When do you need to go to the doctor when a baby has diarrhea and when can parents themselves help?
Diarrhea in infants is most often caused by viruses, although watery poop can also be caused by other causes. Remember, however, that the task of diarrhea is to cleanse the toddler’s intestines of toxins, thanks to which the body can protect itself against infections. The biggest threat is the symptoms of dehydration and you need to react quickly.
All parents must go through the stage of diarrhea in an infant. This is because it is a natural reflex of the child’s body, which in this way reacts to the excess of substances in the intestine and excretes the least useful ones.
You can recognize a baby diarrhea when he passes watery, loose stools more often than usual, accompanied by crying and an elevated temperature. You cannot leave the house with a child suffering from diarrhea, not only because of the possible cause of diarrhea, i.e. rota virus (a sick toddler can then infect other children) but also because of the infant’s weakness, which needs a lot of rest at this time .
Symptoms of dehydration
We usually know within 12 hours that we are dealing with diarrhea. The baby’s body loses a lot of water during diarrhea, which is very dangerous and life-threatening. The first symptoms of dehydration can be recognized when the baby has a dry mouth, tongue, has bruises under the eyes, and his urine is dark in color and there is an unnatural amount of it (a dehydrated baby does not urinate in the diaper at all). The baby may also be irritable, fidgety and does not shed tears when crying. Before we go with the child to the doctor or before the doctor comes to the child, it is necessary to write down how much fluid he takes and how much he excretes. These notes will help your doctor know what dose you are taking. give the infant electrolytes. These plates are an irrigation preparation that must be individually adjusted to the baby. In addition, other fluids must be given to the infant. Give your baby small doses, regardless of whether he or she is breastfed or receives boiled, chilled water through a bottle.
The doctor should investigate
One thing is for sure. A doctor should examine an infant with symptoms of diarrhea. It is the doctor who must identify and assess the cause of the disease and whether the child is at risk of dehydration. With a baby under 6 months of age, you need to see a pediatrician as soon as possible. Even with older babies, there is no desire to experiment and try to treat yourself at home. For peace of mind and certainty, it is important to inform the doctor about diarrhea as soon as possible. Now, however, pediatricians are clear – there is no need to go off food for so long or change the diet for this time. The protein contained in milk supports the reconstruction of the damaged intestinal mucosa. Eating your little one the same as before will help him recover soon. The toddler should eat the same every day, the only difference is the size of the portion served.