Food to give a baby with diarrhea

When your child has diarrhea: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

Diarrhea is the passage of loose or watery stools. For some children, diarrhea is mild and will go away within a few days. For others, it may last longer. It can make your child lose too much fluid (dehydrated) and feel weak.

The stomach flu is a common cause of diarrhea. Medical treatments, such as antibiotics and some cancer treatments can also cause diarrhea.

This article speaks of diarrhea in children over 1 year of age.

It is easy for a child with diarrhea to lose too much fluid and become dehydrated. Lost fluids need to be replaced. For most children, drinking the kinds of fluids they normally have should be enough.

Some water is OK. But too much water alone, at any age, can be harmful.

Other products, such as Pedialyte and Infalyte, may help keep a child well-hydrated. These products can be bought at the supermarket or pharmacy.

Popsicles and Jell-O can be good sources of fluids, especially if your child is vomiting. You can slowly get large amounts of fluids into children with these products.

You may also give your child watered-down fruit juice or broth.

Do not use medicines to slow down your child's diarrhea without talking to a doctor first. Ask your child's health care provider if using sports drinks is OK.

In many cases, you can continue feeding your child as usual. The diarrhea will normally go away in time, without any changes or treatment. But while children have diarrhea, they should:

Eat small meals throughout the day instead of 3 big meals.
Eat some salty foods, such as pretzels and soup.

When necessary, changes in the diet may help. No specific diet is recommended. But children often do better with bland foods. Give your child foods such as:

Baked or broiled beef, pork, chicken, fish, or turkey
Cooked eggs
Bananas and other fresh fruits
Applesauce
Bread products made from refined, white flour
Pasta or white rice
Cereals such as cream of wheat, farina, oatmeal, and cornflakes
Pancakes and waffles made with white flour
Cornbread, prepared or served with very little honey or syrup
Cooked vegetables, such as carrots, green beans, mushrooms, beets, asparagus tips, acorn squash, and peeled zucchini
Some desserts and snacks, such as Jell-O, popsicles, cakes, cookies, or sherbet
Baked potatoes

In general, removing seeds and skins from these foods is best.

Use low-fat milk, cheese, or yogurt. If dairy products are making the diarrhea worse or causing gas and bloating, your child may need to stop eating or drinking dairy products for a few days.

Children should be allowed to take their time returning to their normal eating habits. For some children, a return to their regular diet can also bring a return of diarrhea. This is often due to mild problems the gut has while absorbing regular foods.

Children should avoid certain kinds of foods when they have diarrhea, including fried foods, greasy foods, processed or fast foods, pastries, donuts, and sausage.

Avoid giving children apple juice and full-strength fruit juices, as they can loosen stool.

Have your child limit or cut out milk and other dairy products if they are making diarrhea worse or causing gas and bloating.

Your child should avoid fruits and vegetables that can cause gas, such as broccoli, peppers, beans, peas, berries, prunes, chickpeas, green leafy vegetables, and corn.

Your child should also avoid caffeine and carbonated drinks at this time.

When children are ready for regular foods again, try giving them:

Bananas
Crackers
Chicken
Pasta
Rice cereal

Call your child's provider if your child has any of these symptoms:

Much less activity than normal (not sitting up at all or not looking around)
Sunken eyes
Dry and sticky mouth
No tears when crying
Not urinated for 6 hours
Blood or mucus in the stool
Fever that does not go away
Stomach pain

Easter JS. Pediatric gastrointestinal disorders and dehydration. In: Bakes KM, Buchanan JA, Moreira ME, Byyny R, Pons PT, eds. Emergency Medicine Secrets. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 65.

Kotloff KL. Acute gastroenteritis in children. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 366.

Schiller LR, Sellin JH. Diarrhea. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 16.

Updated by: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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Children who have diarrhea may have less energy, dry eyes, or a dry, sticky mouth. They may also not wet their diaper as often as usual.

Give your child fluids for the first 4 to 6 hours. At first, try 1 ounce (2 tablespoons or 30 milliliters) of fluid every 30 to 60 minutes. You can use:

An over-the-counter drink, such as Pedialyte or Infalyte -- do not water down these drinks
Pedialyte frozen fruit pops

If you are nursing, keep breastfeeding your infant. If you are using formula, use it at one half strength for 2 to 3 feedings after the diarrhea starts. Then begin regular formula feedings again.

If your child throws up, give only a little bit of fluid at a time. You can start with as little as 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of fluid every 10 to 15 minutes.

When your child is ready for regular foods, try:

Bananas
Chicken
Crackers
Pasta
Rice cereal

Avoid:

Apple juice
Dairy
Fried foods
Full-strength fruit juice

The BRAT diet was recommended by some health care providers in the past. There is not a lot of evidence that it is better than a standard diet for upset stomach, but it probably can't hurt.

BRAT stands for the different foods that make up the diet:

Bananas
Rice cereal
Applesauce
Toast

Bananas and other solid foods are most often not recommended for a child who is actively vomiting.

WHEN TO CONTACT THE HEALTH CARE PROVIDER

Contact your child's provider if your child has any of these symptoms:

Blood or mucus in the stool
Dry and sticky mouth
Fever that does not go away
Much less activity than normal (is not sitting up at all or looking around)
No tears when crying
No urination for 6 hours
Stomach pain
Vomiting

When your infant has diarrhea; When your baby has diarrhea; BRAT diet; Diarrhea in children

Bananas and nausea

Larson-Nath C, Gurram B, Chelimsky G. Disorders of digestion in the neonate. In: Martin RJ, Fanaroff AA, Walsh MC, eds. Fanaroff and Martin's Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 83.

Nguyen T, Akhtar S. Gastroenteritis. In: Walls RM, Hockberger RS, Gausche-Hill M, eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2018:chap 84.

Medicines for diarrhea for children - what pills can be given to a child

Author, editor and medical expert - Klimovich Elina Valerievna.

Editor and medical expert - Harutyunyan Mariam Harutyunovna.

Views: 754 294

Last update date: 24.11.2022

Content:

Reidratants
Enterosorbents
Antibiotics
Probiotics
Enzymes
Anti -care agents

Frequent liquid stool in a child can be associated with infections, intake of certain drugs and other factors ^1,. In many cases, it poses a danger to the child with its consequences. Timely consultation with a doctor and competent treatment will help prevent complications and quickly normalize bowel function.

Diarrheal syndrome is always treated according to its cause ² . When choosing drugs, the doctor must take into account the factors that could cause diarrhea, the severity of the child's condition and the degree of dehydration, the localization and nature of the damage to the intestines and other organs of the digestive system ² .

What medications can a doctor prescribe for diarrhea?

Rehydrators

Diarrhea is dangerous primarily due to dehydration. With liquid feces, the child's body loses water and electrolytes, this can lead to disruption of the cardiovascular and nervous systems ^1.2 .

Mild dehydration is characterized by agitation, tearfulness and intense thirst ² . The child drinks water with pleasure and cannot get drunk in any way. If fluid loss continues and dehydration becomes severe, lethargy, lethargy sets in, tears practically disappear, eyes sink, urination becomes rare or disappears altogether ² . The consequences can be dire. Rehydration products help replenish fluid loss, restore fluid and electrolyte balance and prevent complications ^1.2 .

For mild dehydration, the doctor usually recommends plenty of fluids - this is the first remedy for diarrhea in children ^1.2 . Approximately 1/3 of the liquid that the baby drinks should be special rehydration solutions consisting of salts, glucose and water ^1,2,3 .

Warm drink should be given in small portions, 1 spoonful every 10-15 minutes ³ . Babies, as before, should receive mother's milk, and babies who are formula-fed should receive special probiotic milk formulas ³ . Children over 5 years of age are sometimes advised not to feed for 4-6 hours to allow the gastrointestinal tract to recover and prepare for the next meal ³ .

If the child is severely dehydrated, the doctor will take the child to the hospital. Rehydration is carried out by intravenous administration of solutions ².

Enterosorbents

Enterosorbents are one of the first medicines for diarrhea for children. They are used to fight infection, intoxication, and to remove substances that cause diarrhea from the body ² . These drugs are able to remove various toxins, allergens, drugs and bacteria from the body ² . At the same time, the enterosorbents themselves are not absorbed, but act only in the intestine, therefore they do not have any effect on the work of other organs and systems ² .

Antibiotics

According to statistics, about 40% of cases of acute diarrhea in children of the first 5 years of life are caused by rotavirus infection, in 30% - by other viruses ¹ . Only 20% of diarrhea is bacterial ¹ . The remaining 10% includes stool disorders that accompany extraintestinal infections, such as SARS, food poisoning, diseases of the abdominal cavity, as well as those caused by side effects of drugs and other causes ¹ .

The doctor makes the decision on the need for antibiotic therapy based on the clinical picture and after microbiological analysis - determination of the causative agent of diarrhea and its sensitivity to drugs. Antibiotics in the form of tablets for children with diarrhea are indicated only in the case of the bacterial nature of the diarrheal syndrome ² . With the viral nature of the disease, they are ineffective, the main emphasis in treatment is on rehydration and enterosorbents ².

Probiotics

Diarrhea may be accompanied by a violation of the intestinal microflora ^1,2,3 . The death of beneficial bacteria and colonization of the gastrointestinal tract by opportunistic and pathogenic microbes complicates the course of diarrheal syndrome, delays recovery ^1.2 . Probiotics are preparations based on lacto- and bifidobacteria, which normally inhabit the intestines. They contribute to the normalization of microflora and the restoration of disturbed processes of digestion ^1,2,3 .

Enzyme preparations

In intestinal infections, viruses cause focal damage to the epithelium of the small intestine, which leads to a decrease in the activity of lactase and other digestive enzymes. All this disrupts the processes of digestion and assimilation of nutrients and exacerbates the diarrheal syndrome ² . In addition, the child may have an "underlying disease" of the gastrointestinal tract, which affects the digestion of food.

Enzymes for diarrhea in children are prescribed by a doctor, compensate for the lack of their own enzymes in the body, help restore normal digestion and relieve diarrhea ^1.2 .

Antidiarrheals

Antidiarrheals, such as loperamide, are something that can be given to a child with diarrhea only with the permission of a doctor. Loperamide is contraindicated in severe and infectious diarrhea ^1.2 . In mild cases, doctors use it as an aid ⁴ .

IMODIUM® Express contains loperamide, which contributes to the normalization of intestinal motility and the absorption of water and electrolytes ⁵ . Antidiarrheal action begins to develop within the hour ⁶ , which has a beneficial effect on the consistency of the stool and the frequency of defecation. The drug is approved for use in children from 6 years of age ⁵ .

The information in this article is for reference only and does not replace professional medical advice. For diagnosis and treatment, contact a qualified specialist.

"Imodium is contraindicated for use in children under 6 years of age."

Find out how to treat diarrhea in a child from our video!

how to treat and how to stop diarrhea with and without fever

Diarrhea is a fairly common problem in children. Its causes may be different - malnutrition, intestinal infections, taking certain medications, an allergic reaction to certain foods.

Types of diarrhea in a child

According to their varieties and origin, the following types of diarrhea are distinguished: infectious, alimentary, dyspeptic, toxic, drug-induced and neurogenic.

Non-infectious

Non-infectious types of diarrhea include: alimentary, dyspeptic, toxic, drug-induced and neurogenic.

Infectious

Diarrhea can be caused by a viral or bacterial intestinal infection.
Viral infections include:

Adenovirus infection . In this disease, the virus infects the intestinal mucosa, upper respiratory tract, and eyes. Against the background of elevated temperature, abdominal pain and diarrhea are added to the symptoms of a cold (sore throat, cough, runny nose).
Rotavirus infection or "intestinal flu" manifests itself in the form of fever up to 38-39 ° C, diarrhea, vomiting.
Enterovirus infection also manifests itself in the form of flu-like symptoms, that is, sore throat, runny nose, cough, to which vomiting, diarrhea, and bloating are added.

The most common bacterial infections include:

Samlmonellosis is an intestinal infection caused by Salmonella.
Dysentery infection caused by bacteria of the genus Shigella that affects the mucous membrane of the large intestine.

Causes of diarrhea in a child

Diarrhea in a child is a serious problem that should not be underestimated. However, do not confuse diarrhea with a single liquid stool, which can occur when the child has taken unfamiliar food. Loose stools usually do not cause significant discomfort to children.

Consider the most common causes of diarrhea in children.

Infectious diarrhea is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection and is most often accompanied by fever.

Alimentary diarrhea may occur in case of prolonged violation of the diet, a monotonous diet poor in vitamins, as well as in case of allergy to certain foods (strawberries, strawberries, eggs, nuts, etc.) or drugs (for example, iodine, sulfonamides, antibiotics, etc. ).

Dyspeptic diarrhea occurs with secretory insufficiency of the gastrointestinal tract. This condition develops when the stomach, pancreas, liver or intestines do not produce enough enzymes to break down and digest food.

Toxic diarrhea may be caused by poisoning with heavy metals (eg, mercury, arsenic) and other toxic substances - nicotine, ethyl alcohol. The cause of toxic diarrhea can also be the accumulation of endotoxins in the body, for example, in chronic uremia (increased blood urea due to kidney damage).

Drug-induced diarrhea develops with prolonged use of antibiotics that disrupt the normal intestinal microflora and contribute to the development of dysbacteriosis.

Neurogenic diarrhea is caused by a violation of the nervous regulation of bowel function. This type of diarrhea can develop under the influence of negative emotions (anxiety, fear, excitement).

Treatment of diarrhea in a child

If diarrhea develops in children under 1 year of age, hospitalization is necessary, since the loss of a large amount of fluid can be life-threatening for the child.

How to treat with drugs

Treatment of diarrhea in older children is primarily aimed at eliminating the cause that caused it. For example, taking enzymes with insufficient production by the stomach (pepsin), pancreas (pancreatin, panzinorm, festal, mezim, etc.).

In case of alimentary diarrhea and allergic reactions to food or drugs, adsorbents are indicated, such as Enterosgel, activated carbon, Smecta, Neosmectin, Laktofiltrum, etc.

If you have bacterial diarrhea, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics.

In case of dysbacteriosis, it is recommended to prescribe preparations containing intestinal bacteria, bifikol, bifidumbacterin, etc. General strengthening therapy in the form of a vitamin complex can also be prescribed. In case of indigestion, enzymatic preparations festal, mezim forte, kreon, etc. should be used.

Since a child loses a lot of fluid during diarrhea, it must be replenished with drinking saline solutions (regidron, glucosan, cycloglucosan).