Diarrhea

Diarrhea is characterized by watery stool not the frequency of the bowel movements. A more frequent occurrence of diarrhea usually means a worse case and can often be accompanied by vomiting and stomachaches. Most cases of diarrhea are caused by viruses that usually last 24 hours. Other cases may be from food poisoning, bacterial infection, Candida infection or reactions to a medication or allergy. Dehydration from diarrhea in children decreases with age. Children 5 or over usually don’t suffer from diarrhea longer then 24 hours and therefore do not dehydrate. Although always try to have your child sip on some fluids.

If you see a trend in your child’s stomach pains and diarrhea, you should further investigate their symptoms. Watch out for chronic diarrhea, which often appears amongst normal stools. If your child has cycles of bloating, stomach pains, diarrhea and then the release of pain, this is usually a sign of a food allergy or intolerance to certain food. An abnormally low micro flora in the gut and the body’s inability to digest food proteins causes this intolerance to food. An elimination diet could help to discover the allergy causing foods, yet it is also essential to heal the gut, so it is able to digest food properly. We recommend your child see a Naturopath about this issue to have it resolved.

Consult your doctor if:

• Your child has severe persistent pain with blood in their stool.
• Your baby has diarrhea (usually watery stools that are yellowish/greenish and have a foul odour).
• Your child has a case of diarrhea that lasts longer then 48 hours.

Nutrition and Recommendations
Whatever the cause, dehydration may accompany diarrhea therefore it is very important that your child is still getting fluids. Try having your child sip on water. If they are unable to do this or even this causes stomach upset, try ice chips.

When they are able to eat make sure it is simple foods, no sugars, saturated fats and for the next two weeks try to avoid dairy to give your child’s stomach a chance to heal.

If you are breastfeeding your baby continue with breastfeeding. You may also want to take Lactobacillus acidophilus which is very useful for fostering friendly bacteria.