrhea. This also applies to mothers. If the baby is on, even the most minor liberties of the mother in food lead to loose stools in her baby.
  2. The introduction of complementary foods is a crucial moment. Exceeding the norm of vegetables and fruits entering the body always ends in diarrhea in the child. Moreover, each baby has its own norm, so complementary foods are introduced in small portions, increasing them very slowly.
  3. Medicines often provoke loose stools. Antacids, anti-inflammatory laxatives, and bile acid preparations can lead to undesirable liquefaction of stool in infants.
  4. Diarrhea is often caused by an intestinal infection that has entered the body. One-year-old children are admitted to infectious diseases hospitals with a diagnosis of salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis, and rotavirus infection.
  5. The main causative agents of these pathologies are viruses and fungi.
  6. Lack of enzymes.
  7. Biliary dyskinesia.
  8. Excessive anxiety, being in a nervous environment.
  9. Moving to another climate zone.
  10. Impaired functioning of organs.
  11. Often parents attribute all problems with the baby to teething. Indeed, when teething, diarrhea may begin. But it shouldn’t be strong, the condition should normalize in a couple of days.

There are several classifications of diarrhea. One of them is based on the features of development mechanisms:

  • Hyperosmolar. Develops in the absence of normal absorption of water in.
  • Hyperkinetic. The reason for this diarrhea is the acceleration of intestinal motility.
  • Exudative. It is caused by inflammation of the intestinal wall.
  • Secretory. Possible when excess water appears in the intestines due to malfunctions of related organs.

There is a classification that is based on the causes of diarrhea:

  1. Infectious diarrhea.
  2. Dyspeptic.
  3. Toxic.
  4. Nutritional.
  5. Neurogenic.
  6. Functional diarrhea has nothing to do with the functioning of the digestive system.

The duration of the pathology is also the basis for classification:

  • Spicy. This form bothers you for up to 2 weeks.
  • . We can talk about this form if diarrhea lasts from 3 weeks.

Signs of diarrhea

Disorder as a cause of crying in babies.

The main symptom of diarrhea is frequent stools that have a watery consistency. In addition to this, there are other signs that are almost always present.

  1. discomfort in the lower part;
  2. flatulence;
  3. loud rumbling;
  4. false urges.

If diarrhea began due to bacteria or viruses entering the body, its manifestations are more pronounced. To the symptoms listed above are added impurities, greens, blood in the stool, and fragments of food that have not been digested.

Almost always, nausea occurs. Diarrhea with fever may also appear during teething. Only then the temperature is not very high, and the total duration of deterioration does not exceed 2 days.

If there is no fever, and the child is only worried about diarrhea and nausea, most likely it is ordinary food poisoning. This condition is possible with dysbacteriosis, pancreatitis, biliary dyskinesia. Sometimes it manifests itself like this. Prolonged diarrhea always leads to dehydration; this is a very dangerous condition; outwardly it manifests itself as follows:

  • dry mouth, lips;
  • desire to drink;
  • , drowsiness;
  • rapid breathing;
  • sunken eyes;
  • flaccid skin;
  • lack of urination;
  • the baby cries without tears.

Parents should monitor the baby’s condition and immediately seek medical help if any of the signs listed below appear:

  1. Diarrhea began in a baby who is not yet a year old.
  2. Signs of dehydration were noted.
  3. The stool is black, green, and impurities are visualized.
  4. With diarrhea, the temperature is above 38°.
  5. Diarrhea is accompanied by severe pain.
  6. Diarrhea lasts more than 3 days.
  7. Diarrhea began after using medications.

Complications after diarrhea

Diarrhea is a dangerous condition that can cause several complications:

  • Loss of fluid. Dehydration develops quickly in infants.
  • Loss of salts. This condition is dangerous due to the development of seizures.
  • Nutrients are not absorbed, so signs of a lack of other important elements appear.
  • Intestinal pathologies develop, including rectal prolapse.

Identifying the cause of diarrhea

To normalize the condition of a child suffering from diarrhea, it is necessary to identify the cause of its development. This is done using several diagnostic methods.

  1. Inspection, identification of complaints.
  2. Stool examinations.
  3. To understand the level of intestinal motility, contrast radiography is done with barium sulfate, and a carbolene test can be performed.

Treatment options

Enterosgel - will remove toxins from the body.

Diarrhea is considered a very dangerous condition in one-year-old children. The biggest difficulty is the loss of liquid and salts.

To exclude unfavorable developments, it is necessary to immediately take measures to replenish lost fluid.

Today, you can purchase effective medications in the pharmacy chain to avoid dehydration. Medicinal solutions are prepared from the following agents:

  • Citroglucosolan.
  • Glucosolan.

These are powders packaged in sachets. They should be opened and the solution prepared in accordance with the instructions in. The resulting solution is given to the baby little by little throughout the day. The simplest recipe for preparing a rehydration solution has been known for a long time.

For a liter of water take salt, soda, sugar. Proportions: 1 tsp. / half a teaspoon / tsp. If the baby is breastfed, he is put to the breast as often as possible. During this period, the mother must strictly monitor her milk so that her milk helps the baby and does not worsen his condition.

In addition to combating dehydration, it is necessary to take sorbents.

The purpose of these actions is to collect toxic substances that have entered the body and then remove them naturally. Popular sorbents:

  1. Activated carbon.
  2. Polysorb.
  3. Polyphepan.

The entry of pathogenic microorganisms into the body leads to the development of dysbiosis. Often, existing dysbiosis itself becomes the cause of diarrhea. Then you need to give the child probiotics to normalize the condition.

  • Bifiform.
  • Bificol.

The invasion of the body by bacteria that provoke inflammation in the intestines requires the use of drugs that can eliminate the infection. The following are usually prescribed:

  1. Enterol.
  2. Furazolidone.
  3. Levomycytin.
  4. Sulgin.
  5. Intetrix.

If the antibiotics are prescribed incorrectly, the patient's condition will become even worse. Therefore, these means are resorted to in extreme cases. Sometimes medications that slow down peristalsis are prescribed. They are needed in case of disruption. But in case of poisoning and infectious diseases, these drugs are extremely dangerous.

  • Suprilol.

If diarrhea is a manifestation of the underlying disease, of course, first of all, efforts are directed toward eliminating the pathology that caused the diarrhea. In this case, the baby is prescribed a special diet and given a drink that can improve the condition of the intestines:

  1. Pear compote.
  2. Starch solution.

Baby food

Fermented milk products are good for your baby.

If the baby is breastfeeding, complementary foods are excluded from the diet. If he does not receive breast milk, all foods that can provoke fermentation or cause loose stools are removed from the menu. You can leave the following products on the menu:

  • white crackers;
  • boiled fish;
  • soups prepared without the use of fatty foods;
  • porridge from rice, pearl barley, ;
  • boiled eggs, steamed omelet;
  • fermented milk;
  • cocoa;
  • green tea, diluted juice.

Prevention measures

To prevent your baby from having diarrhea, you should be more careful and give him only boiled water. Wash purchased vegetables and fruits according to all the rules. you need to cook carefully so that all its particles undergo complete heat treatment. The resistance of the body will be increased by hardening procedures and other measures to strengthen the immune system.


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Diarrhea without fever quite often worries babies aged 1 year. The reason for this is various factors, ranging from minor changes in the body (the reaction of the gastrointestinal tract to nutrition, stress, etc.) to serious diseases. One way or another, this symptom should not be ignored and, if necessary, the child should be shown to a doctor. How to help your baby if he has diarrhea? What treatment methods are most effective and safe for a one-year-old child? What manifestations should be a cause for concern and contact a specialist?

First of all, it is necessary to distinguish between the concepts of diarrhea without fever and just loose stools. In the first case, diarrhea is observed for a long period of time (at least a day, up to 5-6 times a day), in the second, it does not cause the baby any discomfort and goes away on its own after 1-2 bowel movements.

Experts consider the following factors to be the main factors that provoke diarrhea:

  • Disturbance or change in nutrition. The introduction of some new foods to the child’s diet, to which the gastrointestinal tract is not yet accustomed, can cause stool upset. Also, diarrhea often occurs when overeating (after all, the digestive system is still too weak to digest a large volume of incoming foods, especially if they contain salt or sugar).
  • Dysbacteriosis. If the number of pathogenic microorganisms in the intestines increases sharply and prevails over the beneficial flora, the baby develops dysbiosis. In this case, accompanying symptoms of diarrhea may include abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting (but not always; the reaction largely depends on the individual characteristics of the body).
  • Presence of infectious diseases. If viruses and pathogenic bacteria attack the child's body, diarrhea can last for several days. And this does not always lead to an increase in temperature at such an early age. Infectious diseases in this case include enterovirus, intestinal infection, dysentery, rubella, etc.
  • Sunstroke. If the baby is exposed to the scorching rays of the sun for a long time, the body's response may be diarrhea without an increase in temperature.
  • Stressful situations. Even a short separation from the mother (for example, if the baby is left with relatives for some time) can provoke gastrointestinal upset and diarrhea.
  • Surgical diseases in the abdominal cavity (i.e. requiring surgical intervention). Such pathologies include congenital malformations, appendicitis, tumors in the gastrointestinal tract, etc.
  • Reaction to medications. In some cases, the child’s gastrointestinal tract reacts to taking medications (usually antibiotics) with indigestion and diarrhea.
  • Enzyme deficiency. Since the baby’s enzymatic system is still weak at this age, the gastrointestinal tract does not always cope with digestion (for example, with lactase deficiency). In this case, children often experience diarrhea with the presence of undigested food particles in the stool.
  • Allergic reaction to products. Certain foods can cause diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal discomfort. Monitoring the reaction of a child’s gastrointestinal tract after eating certain foods will help determine the “culprit” of diarrhea.

If traces of blood are found in your child's stool, this may be a sign of an intestinal infection. In this case, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.

Why does diarrhea occur in babies aged 1-2 years?

As previously stated, diarrhea can be caused by many reasons. These include various infections, stress and anxiety, long-term use of antibiotics or any other medications, changes in the type or diet, inability of the gastrointestinal tract to properly digest food, pathologies of the abdominal organs, etc.

But whatever the cause of diarrhea in a child aged 1 or 2 years, stool disorder should be treated immediately (especially if the diarrhea lasts more than 1-2 days). Otherwise, dehydration may occur, which will disrupt the functioning of internal organs and weaken the immune system.

Main symptoms of diarrhea in babies

Symptoms of diarrhea may vary for each child. Some people have several symptoms at once, while others have only one. So, signs of diarrhea include:

  • Liquid stool for 1-2 days or more (sometimes with traces of blood or mucus).
  • Pain and discomfort in the abdomen (cutting or stabbing sensations, including bloating). In this case, the child cries a lot, becomes lethargic and inactive.
  • Dizziness and nausea, and sometimes vomiting.

But in some cases, it is difficult to determine the true cause of a gastrointestinal disorder based solely on a set of symptoms. This requires a stool test.

Proper treatment of diarrhea in babies

If diarrhea continues for 24 hours, you need to call a doctor who will determine the exact cause of the disorder. And before the specialist arrives, you can give your baby the Regidron pharmaceutical solution (the contents of the sachet are diluted with a glass of boiled water). It is also recommended to adhere to the following rules:

  • After each bowel movement, the child must be given clean water or compote (at least 50 ml). In addition, the baby should drink a glass of boiled water every 2 hours, regardless of the symptoms of diarrhea (this will prevent dehydration).
  • Feed your baby foods such as bananas, apples, rice and crackers. During the recovery period, the diet can be varied with vegetables and dairy products.
  • If diarrhea does not go away on its own, it is necessary to use special pharmaceutical preparations (see below).

There is no universal remedy for diarrhea in children, since therapy is selected depending on the cause of stool disorder. Self-medication in this case is strictly contraindicated, as it can only aggravate the situation and lead to undesirable consequences. Any drug should be taken only after the permission of a doctor, who will prescribe the necessary dosage and course of treatment.

Dangerous manifestations

It is not so much the diarrhea itself that should cause concern, but rather its alarming manifestations. These include:

  • Frequent bowel movements (more than 5-6 times a day).
  • Strong odor from stool.
  • Unusual color of stool (with the presence of blood, mucus, pus and pieces of undigested food).
  • Redness of the skin around the anus.
  • Rashes on the face and body.
  • Nausea and vomiting.
  • Sharp pain in the abdomen.

If you have the above symptoms, you should assume the presence of some disease or infection.

Giving help

Depending on the cause of diarrhea, appropriate treatment is prescribed. So, the following medications can help a child:

  • Enterosgel. Available in the form of a paste for oral administration. Price: 490 rubles (10 bags of 22.5 g each).
  • Polysorb. Available in powder form for the preparation of a suspension for oral administration. Price: 380 rubles (50 g).
  • Smecta. It is also available in powder form for preparing a suspension (vanilla and orange flavours). Price: 150 rubles (10 bags of 3 g each).
  • Enterodesis. Available in powder form for solution (for oral use). Price: 125 rubles (5 g).

If a child is diagnosed with an infectious disease, he is prescribed antibiotics and, as a rule, hospitalized.

In what cases should you consult a doctor?

You should consult a doctor if diarrhea persists for at least 1-2 days. Other alarming symptoms include the presence of blood or mucus in the stool, periodic vomiting and pain in the abdomen. In this case, qualified medical assistance is needed immediately.

Diarrhea in a child aged 1 year without fever may be a sign of the presence of pathogenic viruses and bacteria in the body, as well as diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and other disorders of non-infectious etiology (allergies, digestive problems, etc.).

The first thing to do in this case is to give the child a mild remedy for diarrhea and ensure plenty of fluids. If diarrhea continues throughout the day, this may be a serious reason to consult a doctor.

– stomach or intestinal upset, when the child has stool up to 5 times a day or more. It has a liquid consistency and may contain particles of undigested food. Diarrhea in a 1-year-old child has its own peculiarity - with diarrhea, signs of dehydration rapidly increase. If you don’t take effective measures, you can worsen the baby’s condition so much that there is a real threat not only to his health, but also to his life.

Nutritional diarrhea can occur even in a one-year-old child.

Since the digestive system at this age is not yet fully formed, any errors in care, violations, or the entry of viruses and bacteria into the body can cause diarrhea. Diarrhea itself is not a disease, it is a symptom of various diseases.

Only a specialist can distinguish them from each other, conduct an examination and prescribe the correct treatment: a pediatrician, a pediatric gastroenterologist. Types of diarrhea and its causes in children aged 1 year:

  • Infectious diarrhea. The causative agents of this type of diarrhea are salmonella, dysentery bacillus, (intestinal flu).
  • Alimentary diarrhea. Its cause is the side effects of potent medications, allergic reactions, errors in child care such as eating disorders.
  • Toxic diarrhea. The reason is poisoning from poor-quality food, medications, household chemicals or kidney failure.
  • Dyspeptic diarrhea. The reason is the immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract, when immature organs are not able to adequately perceive a new type of food. This reason becomes irrelevant after 2 years.
  • Drug-induced diarrhea. The reason is that long-term use of antibiotics caused an imbalance.
  • Neurogenic diarrhea. The reason is strong emotional stress.

Knowing the cause of diarrhea, you can more effectively treat the underlying disease. To diagnose a child, a laboratory examination of feces for infectious agents is carried out, and medical history data is collected.

Additional symptoms of diarrhea

A baby constantly asking to drink is a symptom of dehydration.

In addition to frequent loose stools, symptoms of diarrhea may include: blood and mucus in the stool, bloating or bloating in the lower abdomen, hyperthermia.

With infectious diarrhea, the temperature can reach 39-40? C, diarrhea is accompanied by a sharp deterioration in the condition, the child cries and refuses to eat.

In the neurogenic form, its symptoms are accompanied by rapid heartbeat, hyperthermia, and a state of excessive excitement.

Parents of young children need to know the signs of dehydration so they can immediately respond to them and seek qualified help in time. Most likely, a 1-year-old child with diarrhea will require urgent hospitalization. Symptoms of dehydration:

  1. The baby constantly asks for a drink.
  2. His mucous membranes are dry, his skin is inelastic, and the child’s lips dry out.
  3. The child constantly sleeps, is indifferent to stimuli or, conversely, is very excited.
  4. Very little urine is produced and it is of an intense dark color.
  5. Breathing becomes faster and the heart rate increases (tachycardia).

If the body has lost up to 10% of fluid, general disorders of the functions of its organs occur. If the loss is 20% or more, the disorders can become irreversible, the person falls into a coma. More than 25% fluid loss leads to death. , which accompanies diarrhea, causes additional fluid loss, and further aggravates the situation.

Features of the treatment of diarrhea in children

Regidron is used for rehydration.

Since diarrhea is not an independent disease, but a separate symptom, a correct diagnosis must be made. If the doctor believes that diarrhea does not pose a great danger and can be treated on an outpatient basis, he will prescribe treatment.

Under no circumstances should you give your child medications on your own. The doctor may prescribe:

  • enterosorbents for removing toxins,
  • cytomutoprotectors to protect the intestinal walls,
  • antipyretics,
  • antispasmodics,
  • drugs to restore water and electrolyte balance.

The most important thing in treating frequent diarrhea in a 1-year-old child is restoring lost fluid. For rehydration they use Oralit - pharmaceutical preparations. They are bred and given to the baby in accordance with the instructions. The child needs to be given water every 7-15 minutes, giving him 1-2 teaspoons of the diluted product.

If necessary, you can prepare such a solution yourself. To do this, stir a teaspoon of fine salt, half a teaspoon of soda, and a tablespoon of sugar in a liter of boiled water. You can replace soda with the juice of two oranges or grapefruits. At the same time, the sugar rate doubles. For diarrhea, enterosorbents are considered safe remedies without side effects:

  1. Microsorb. An analogue of activated carbon, available in various dosage forms: capsules, granules, powder or paste for preparing a suspension. For children under one year of age, it is most convenient to use the drug in the form of an aqueous suspension. Its daily dose is calculated depending on the child’s weight: 0.5 g per kg, unless the doctor prescribes a different dosage.
  2. Polysorb. A powerful tool for cleansing the child's body of harmful toxins. It has a specific taste, is not absorbed through the walls of the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, but, like a sponge, it absorbs harmful substances. Polysorb for children 1 year of age is used diluted in compote or tea. One dose requires less than a teaspoon; you can repeat this medication 2-3 times a day. It is more convenient to give the medicine through a syringe with the needle removed. Unused suspension must be disposed of at the end of the day.
  3. . A very easy-to-use drug, available in the form of a gel or paste, ready-to-use, sweetish in taste and with a pleasant odor. The product envelops the intestinal walls, protecting it from damage. It does not enter the bloodstream, it acts like a sponge, capturing waste products from the intestines and bringing them out. For children aged 1 year, a dose of the drug of 5-10 g is needed, divided into two doses.
  4. . The drug acts as an adsorbent, creating a protective coating on the mucous membrane, protecting it from rotaviruses and other microorganisms. Available in powder form, packaged in sachets. Children aged 1 year need to take one sachet per day. It is diluted with juice or compote and given to the child, dividing the product into two doses.

Diet and diet

It is necessary to introduce rice water into the diet.

If a child refuses to eat, there is no need to insist; a few hours without food will benefit the body. This reaction protects the digestive organs from excessive strain. With the appearance of appetite, careful introduction of light foods into the diet begins:

  • or rice porridge without milk, salt and butter,
  • white bread croutons with lean broth from rabbit, chicken, turkey,
  • banana or puree from this fruit,
  • jelly,
  • boiled potatoes without butter and adding milk;
  • apple without peel.

If breastfeeding is not yet maintained at this age, then you can put the baby to the breast without restrictions. Food is offered frequently, but in limited portions. Drinking plenty of fluids is a necessity for diarrhea. In case of frequent diarrhea, a child should drink at least 100–150 ml of liquid per hour. It is better if it is ordinary boiled water.

Compliance with hygiene measures for diarrhea in a 1 year old child

Your baby's toys should be washed daily with laundry soap.

If your baby has frequent bowel movements, you need to pay special attention to the hygiene of the area around it. It becomes irritated, redness and itching appear, and the child is sensitive to attempts to touch the skin.

To prevent this irritation from occurring, you need to wash the baby more often or wipe the area around the anus with wet wipes, lubricate with baby cream or dry the skin with powder.

Adults caring for a baby with symptoms of diarrhea should wash their hands with soap more often after hygiene procedures, before feeding. Children's underwear should be washed separately from adults' underwear. Bed and underwear are ironed with a hot iron. The room where the child is located is regularly ventilated and wet cleaned with disinfectants.

The baby’s toys are washed daily with laundry soap, and his dishes are doused with boiling water during illness. It is advisable to limit the child’s contacts with strangers as much as possible and not attend various events with him. These precautions are dictated by the fact that the baby’s immunity after diarrhea and related diseases is reduced, and the body is not able to provide an adequate response to additional sources of infection.

Prevention of diarrhea

To prevent diarrhea, you need to continue breastfeeding longer.

It is impossible to protect a child from absolutely all the dangers of the world around him. However, it is quite possible to take some precautions to prevent diarrhea from occurring in a 1-year-old child. Prevention of diarrhea:

  1. You need to follow a diet, do not take long breaks between meals and do not feed the child too often.
  2. Do not introduce foods that are difficult to digest too early into your diet.
  3. Process food before cooking in accordance with hygiene requirements, wash fresh vegetables and fruits with hot water.
  4. Wash your child’s hands after a walk, contact with animals, before eating, after using the toilet.
  5. Do not feed the baby stale food; all dishes must be freshly prepared.
  6. Do not buy products at spontaneous markets.
  7. Do not expose the child to strong psycho-emotional overloads.
  8. Save longer.
  9. Do not leave household chemicals or medications within reach.

It is very difficult to find out the cause of diarrhea in a 1 year old child. Diagnosis and treatment of this condition should be entrusted to a doctor.

Self-medication is dangerous because with this approach it is easy to miss a very dangerous condition - dehydration, which can lead to irreversible consequences. If diarrhea does not cause the doctor to be concerned about its prognosis, you can treat it at home using medications prescribed by a physician, a special and optimal drinking regimen.

Diarrhea in a one-year-old child is considered by pediatricians to be a number of complex and difficult to treat pathologies.

Parents should be well-versed in the field of this disease so as not to miss the early stages of its development.

To do this, you need to know and understand the symptoms of the pathology in order to conclude that the baby has diarrhea.

First of all, this is the baby's stool. Deviations that should alert parents:

  • The duration of the stool is quite long;
  • The presence of a specific pungent odor;
  • Distinctive lightish color of stool.

In children under one year of age, diarrhea can occur for a number of reasons:

  • development and improvement of the peptic system;
  • baby teething;
  • lactase deficiency, the essence of which is a decrease in the activity of lactase or its complete absence - the enzyme that breaks down lactose;
  • response to mother's breast milk;
  • illiterate introduction of complementary feeding to the child;
  • reflex to the mixture.

Typical causes of diarrhea in children

Loose stools are considered normal in infants because during this period they have liquid food. The frequency of bowel movements is not alarming; stool may occur after each feeding.

Diarrhea in a child about one year old is characterized by a stool frequency of more than 5 times a day. The stools are watery in appearance.

The appearance of diarrhea has objective and subjective reasons:

  • consumption of fruits and vegetables with a characteristic laxative effect;
  • food poisoning;
  • dysbacteriosis after treatment with antibiotics;
  • violation of personal hygiene rules;

Pathologies that can cause diarrhea in a one-year-old child:

  • infections of all possible origins: dysentery, salmonellosis, rotavirus;
  • inflammatory processes in the stomach and any organs of the gastrointestinal tract;
  • allergy;
  • dysbacteriosis;
  • worms;
  • tumors of different properties;
  • renal failure;
  • Crohn's disease and others.

Based on the reasons, diarrhea is classified into groups:

  • medicinal;
  • dyspeptic;
  • toxic;
  • nutritional;
  • infectious;
  • neurogenic.

Symptoms and diagnosis of diarrhea in children

In children aged one year, symptoms of diarrhea are accompanied by fever, vomiting, and abdominal cramps. Diarrhea develops rapidly. Associated symptoms that cause concern for parents:

  • feeling of nausea;
  • vomit;
  • piercing colic in the abdomen;
  • weakness, decreased activity;
  • refusal to breastfeed during diarrhea;
  • decreased appetite;
  • restless sleep;
  • itching of the anal passage.

The father and mother need to take urgent measures so as not to worsen the child’s well-being:

  • prevent dehydration of the infant’s body;
  • prevent the leaching of useful substances;
  • prevent the occurrence of convulsions;
  • prevent loss of consciousness.

You can’t joke with a child’s condition. You need to invite a doctor home or use an ambulance. Before providing first aid, you need to alleviate the symptoms of the pathology yourself.

The child should be given a glucose-saline solution to drink. Using the instructions, you can use Regidron or Oralit medications for your baby. Give the child a little at a time so that he swallows in small portions.

What you should not do in this case is to give your baby anti-diarrhea medications intended for adults. Even a doctor can be trusted with the health of your child only after an examination.

The doctor directs you to undergo tests and, if necessary, an instrumental examination. All activities are aimed at identifying the type of diarrhea causative agent.

The color of the excrement can tell a competent specialist about the cause of diarrhea:

  • light colored stool indicates the presence of pathology - hepatitis;
  • watery stools with mucus often accompany overeating, intolerance to cow's milk, and intestinal infection;
  • blood in the stool is evidence of enterobacterial infection;
  • stool that has a green cast and lumps, a symptom of dysentery;
  • the presence of orange and green flakes can be attributed to salmonellosis;
  • Diarrhea in the form of foam in a child under one year old can be caused by dysbacteriosis or lactose deficiency.

If you miss time to solve the problem of diarrhea, you can expect serious complications:

  • Dehydration of the body;
  • Seizures, convulsions;
  • Stomach upsets;
  • Dysbacteriosis will provoke the development of intestinal dyskinesia, bronchial asthma, dermatitis;
  • intestinal infections can cause infectious-toxic shock, sepsis, cerebral edema;
  • dysentery will lead to arthritis, neuritis, intestinal bleeding;
  • pathologies cannot be excluded: pneumonia, anemia, otitis media, malnutrition and death.

In all situations, fever, chills, and fever appear. If the diagnosis is established, the child is prescribed a course of drug therapy.

Treatment of diarrhea of ​​various origins

10% of children require urgent hospitalization. Immediate medical care in a hospital is needed for children whose parents cannot cope with the treatment and prevention of the consequences of diarrhea:

  1. Treatment for a baby up to one year old mainly consists of drinking plenty of fluids. But it happens that parents cannot give the child the required volume of liquid. Diarrhea is especially dangerous for a newborn and one-year-old child because a loss of 10% of body weight can be fatal. 10% of the weight in newborns is 300 - 350 g, in a baby of the first year of life - 500 - 700 g;
  2. an admixture of blood was found in the child’s stool;
  3. side effects of diarrhea causing vomiting, high fever, chills, rash, headache;
  4. Symptoms of dehydration are noticed and increasing:
  5. dryness of the oral mucosa, lips, tongue;
  6. lack of urination or absence of urination over the past 6 or more hours;
  7. sunken eyes or fontanel.

Diarrhea in children can be treated 90% at home. This is designed for careful and principled parents who will not deviate from the doctor’s recommendations and direction of treatment.

All treatment of diarrhea, regardless of the prerequisites, is based on the implementation of the relevant key rules:

  • Stop the removal of electrolytes and water by observing the drinking regime. A spoon or sip of liquid every 5-7 minutes. Optimal absorption occurs at the same temperatures of the liquid solution and the patient’s body;
  • Neutralize the effect of bacteria, toxins and viruses with sorbent preparations, remove them and waste products outside;
  • Infectious diarrhea should be treated with antibacterial agents selected by the doctor in the required dosage for the child;
  • Adhere to a gentle feeding system until the exacerbation of the pathology has passed. Then a gradual return to the established diet is recommended.

Means for restoring fluids during illness

A child with diarrhea needs to be restored to electrolytes and fluids as quickly as possible, without waiting for a doctor’s visit.

Therefore, you need to know what can stop the loss of fluids and weight of a one-year-old baby. These can be pharmaceutical forms of oral rehydration, actual fluid replenishment, or home remedies.

After dehydration, a child will regain strength in less than a week if the solutions are used correctly. Sometimes you can do without additional medications.

The drug for drinking in pharmaceutical form contains sodium salts, glucose, and potassium. The manufacturing form is usually in the form of a powder, which is dissolved with water according to the instructions.

Treatment of children aged one year with saline solutions:

  • Dissolve Rehydron powder according to instructions and store in the refrigerator. Before giving it for consumption, it is necessary to warm the drink to body temperature. The child will better assimilate it into his body;
  • Gastrolite powder is diluted with a glass of boiling water. For drinking, it is cooled to the child’s body temperature;
  • Glucosolan consists of 2 sachets of different compositions, which are diluted together with water. The child drinks it, relieving dehydration;
  • Citroglucosolan contains different amounts of beneficial salts in one package. Diluted according to instructions, treatment is identical;
  • Oralit has special instructions if the baby is premature or newborn. The purpose of the action is to prevent dehydration;
  • Hydrovit forte is an analogue of Regidron both in composition and in action.

You can make similar solutions yourself at home. The recipe contains 2 tablespoons of sugar + a teaspoon of soda and table salt. Dissolve in a liter of water.

Salt fluid replenishers are useful not only when children have diarrhea. Any pathological condition, be it acute respiratory viral infection, diarrhea, vomiting, teething and other conditions of various etiologies, requires replenishment of fluid in the body.

It is necessary to treat by correctly selecting the dosage and course according to the age of the child and the severity of his health.

In the first year of life, the dose is calculated by the doctor from 50 ml, but not more than 100 ml of solution per kilogram of weight during the first 6 hours, when loose stools appear.

Then the dosage is adjusted and set at the limit of giving the child 10 ml of solution after each bowel movement.

Diarrhea, bloating, food poisoning and intoxication in a child have another high-quality assistant in the form of sorbents. Good old activated carbon, known to almost everyone for a year now.

It has not lost its effectiveness even now. Progress in the pharmaceutical industry has today created analogues with enormous adsorbing power.

New generation sorbents are effective against a wide range of negative manifestations of human activity:

  • received from outside: poisons, toxins of fungi, viruses, bacteria;
  • arising inside the body: salts of heavy metals, radioisotopes, allergens.

Sorbents have invaluable properties:

  • adsorbing effect;
  • detoxification effect;
  • antidiarrheal effect;
  • restorative effect.

Diarrhea in children who are only a year old is treated with drugs:

  • smecta;
  • enterosgel;
  • polysorb;
  • filtrum.

Severe cases of diarrhea can be treated with antibacterial and anti-inflammatory drugs. Only a doctor can initiate the use of antibiotics.

This happens with severe intestinal infections: cholera, salmonellosis, dysentery.

Antibiotics that can be prescribed to children:

  • furazolidone;
  • enterofuril;
  • stopdiar;
  • enterol;
  • rifaximin.

Biological products are gaining popularity. Their properties have a number of advantages:

  • normalization of the intestinal microflora;
  • stimulation of defense mechanisms;
  • improvement of metabolic processes.

Probiotics work independently and as part of complex therapy, when treated with antibacterial agents. The most popular of them:

  • Hilak forte;
  • Linux;
  • Bifiform;
  • Acipol.

As you can see, there are many remedies for treating diarrhea. But children must be treated under the supervision of a doctor. Taking initiative on your own can harm your baby.

Useful video

Young parents are at a loss when their infant develops diarrhea. What to do? It is necessary to calm down, analyze why this happened, collect all the information about diarrhea and its causes.
Take measures to cure it and normalize the condition of the small child. As pediatricians note, diarrhea in young children is considered a difficult and responsible matter.

Diarrhea in a one-year-old child, causes

Teething in a baby can cause diarrhea.

Young children experience diarrhea for a number of reasons:

  • formation of the digestive system;
  • teething;
  • lactose deficiency;
  • reaction to mother's milk;
  • incorrect first feeding;
  • reaction to the mixture.

Causes of diarrhea in infants

How can you tell if your child has diarrhea? What kind of bowel movements and what quality does infants have:

  1. In newborns and children up to the age of complementary feeding, loose stools are the norm. Since the baby eats liquid food. The baby can defecate many times a day or after the next feeding.
  2. Diarrhea is characterized in a 1-year-old child, bowel movements up to 5 times a day, the stool is unformed and watery.
  3. Children 2 years of age and older experience loose stool during diarrhea. Having bowel movements more than 5 times. Normally, a child of two years old has formed feces, up to 2 times a day.
  4. There are external causes that influence the occurrence of diarrhea - food poisoning; eating fruits and vegetables that have a laxative effect; after taking antibiotics; failure to maintain personal hygiene.

Diseases affecting diarrhea:

Incorrect first feeding is the cause of diarrhea in babies.

Depending on the mechanism of occurrence, diarrhea is divided into:

  • Osmolar and hyperosmolar - occurs when the absorption of water and salts is impaired, and has fatty feces.
  • Hypokinetic - occurs when the movement of feces is slow. The stool is mushy, liquid, and has a foul odor.
  • Hyperkinetic – occurs due to increased peristalsis; copious excretion of feces.
  • Exudative and hyperexudative - occurs with inflammation of the intestines, mucus and blood are present in thin, watery stool
  • Secretory and hypersecretory - occurs with abundant release of fluid and sodium into the intestinal lumen.

Diarrhea in a one-year-old child, symptoms and dangers

Diarrhea occurs for certain reasons, but there are situations when diarrhea is of a specific nature. This applies to the period when the baby's teeth are cutting through. In this case, it is impossible to predict when diarrhea will begin and how long it will last.

Another case is the acclimatization of a child in an unusual environment, in a different place. When parents go on vacation or travel with a small child.

Sometimes climate change can cause bowel disorders.

Symptoms of diarrhea and dangerous consequences

If a child experiences severe abdominal pain, consult a doctor.

The color of stool can tell a lot about the cause of diarrhea. Light-colored stool may be due to hepatitis. Slimy and watery diarrhea is often the result of intestinal infection, overeating, or failure to digest cow's milk.

Stool mixed with blood occurs due to a bacterial infection. With a tint of green and lumps - a sign of dysentery. In the form of green and orange flakes, this is a salmonellosis infection. At the same time, the temperature rises.

The white color of diarrhea is not an indicator for infants, since this is the result of breastfeeding. In older children, this is a symptom of hepatitis. Green stool indicates that an infection has entered the body.

Diarrhea has an unpleasant odor. The child has weakness, fever, abdominal pain, and vomiting. In the very first days, infants have black diarrhea, which is meconium. If this is the color of stool in the subsequent period of life, then this indicates the presence of bleeding or the use of certain medications.

Foamy diarrhea in children under one year of age is characteristic of a lack of lactose, dysbacteriosis. In older children, this is a sign of severe intoxication. Particular attention should be paid if, in addition to diarrhea, the child has other symptoms:

  1. feeling of nausea, vomiting;
  2. sharp pain in the abdomen;
  3. lethargy, decreased activity;
  4. infants with diarrhea refuse to breastfeed;
  5. decreased appetite;
  6. sleep disturbance;
  7. there is itching of the anus.

If diarrhea is not treated on time, there may be consequences such as:

  • Cramps.
  • Dehydration of the body.
  • Stomach upsets.
  • After suffering from dysbacteriosis, the appearance of dermatitis, bronchial asthma, and intestinal dyskinesia.
  • After intestinal infections, cerebral edema, sepsis, and infectious-toxic shock may occur.
  • Complications after dysentery - intestinal bleeding, arthritis, neuritis. As well as malnutrition, otitis media, anemia, pneumonia.
  • Death.

Treatment and prevention

Pancreatin is a drug to improve the functioning of the digestive system.

It is important to adhere to a strict diet during treatment. The following products can be consumed:

  • crackers from wheat bread;
  • soups with low-fat broth;
  • unleavened cottage cheese;
  • steamed lean fish;
  • steamed omelette;
  • porridge with water;
  • boiled lean meat.

In order to prevent the development of diarrhea, parents need to follow simple rules - instill hygiene lessons from an early age. Thermally treat foods that the baby eats. Give preference to stewed, baked, boiled or steamed dishes.

Thoroughly wash vegetables, fruits and berries. Drink bottled, boiled, purified water. Check expiration dates of products and monitor their quality. Nursing mothers should follow a diet and start complementary feeding correctly.

For children without breastfeeding, you need to choose formula wisely.

Keep the child’s personal items and cutlery clean and boil if necessary. Do not create a nervous environment or expose young children to stress. In case of any contact, wash children’s hands, toys, and carry out wet cleaning in the baby’s room. Do not swim in open water yourself and do not bathe small children.

Since one-year-old children put everything in their mouths, it is necessary to have sanitary wet wipes or an antiseptic alcohol solution when walking. This is necessary to disinfect hands and objects.
If it does happen and the child gets sick or has diarrhea, it is necessary to carry out treatment under the supervision of a doctor. Since there is no time to waste, young children become dehydrated very quickly.

To treat diarrhea, salt solutions are used: Glucosan, Oralit, Gastrolit, Regidron. You can give a glucose solution. For fever, medications containing paracetamol are given. For children under one year of age, medicine is produced in the form of suppositories. For diarrhea, it is useful to take sorbents to remove toxic substances: Smecta, Polysorb, activated carbon, Enterosgel.

Symptomatic drugs actively help: Imodium, Calcium Carbonate, Diarol, Bismuth. For serious illnesses and diarrhea, the child is placed in a hospital. After curing dysbiosis, they take a course of drugs to restore the intestinal microflora: Acipol, Linex, bacteriophages and probiotics.

Intestinal infections that cause diarrhea are treated with antibiotics: Ercefuril, Furazolidone, Gentamicin. It is prohibited to give Levomycetin without a doctor's prescription. They use drugs containing enzymes to improve the functioning of the digestive system: Pancreatin, Creon, Mezim forte.

Also drugs that relieve spasms: Papaverine, Drotaverine. Allergy relief medications. Do not treat yourself, do not give your child any medications. Self-medication can lead to serious consequences and death.

Thematic video will tell you how to cope with loose stools in a child:

Every mother in the process of raising a child is faced with such an unpleasant phenomenon as diarrhea, otherwise uncontrollable loose stools, in which the process of defecation without the ability to restrain the urge to defecate occurs more than 5-6 times a day. The total number of acts of defecation depends on the age of the baby and the reasons that caused this process in the body.

Is diarrhea in children so harmless?

What does the famous pediatrician Komarovsky think about this? Diarrhea in children, in his opinion, at first glance may seem like a very harmless phenomenon, so to speak, a temporary misunderstanding.
However, parents should not be mistaken about this, because certain health problems can be a provocateur for the anxious state of the child’s body. Therefore, mother and baby must consult a doctor in order to determine together the reasons that caused the child’s diarrhea.

Komarovsky - the most famous pediatrician

Evgeny Olegovich Komarovsky is a doctor of the highest category, the author of a large number of scientific works and books, the host of his own television program, who has received a large quota of trust from millions of parents. I have been associated with the healthcare field for more than a quarter of a century. Since 1983, after graduating from the Kharkov Medical Institute, he worked in the regional infectious diseases hospital. In 2000 he moved to a private clinical center as a leading pediatric consultant. Since 2006, he has been receiving patients in his own private clinic.

A wide parental audience is familiar with the famous pediatrician from the television show “Doctor Komarovsky’s School,” which started in the spring of 2010 on the Ukrainian TV channel “Inter.” Also, Evgeniy Olegovich often takes part in television programs devoted to medical topics, and inspires maximum confidence in issues related to children's health.

Diarrhea while breastfeeding

According to Dr. Komarovsky, diarrhea in children can be caused by breast milk, into which substances that irritate the newborn’s digestive organs have entered with the mother’s nutrition. The baby’s still developing stomach cannot cope with them and signals problems with diarrhea. What should mom do? Identify an unfavorable product and stop using it for a while, and also adhere to a diet in which breast milk will only benefit the baby.

Maybe the cause of diarrhea is in baby formula?

How else does Dr. Komarovsky explain the reasons for the deterioration of well-being in children? Diarrhea in children can be caused by individual intolerance to foods received both through breast milk and during complementary feeding. It has been noticed that infants fed on mother's milk suffer from stomach upsets less often than children growing up on artificial feeding. After all, loose stools are often provoked by feeding mixtures with which the mother tries to diversify the baby’s diet. If a child has diarrhea, what to do? Komarovsky advises, at the first signs of its manifestation, to abandon the mixtures that provoked intestinal upset and return to a more adapted diet.

Causes of dehydration

Overfeeding, inflammatory processes in the body, infectious diseases, pathologies of the internal organs of the gastrointestinal tract are also provocateurs of uncontrolled bowel movements, says Dr. Komarovsky. Diarrhea in children, even the most common one, can cause dehydration, causing anemia, weight loss, decreased immunity and other negative consequences.

When is diarrhea harmless?

Komarovsky considers diarrhea in a child to be a normal phenomenon if frequent loose stools are associated with a change in diet, physical processes occurring in the body (for example, teething), as well as the baby’s experiences.
In very young children, loose stools can be observed about 20 times during the day, which is considered quite acceptable. After reaching 3 years of age, stool is usually characterized by a mushy consistency, yellow or brown color, and a bowel movement frequency of 1 to 3 times per day.

If a child’s loose stools have not stopped by the age of 3 and bother him with the same intensity, he should urgently contact a pediatrician, who will try to identify the causes of the disease as accurately as possible to make a correct diagnosis.

The doctor will be interested in the duration of the intestinal disorder, the frequency of bowel movements and urination, the consistency of stool, weight loss, tears during bowel movements, blood and mucus in the stool, as well as associated symptoms: vomiting, rash, fever, abdominal pain. Information about the child’s visits to childcare facilities, illnesses among family members at the time of the examination, sources of drinking water, etc. is also important.

Causes of diarrhea in older children

Diarrhea in older children can be caused by:

  • low-quality or prohibited products;
  • infectious lesions and acute inflammation;
  • lack of food enzymes;
  • inflammatory processes;
  • helminthic infestations;
  • poisoning;
  • chronic diseases of the digestive system;
  • acute leukemia;
  • the use of antibiotics that cause intestinal upset and dysbacteriosis;
  • stress;
  • strong emotional stress.

What should a mother do if her child has diarrhea without fever for some time? In this regard, Komarovsky says that, most likely, there is a dysfunction of the digestive system, and this may be associated with both physiological and psychological factors. A change in the consistency and color of stool, its becoming watery, and the presence of impurities with a sour odor can be observed as the baby’s menu expands.

Parents are often concerned with the question: “If a child has diarrhea, how to treat it?” Komarovsky advises giving a sick child a medicine that slows down intestinal motility (Loperamide, approved for use from 6 years of age) and supports his microflora (Linex). Before taking medications, you should always consult your doctor. In simple cases, a medical specialist will recommend drinking plenty of fluids instead of anti-diarrhea medications.

Diarrhea and fever in a child

Komarovsky explains to his patients that sometimes, against the background of diarrhea, an elevated temperature can be observed, which parents of infants often associate with the eruption of the baby’s first teeth. Indeed, for young children, the growth of new teeth is stress, to which the baby’s body reacts with frequent loose stools. If parents are sure that indigestion is due to this particular reason, then they can give the baby a medicine that slows down intestinal motility. At the same time, it is recommended to use fastening products: raisin drink or rice water. The main thing is that these products are suitable for the child’s age.

The danger of rotavirus infection

Also, unfavorable symptoms may indicate the presence of a rotavirus infection in the body, which was discovered as recently as 1973. Translated from Latin the word rota means “wheel”, since the virus under a microscope is shaped vaguely like a wheel.

Rotavirus infection spreads through food, as well as through household contact. Regardless of living conditions and the degree of hygiene, almost all children suffer from rotavirus. The highest percentage of infections with this type of infection is among children aged 2 to 6 years. Rotavirus may cause vomiting and diarrhea in a child without fever. Komarovsky recommends that you definitely visit your doctor and take the tests prescribed by him, on the basis of which the causative agent of the disease will be identified. Guided by an accurate diagnosis, the pediatrician will be able to prescribe effective treatment. As a rule, antimicrobial drugs (Enterofuril) are prescribed. Parents are not recommended to give their child any medications on their own. The most they can do to help their child is to give them plenty of fluids to drink to stop dehydration, and sorbents (activated carbon, Enterosgel, Polysorb).
To normalize the child’s condition, it is recommended to use medications that lower the temperature (Paracetamol) and provide dietary nutrition selected by the attending physician according to the child’s age and the course of his disease.

If diarrhea is accompanied by vomiting

Intestinal disorders accompanied by vomiting symptoms, as well as pain in the abdomen (determined by palpation in the epigastric zone), indicate possible poisoning or the presence of harmful microbes in the intestines, causing the development of harmful infections.
The manifestation of vomiting and diarrhea is a kind of attempt by the body to protect itself and get rid of pathogenic microbes that destroy the microflora. The real cause for concern is the unnatural color of stool: green indicates bacterial pathology, black indicates internal bleeding. You should be alarmed if you find bloody discharge or a large amount of mucus in your stool. Vomiting without diarrhea in a child is also very dangerous. Komarovsky claims that the painful condition will not go away on its own, so the child should be urgently hospitalized. No self-medication is allowed: only consultation with a doctor and use of prescribed medications.

At such moments, parents need to give their child plenty of liquid (you can give Regidron) and not force them to eat a lot, since for a weakened body, eating in the usual amount will be a heavy burden. After 8-12 hours, after the end of rehydration therapy aimed at replenishing fluid in the body, you can gradually introduce foods that are easy to digest into the diet: rice, bananas, crackers, dried bread.

When is hospitalization necessary?

If vomiting is observed against the background of other unfavorable symptoms, you should consider hospitalization of the child, because food poisoning should be treated only under the supervision of experienced doctors. This is exactly what Dr. Komarovsky advises to do in doubtful situations. Vomiting and diarrhea in a child cause the loss of a huge amount of fluid, which entails dehydration for 2 days. It is quite difficult to make up for its losses, because during this period the baby refuses water and food due to poor health. The most dangerous manifestation of such symptoms is considered to be in children under 1 year of age. Doctors first cleanse the stomach by lavaging it, after which they use symptomatic therapy aimed at alleviating the condition of the sick child. During such treatment, doctors must be able to determine the cause of the disease and prescribe appropriate medications.

What should parents do? You should definitely contact a medical specialist for treatment measures aimed at replenishing the electrolyte composition of the blood and replenishing fluid reserves.

Diarrhea, or diarrhea, is an upset stomach or intestines when a child has stool up to 5 times a day or more. It has a liquid consistency and may contain particles of undigested food. Diarrhea in a 1-year-old child has its own peculiarity - with diarrhea, signs of dehydration rapidly increase. If you don’t take effective measures, you can worsen the baby’s condition so much that there is a real threat not only to his health, but also to his life.

Causes of diarrhea in a one-year-old child

Nutritional diarrhea can occur even in a one-year-old child.

Since the digestive system at this age is not yet fully formed, any errors in care, dietary irregularities, or the entry of viruses and bacteria into the body can cause diarrhea. Diarrhea itself is not a disease, it is a symptom of various diseases.

Only a specialist can distinguish them from each other, conduct an examination and prescribe the correct treatment: a pediatrician, a pediatric gastroenterologist. Types of diarrhea and its causes in children aged 1 year:

  • Infectious diarrhea. The causative agents of this type of diarrhea are salmonella, dysentery bacillus, and rotavirus (intestinal flu).
  • Alimentary diarrhea. Its cause is the side effects of potent medications, allergic reactions, errors in child care such as eating disorders.
  • Toxic diarrhea. The reason is poisoning from poor-quality food, medications, household chemicals or kidney failure.
  • Dyspeptic diarrhea. The reason is the immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract, when immature organs are not able to adequately perceive a new type of food. This reason becomes irrelevant after 2 years.
  • Drug-induced diarrhea. The reason is that long-term use of antibiotics caused an imbalance in the intestinal microflora.
  • Neurogenic diarrhea. The reason is strong emotional stress.

Knowing the cause of diarrhea, you can more effectively treat the underlying disease. To diagnose a child, a laboratory examination of feces for infectious agents is carried out, and medical history data is collected.

Additional symptoms of diarrhea

A baby constantly asking to drink is a symptom of dehydration.

In addition to frequent loose stools, symptoms of diarrhea may include: blood and mucus in the stool, bloating, pain in the epigastric region or lower abdomen, hyperthermia.

With infectious diarrhea, the temperature can reach 39-40? C, diarrhea is accompanied by a sharp deterioration in the condition, the child cries and refuses to eat.

With the neurogenic form of diarrhea, its symptoms are accompanied by rapid heartbeat, hyperthermia, and a state of excessive excitement.

Parents of young children need to know the signs of dehydration so they can immediately respond to them and seek qualified help in time. Most likely, a 1-year-old child with diarrhea will require urgent hospitalization. Symptoms of dehydration:

  1. The baby constantly asks for a drink.
  2. His mucous membranes are dry, his skin is inelastic, and the child’s lips dry out.
  3. The child constantly sleeps, is indifferent to stimuli or, conversely, is very excited.
  4. Very little urine is produced and it is of an intense dark color.
  5. Breathing becomes faster and the heart rate increases (tachycardia).

If the body has lost up to 10% of fluid, general disorders of the functions of its organs occur. If the loss is 20% or more, the disorders can become irreversible, the person falls into a coma. More than 25% fluid loss leads to death. Vomiting that accompanies diarrhea causes additional fluid loss and further aggravates the situation.

Features of the treatment of diarrhea in children

Regidron is used for rehydration.

Since diarrhea is not an independent disease, but a separate symptom, a correct diagnosis must be made. If the doctor believes that diarrhea does not pose a great danger and can be treated on an outpatient basis, he will prescribe treatment.

Under no circumstances should you give your child medications on your own. The doctor may prescribe:

  • enterosorbents for removing toxins,
  • cytomutoprotectors to protect the intestinal walls,
  • antipyretics,
  • antispasmodics,
  • drugs to restore water and electrolyte balance.

The most important thing in treating frequent diarrhea in a 1-year-old child is restoring lost fluid. For rehydration, use Regidron, Oralit - pharmaceutical preparations. They are bred and given to the baby in accordance with the instructions. The child needs to be given water every 7-15 minutes, giving him 1-2 teaspoons of the diluted product.

If necessary, you can prepare such a solution yourself. To do this, stir a teaspoon of fine salt, half a teaspoon of soda, and a tablespoon of sugar in a liter of boiled water. You can replace soda with the juice of two oranges or grapefruits. At the same time, the sugar rate doubles. For diarrhea, enterosorbents are considered safe remedies without side effects:

  1. Microsorb. An analogue of activated carbon, available in various dosage forms: capsules, tablets, granules, in the form of powder or paste for preparing a suspension. For children under one year of age, it is most convenient to use the drug in the form of an aqueous suspension. Its daily dose is calculated depending on the child’s weight: 0.5 g per kg, unless the doctor prescribes a different dosage.
  2. Polysorb. A powerful tool for cleansing the child's body of harmful toxins. It has a specific taste, is not absorbed through the walls of the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, but, like a sponge, it absorbs harmful substances. Polysorb for children 1 year of age is used in the form of a suspension diluted in compote or tea. One dose requires less than a teaspoon; you can repeat this medication 2-3 times a day. It is more convenient to give the medicine through a syringe with the needle removed. Unused suspension must be disposed of at the end of the day.
  3. Enterosgel. A very easy-to-use drug, available in the form of a gel or paste, ready-to-use, sweetish in taste and with a pleasant odor. The product envelops the intestinal walls, protecting it from damage. It does not enter the bloodstream, it acts like a sponge, capturing waste products from the intestines and bringing them out. For children aged 1 year, a dose of the drug of 5-10 g is needed, divided into two doses.
  4. Smecta. The drug acts as an adsorbent, creating a protective coating on the mucous membrane, protecting it from rotaviruses and other microorganisms. Available in powder form, packaged in sachets. Children aged 1 year need to take one sachet per day. It is diluted with juice or compote and given to the child, dividing the product into two doses.

Diet and diet

It is necessary to introduce rice water into the diet.

If a child refuses to eat, there is no need to insist; a few hours without food will benefit the body. This reaction protects the digestive organs from excessive strain. With the appearance of appetite, careful introduction of light foods into the diet begins:

  • rice water or rice porridge without milk, salt and butter,
  • white bread croutons with lean broth from rabbit, chicken, turkey,
  • banana or puree from this fruit,
  • jelly,
  • boiled potatoes without butter and adding milk;
  • apple without peel.

If breastfeeding is not yet maintained at this age, then you can put the baby to the breast without restrictions. Food is offered frequently, but in limited portions. Drinking plenty of fluids is a necessity for diarrhea. In case of frequent diarrhea, a child should drink at least 100–150 ml of liquid per hour. It is better if it is ordinary boiled water.

Compliance with hygiene measures for diarrhea in a 1 year old child

Your baby's toys should be washed daily with laundry soap.

If your baby has frequent bowel movements, you need to pay special attention to the hygiene of the area around the anus. It becomes irritated, redness and itching appear, and the child is sensitive to attempts to touch the skin.

To prevent this irritation from occurring, you need to wash the baby more often or wipe the area around the anus with wet wipes, lubricate with baby cream or dry the skin with powder.

Adults caring for a baby with symptoms of diarrhea should wash their hands with soap more often after hygiene procedures, before feeding, and taking medications. Children's underwear should be washed separately from adults' underwear. Bed and underwear are ironed with a hot iron. The room where the child is located is regularly ventilated and wet cleaned with disinfectants.

The baby’s toys are washed daily with laundry soap, and his dishes are doused with boiling water during illness. It is advisable to limit the child’s contacts with strangers as much as possible and not attend various events with him. These precautions are dictated by the fact that the baby’s immunity after diarrhea and related diseases is reduced, and the body is not able to provide an adequate response to additional sources of infection.

Prevention of diarrhea

To prevent diarrhea, you need to continue breastfeeding longer.

It is impossible to protect a child from absolutely all the dangers of the world around him. However, it is quite possible to take some precautions to prevent diarrhea from occurring in a 1-year-old child. Prevention of diarrhea:

  1. You need to follow a diet, do not take long breaks between meals and do not feed the child too often.
  2. Do not introduce foods that are difficult to digest too early into your diet.
  3. Process food before cooking in accordance with hygiene requirements, wash fresh vegetables and fruits with hot water.
  4. Wash your child’s hands after a walk, contact with animals, before eating, after using the toilet.
  5. Do not feed the baby stale food; all dishes must be freshly prepared.
  6. Do not buy products at spontaneous markets.
  7. Do not expose the child to strong psycho-emotional overloads.
  8. Continue breastfeeding longer.
  9. Do not leave household chemicals or medications within reach.

It is very difficult to find out the cause of diarrhea in a 1 year old child. Diagnosis and treatment of this condition should be entrusted to a doctor.

Self-medication is dangerous because with this approach it is easy to miss a very dangerous condition - dehydration, which can lead to irreversible consequences. If diarrhea does not cause your doctor to be concerned about its prognosis, you can treat it at home using medications prescribed by your doctor, a special diet and an optimal drinking regimen.

Detailed information about diarrhea in a child can be found in the video: