Questions. What should a child's stool look like: norm and pathology Hyperkinetic diarrhea - what is it?

This is what parents need to know. After all, you can often tell a lot about the state of his health by the type of stool a child has.

First of all, the child’s stool will depend on:

1. age of the child
2. type of feeding: breast milk or formula
3. whether the child has started eating solid food

What will a newborn baby's stool be like?

During the first few days of a newborn baby's life, his stool will consist of meconium. This is a greenish-black, sticky, tar-like substance that consists of mucus, amniotic fluid and everything that the baby's stomach digested while still in the womb.
Meconium can be difficult to wipe away, but its appearance means that the intestines are working well.

What will a breastfed baby's stool look like?

The first milk acts as a laxative, helping the baby's body get rid of meconium. Over the course of several days after the baby begins to feed on mother's milk, the newborn's bowel movements will gradually change. It will be like this:

• 1. Not smaller than the size of a 10-kopeck coin
• 2. Gradually lighten, becoming bright or mustard yellow instead of green-brown. This type of stool may have a sweetish odor.
• 3. Soft consistency. May sometimes be loose, grainy or clumpy

In the first weeks of life, a newborn baby's bowel movements are quite frequent: the baby can defecate almost after every feeding, on average 4 times a day. Over time, a system will develop, and the baby's intestines will begin to work on a schedule, and the baby's bowel movements will become regular, forcing you to change the diaper at the same time every day.

After a few weeks, a breastfed baby's stool will change again. The baby may have a bowel movement every few days or once a week. But this is normal if the stool is soft and easily eliminated by the body.

The schedule may change in the following situations

1. You are introducing solid foods into your diet
2. If the child is sick
3. When the number of feedings decreases

How does feeding formula affect stool?

A formula-fed baby's stool is different from a breastfed baby's stool. It can be characterized as follows:

A thicker consistency than that of children on breastfeeding (closer to toothpaste). This happens because formula milk is not completely digested, unlike breast milk.

• The color of the stool is pale yellow or brownish-yellow.
• Strong characteristic odor.

Formula-fed babies are more likely to experience constipation than breastfed babies. Consult a doctor if your child has any problems.

Will my baby's bowel movements change if I switch from breastfeeding to formula?

Yes, it will change. Your baby's stool will become darker and more pasty, and there will be an increase in odor. If you switch from breastfeeding to formula, do it gradually, ideally the transition should take several weeks.

This will give the baby's digestive system time and opportunity to adapt and prevent constipation. And for you, it will reduce the risk of painful breast swelling and mastitis.

Once your baby gets used to bottle feeding, the bowel movement schedule may change dramatically.

What will the baby's stool look like if you start introducing solid foods into the diet?

The introduction of solid foods into a child's diet will noticeably change bowel movements, making them more dependent on what the child has eaten. For example, if you fed your baby carrot puree, the contents of the diaper will be bright orange.

Fibrous foods, such as raisins or baked beans, escape digestion and end up intact in the diaper. This will change as she gets older and is able to digest fiber.

As a variety of foods are introduced into the diet, the stool will become darker, denser and acquire a stronger, characteristic odor.

Which stool is not considered normal?

Diarrhea (frequent loose stools in a child)

Signs of diarrhea:
1. The stool is very loose
2. The child defecates more often or in larger volumes
3. The discharge comes in fragments, unevenly

If you breastfeed your baby, he or she is less likely to experience diarrhea. This happens because breast milk prevents the growth of bacteria that causes diarrhea.

Formula-fed babies are more susceptible to this infection, so it is important to always use sterile kitchen utensils and wash your hands thoroughly.

Causes of diarrhea in a child:

• Gastroenteritis infection
• Reaction to medications
• High sensitivity or allergic reaction to any product

If you are feeding your child with formula, the child’s body’s reaction to formula from different manufacturers may also be different. Before changing your usual formula manufacturer to a new one, be sure to consult your doctor.

If your baby is teething, the stool may become looser, which is normal, but does not lead to diarrhea. If a child has diarrhea, teething is not the cause, most likely it is an infection.

In an older child, diarrhea may be a warning sign of severe constipation. Hard stool blocks the passage, causing loose stool to leak out.

Under normal conditions, diarrhea should stop within 24 hours. If the symptoms do not stop, there is a possibility that the child is dehydrated.

If your child has up to 6 bouts of diarrhea per day, contact your doctor immediately.

Constipation in a child

Children often turn red and strain during bowel movements. This is fine.

But constipation, in turn, manifests itself as follows:

• Having bowel movements is difficult for the child

• The stool is small and dry, like a rabbit's. Or, on the contrary, large in size and solid consistency.
• The child is nervous, cries and screams during bowel movements
• The abdomen is hard to the touch
• There are streaks of blood in the stool, which can be caused by minor skin lesions, anal fissures, or due to the passage of too hard stool

Breastfed babies are less likely to experience constipation than formula-fed babies because breast milk contains all the nutrients needed to maintain soft stools.

During the first days, a newborn’s stool is dark green, odorless, and has a viscous consistency. This is meconium accumulated during the fetal development of the child. After the baby's first feeding, the stool becomes lighter, with lumps of curdled milk.

Normal child's stool

Breastfed babies have stool that is golden-yellow in color, the thickness of liquid sour cream, often interspersed with greens or turns green in the air (due to bilirubin, which in infants is excreted unchanged in feces), with a sour smell. In feces, bifidobacteria and lactic acid bacilli predominate, and in smaller quantities - E. coli.

The norm is the number of bowel movements in the first 6 months up to 5 times a day, after six months - 2-3 times a day.

With artificial feeding, the feces are thicker, pasty, pale yellow to brown in color, depending on the nature of the food, often with an unpleasant odor. There is a lot of E. coli in the stool. Stool up to 3-4 times a day in the first half of the year, 1-2 times after 6 months.

The amount of feces in the first month of life is 15 g, and then gradually increases to 40-50 g for 1-3 bowel movements per day.

The stool of children older than one year is formed, the color is from brown to dark brown, and does not contain pathological impurities, mucus, or blood. The frequency of stool is 1-2 times a day.

Dyspepsia- digestive disorders, mainly of a functional nature, resulting from insufficient secretion of digestive enzymes or poor nutrition. Intestinal dyspepsia is manifested by diarrhea and, less often, on the contrary, constipation, flatulence, rumbling.

Constipation in a child

Constipation- this is a slow movement of food through the intestines, while putrefactive processes occur in the intestines and toxins are formed that disrupt the child’s condition. With constipation, stool is dense and thick, and comes out in the form of a traditional “poop.” Compaction of feces can lead to injury to the anal mucosa and the appearance of cracks. Constipation is usually associated with the child's diet.

If the baby has not had a bowel movement for more than two days and the child becomes restless, it is necessary to induce a bowel movement with an enema.
How to give your baby an enema?

For an enema, fill a sterile bottle with clean boiled water at room temperature, lubricate the tip with Vaseline and carefully insert it into the anus. Do not add soap or other substances to the water - it may cause burns.

BUT: frequent use of enemas can lead to increased constipation, so if your baby does not have bowel movements for several days and this happens often, consult a doctor.

For children suffering from constipation, the menu includes prune puree, dried apricots, oatmeal, and kefir. You should not give rice porridge or broth, they can lead to increased constipation.

Diarrhea in a child

Diarrhea in an infant can occur due to overfeeding, exposure to poor quality foods, and certain diseases. The loss of only 10% (of body weight) of moisture by the body is critical; for an infant this is about 300 g. Therefore, it is important to understand that diarrhea for an infant can be fatal and to take measures: a child with diarrhea must be constantly given water to drink. To prevent salts from being washed out of the body, a preparation for preparing saline solutions, for example “Rehydron”, is added to the water; if it is impossible to go to the pharmacy, a tablespoon of salt + a tablespoon of sugar per 1 liter of water. Give your child a teaspoon every 5-7 minutes. If loose stools recur, you need to call a pediatrician who will prescribe medications to stop diarrhea, and until the doctor arrives, leave a diaper or diaper with loose stools for a visual examination by a specialist.

Stool color, mucus

The color of stool may vary. There may be a small amount of mucus and greens in the stool of an infant (this depends on the nature of the diet, in particular the mother, if the baby is breastfed), but a larger than usual amount of mucus, especially mixed with blood, or a sharp change in smell (stench) talks about the disease. A certain amount of blood, streaks of blood in the stool can occur with constipation (when the passage of feces is difficult, small vessels in the rectum burst). This is dangerous for the child, since pathogenic microorganisms can get into the cracks and an inflammatory process will develop.

With dysbacteriosis, it is possible to dilute the stool with a large amount of mucus and greens, undigested lumps; or thickening - stool is darker in color, mask-like, with a putrid odor.

If this happens, the baby begins to groan, behave restlessly and cry during bowel movements. There may be several reasons for this condition:

• disturbances in intestinal function;
• problems in the gastrointestinal tract associated with a lack of enzymes;
• improper and unbalanced nutrition;
• nervous tension and stress;
• lack of fluid in the body

The most common reason is poor nutrition of the baby. If a child eats a lot of flour, spicy, salty foods, as well as bananas, then problems are inevitable. In an infant, this may be caused by an unsuitable adapted milk formula. If hard stool appears in a breastfed baby, you need to reconsider the mother’s diet. The diet should contain sufficient quantities of plant foods and fermented milk products.

Baby's stool is very hard

When a child has very hard stool, this may indicate a serious problem. A baby may have intestinal dysbiosis when its normal microflora is disrupted. The number of beneficial bacteria is reduced, which creates conditions for fermentation, the appearance of fungi and uncharacteristic microorganisms. Another cause may be Staphylococcus aureus. This is a bacterium that causes various infections. This may be the result of the presence of Klebsiella in the body. To determine the exact cause, you need to see a doctor and undergo the necessary tests.

Hard stool with blood in a child

If you notice blood in your child's hard stool, make sure that this is not the result of the coloring of foods eaten (tomatoes, beets or blueberries). If this is not the reason, then it may be due to anal fissures due to frequent constipation. The baby experiences pain during bowel movements and cries. To prevent cracks, give your child bran. Hard stool with blood may indicate a stomach or duodenal ulcer. If the child is pale and other signs of gastritis are present, call a doctor immediately. Rectal polyps can also cause a similar condition. In this case, rectoscopy is necessary, when the rectum is examined using a probe.

Hard grains in a child's stool

If you find hard grains in your baby's stool, these may be sodium oxalate crystals. They accumulate in certain digestive disorders. See a doctor to determine the cause. You may need to make a capprogram. Mom should be careful about her diet. In some cases, the cause is unsuitable diapers for the baby. White grains in a baby's stool are normal. These are calcium salts.

For an older child, grains in the stool may indicate undigested food residues after eating seeds or seeds. Usually in this case, the grains are black. White solid grains may indicate undigested fats along with proteins. In this situation, also visit a specialist and take the prescribed tests.

My child has hard stool, what should I do?

If your child has hard stool, first of all, you need to see a doctor and find out the cause. Increase your child's fluid intake and plain water. Add more vegetables and fruits to your diet and reduce your consumption of potatoes, sweets and flour products. Every day, the baby should eat fermented milk products, preferably home-made. Wheat bread should be replaced with bran and wholemeal products. The child should move more, do physical exercises, and squat more often. Massage your abdomen daily in a clockwise circular motion.

very hard stool. What to do?

Don’t you have dysbiosis?

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Baby's hard stool

Why does my baby have hard stools?

If your baby is pooping heavily, it may be caused by:

• structural disorders of the intestine;
• disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (in particular, enzymatic deficiency);
• unhealthy diet;
• stress.

Most often, a child's hard stool is caused by poor nutrition. If a child’s diet contains an excess of flour, meat, spicy, salty foods, as well as sweets, he cannot have normal bowel movements (and the norm is to have a bowel movement once a day). Very hard stool in a child can also be caused by an excessive craving for bananas. Although bananas are a very healthy plant food, they cause constipation in many children.

If you notice hard stool in an infant, you should pay attention to the mother's diet or the side effects that infant formula has (for formula-fed babies). Problems with stool in a nursing mother will inevitably affect the well-being of the child himself, which is why it is so important to ensure that her diet contains enough plant foods, as well as fresh fermented milk products.

If your child has problems with bowel regularity due to the transition to a new formula, this sign indicates that this formula may not be the best choice for your baby.

How to help if a child has very hard stools?

1. Increase the amount of fluid consumed during the day.
2. Introduce more fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet.
3. Minimize the consumption of carbohydrate foods (sweets, flour products, potatoes).
4. Add fresh vegetable oil to food.
5. Feed your child daily with fresh fermented milk products (preferably home-made).
6. Replace fresh wheat bread with bread made from wholemeal flour and bran.
7. Make the child move more (exercises with squats are especially useful).
8. Massage the baby's abdomen (making circular movements clockwise).

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Sheep feces in a child: possible causes and solutions to the problem

Constipation, as is known, is characterized by difficulty in defecation. And if your baby's bowel movements are hard and irregular, they may look like sheep feces or pebbles. This problem occurs due to various physiological or nervous disorders.

Irregular hard stool in a child is thick, hard stool, shaped like small balls, and it looks like pebbles. Often, sheep feces cause great discomfort to the baby in the form of painful bowel movements, abdominal pain, and flatulence.

The process of defecation may be accompanied not only by severe pain, but also by general weakness and fever.

Causes of hard (sheep) feces in a child

There are many reasons why a child may have hard stool. And here are the most common ones:

• dysbacteriosis;
• use of medications containing enzymes;
• stress;
• various diseases.

There are many reasons for the appearance of sheep feces in a child, but most often this problem is associated with dysbacteriosis. Dysbacteriosis can occur if the expectant mother suffered some kind of infectious disease during pregnancy, as a result of a cesarean section, or malnutrition of the baby.

Doctors prescribe medications with digestive enzymes to improve the digestion process. But regular use of drugs such as Panzinorm Forte, Mezim Forte, Creon, Festal, Smecta, Imodium and others very often becomes the cause of sheep feces.

Stress can also cause the appearance of hard feces in a child, and even in an infant. An unfavorable family environment, severe fear, potty training, conflicts in kindergarten or school, severe punishment of parents for wrongdoing - all this causes stress in the baby, and therefore the consequences in the form of constipation may not take long to come!

Various diseases can also cause hard feces in a child, for example: anal fissure, abnormal development of the colon, pelvic floor pathologies, irritable bowel syndrome, diabetes, etc.

What to do if your child has hard stools?

What to do if your baby's poop looks like sheep's? There are many ways to improve your baby’s condition, but, of course, it is best to approach this issue comprehensively, not limiting yourself to one of the recommendations given.

• Give your baby more fluids to drink;
• increase the amount of fruits and dried fruits in the diet;
• minimize the consumption of flour products;
• give your little one homemade unsweetened kefir;
• Give your baby a belly massage and increase his physical activity.

If you notice that your child's stool looks like sheep feces, then the first thing you should do is increase the daily amount of liquid he drinks. You can give the patient water not only with clean water, but also with juices, compote, and fruit juice.

The diet should also be adjusted. If you have difficulty defecating, it is recommended to eat beets, pumpkin, apples, and kiwi. But it is advisable to eat dried fruits before bed. It can be raisins, prunes, dried apricots, figs.

During constipation, you should not eat flour products. When dealing with sheep feces, you need to minimize the consumption of bread and baked goods, noodles, dumplings, and rice. Even semolina porridge, which is familiar to babies, hardens the stool and can cause constipation!

Many people know that with hard stool you need to drink kefir. But sweet kefir, just like yesterday’s, strengthens the stool. Therefore, a patient with sheep feces should be given exclusively fresh homemade kefir and without sugar!

If all these recommendations do not give a positive result and the child’s stool has not returned to normal and is still hard, he can be given lactulose syrup. This could be Duphalac, Normaze, Lactusan, etc. Just remember that it is prohibited to use such drugs often! You can use them once to alleviate the condition and induce bowel movements. If, despite all your actions, constipation does not go away within a few days, you should consult a doctor!

Diarrhea and constipation in a 10 month old child

Constipation in a 10 month old child: what to do

Constipation in a 10-month-old child is one of the most common gastrointestinal problems. Moreover, this diagnosis is usually made if there is no bowel movement for more than two days or the stool is daily, but very hard, and the act of defecation causes pain to the child. The accumulation of feces in the intestines for a long time can lead to intoxication of the body and very serious consequences. Therefore, do not delay in solving this problem.

First of all, try to adjust your diet. Eliminate bread, dry goods, cookies, pasta, rice, limit potatoes. Give your baby more liquid: clean water or dried fruit compote. The following vegetables and fruits have a laxative effect: beets, pumpkin, zucchini, cauliflower, prunes, apple puree, peaches, apricots. Fermented milk products with bifidobacteria, for example, children's biokefir, help well. If your baby tolerates beets well, you can make a beet salad with prunes and olive oil. At night, you can offer your baby half a teaspoon of beet juice.

If diet does not bring relief, be sure to use medications. Duphalac syrup has a cumulative effect. Its active ingredient lactulose not only softens stool, but also enriches the intestinal microflora. Microlax microenemas or suppositories with glycerin have a faster effect. However, they cannot be used continuously. In any case, if a 10-month-old child has constipation, it is imperative to identify the cause of the disease and eliminate it.

A 10-month-old child has diarrhea: what to do?

Loose stools in a 10-month-old child are also common. This may be due to the introduction of a new type of complementary food, or to various deviations in the baby’s health (infection, poisoning, lack of enzymes, dysbacteriosis, teething syndrome, various diseases). Diarrhea is diagnosed in a baby if the stool is liquid, foaming, has an unpleasant odor, and is streaked with blood, pus, or mucus. Each of these symptoms individually may indicate a problem. Green diarrhea in a 10-month-old child may indicate dysbacteriosis, a bacterial or viral infection.

If you have diarrhea, be sure to call a doctor. Prolonged diarrhea can even threaten the baby's life. Therefore, before the specialist arrives, be sure to monitor the replenishment of fluid in the child’s body. To do this, offer him water or Regidron solution often and in small portions. Among the traditional methods, rice water works well. Diarrhea in a 10-month-old child without and with fever should be treated immediately. The doctor will recommend medications for you. Before his arrival, you can give your baby Smecta, Enterosgel or Filtrum. They will not only cleanse the body of toxins, but also help normalize stool. In addition, your doctor may prescribe you prebiotics and other medications. The main thing is to identify the cause of diarrhea and eliminate it.

A detailed explanation of the problem of constipation in children of different ages: causes, effective and safe treatment

All materials about the treatment of Constipation

Constipation is a complex problem and its causes, manifestations and treatment can be very different and largely depend on age. Therefore, we decided to explain the problem of constipation depending on age by creating three separate articles:

In this article we will look at the causes and treatment of constipation in children over one year old.

Where to start solving the problem of constipation in a child?

Not in all situations when parents say or think that a child is constipated, the child actually suffers from constipation. In a number of cases, what parents call “constipation” and for which they undertake intensive treatment is a completely normal phenomenon that does not require any intervention. In order to understand whether your child really suffers from constipation and whether he needs treatment, carefully study the following recommendations.

How can you tell if your child is truly constipated?

Typically, parents are concerned about the following phenomena, which are interpreted as “constipation”:

• Stool consistency – the child produces stool that is too dense (hard)
• Frequency of stool – the child rarely walks in a big way
• Condition of the child during defecation - the child is very restless, cries, grunts and apparently has significant difficulty in defecating

Of the signs presented above, only the first sign (formation of dense feces), regardless of how often it is observed and how the child feels, is an indisputable sign of constipation. Thick stool can be passed quite easily (small pellets similar to “sheep poo”) and quite often (almost every day), but despite this, it remains a sign of constipation.

Too few bowel movements may be a sign of constipation if a child over one year old has fewer than 3 bowel movements per week or if they are associated with the formation of dense stool.

The third sign (the baby's restlessness or visibly straining during bowel movements) may or may not be a sign of constipation, depending on the situation.

Another sign of constipation may be fecal incontinence, that is, the child’s uncontrollable release of liquid and very bad-smelling feces, or dry, flaky feces.

When might constipation be a sign of a very serious problem?

• The child has had no feces for 1-2 days and no gases, or feces have appeared in the form of a bloody clot
• The child seems restless, refuses to eat, and cries a lot
• Vomiting or fever appeared simultaneously with constipation

Also, be sure to show your child to the doctor if you notice that the child has weakness in the legs (a child over a year old falls and cannot stand on his own), any changes in the shape of the legs, back, asymmetrical buttocks, or any other signs that you do not understand that cause concern.

The child has hard, bulky stool, which is very difficult to pass out. What to do?

If your child has very dense stool (fecal impaction, fecal blockage), then before understanding in detail the possible causes of constipation and selecting the appropriate preventive treatment, it is important to help the child remove the stool. To solve this problem, we recommend that you immediately go to the Treatment section (below) and study the recommendations presented there.

What should you pay attention to to solve the problem of constipation in a child?

In order to correctly, effectively and safely solve the problem of constipation in a child, pay attention to the following points:

The first thing to do when faced with the problem of constipation in children is to assess how often the child experiences constipation.

The child has rare constipation (episodes of normal stool significantly exceed the frequency of episodes of hard stool)

• Rare cases of constipation are completely normal and can occur from time to time in all healthy children.
• Usually, rare constipation is not associated with any serious intestinal diseases and does not require a visit to the doctor (unless there are other signs of illness in the child)
• Rare episodes of constipation do not require any special treatment and can only be resolved through first aid measures, which will be described below in the Treatment section.

Frequent constipation (when episodes of hard stools outnumber episodes of normal soft stools or when the child has prolonged episodes of hard stools)

• Frequent cases of constipation should be considered abnormal and a possible sign of a serious illness
• Frequent constipation can cause changes in the structure of the child's intestines (acquired megacolon) and cause fecal incontinence (encopresis)
• A child with frequent episodes of constipation should be seen by a doctor to determine the causes of the disease and carry out special treatment.

Regardless of how often a child experiences constipation, try to assess the child’s general well-being using the following criteria:

• How, in general, does the child behave? Can we say that he is restless, irritable, has no interest in the events happening around him, is too sleepy, does not play much?
• How does a child develop? Have you noticed that he is behind in height or weight?
• Have you noticed a certain lag in the child’s mental development?
• What does the child look like externally? Does his skin and hair look dry and flabby? Does he have a skin rash?
• Have you noticed that your child often “stains his laundry” with feces?

Children with rare episodes of constipation that are not associated with any serious illness usually appear completely healthy and develop well.

Children with frequent constipation, on the contrary, may suffer from some serious diseases that are manifested not only by constipation, but also by other symptoms that create the impression of a “sick, apathetic child” and can provoke the child to lag in height, weight and mental development.

The cause of chronic constipation in a child can be such conditions as:

• acidosis
• hypothyroidism
• hyperparathyroidism
• celiac disease
• diabetes
• adrenal insufficiency
• rickets
• hypercalcemia
• myasthenia gravis
• scleroderma
• spinal cord diseases
• abnormalities of the nervous system.

In some of the above conditions, the stool may remain soft, but the child may experience significant difficulty in passing it. As a rule, in such cases, in addition to constipation, other symptoms of the disease appear. If you suspect that your child is not healthy, be sure to show him or her to the doctor.

Sudden constipation in a child

Sudden and rare episodes of constipation in children over 1 year of age (and especially over 4-5 years of age) receiving a varied diet may be closely related to the nature of the diet.

In particular, constipation can be caused by a lack of dietary fiber and particulates in the child's diet (if the child receives mainly meat, milk and other animal products). Let us immediately note that this is not always a consequence of the inattention or irresponsibility of parents.

It is well known that at the age of 1-4 years, children can be extremely selective in food and often outright refuse such healthy foods as vegetables, cereals, etc. For this reason, organizing truly healthy nutrition in practice at this age can be quite difficult.

However, parents should try to enrich the child's diet with high-fiber foods as much as possible (see section below, Step-by-step treatment for constipation in children). At the same time, it is imperative to offer your child to drink water throughout the day. Fiber has a very high ability to absorb water, so consuming high amounts of fiber without enough water can lead to severe constipation. For example, in the summer, constipation in a child can be caused by excessive consumption of plant products (berries, fruits) with thick skins and seeds. The solution to the problem, in this case, is to facilitate the elimination of dense feces (see below) and limit the consumption of foods that cause constipation (add water).

Persistent (chronic) constipation that occurs in an apparently healthy child

As mentioned above, the main cause of constipation in children over 1 year of age is the habit of holding stool. Typically, this habit is formed due to the fact that one day the child felt pain, discomfort or fear during bowel movements. In this case, associating defecation with pain or other unpleasant experiences, the child in the future will try to avoid defecation and begin to hold stool.

As the habit of holding stool (suppressing the urge to defecate) develops, the child's rectum stretches and loses sensitivity - as a result, the child ceases to feel the natural urge to defecate, which further aggravates fecal retention and closes the vicious circle of disease development. Due to severe distension and loss of sensation in the rectum, children older than one year who suffer from chronic constipation may develop fecal incontinence.

What is psychological constipation?

Constipation caused by stress, pain and other psychological factors is called “psychological”.

The appearance of psychological constipation often coincides with such changes in the child’s life as weaning and transition to solid food, the beginning of potty training, the beginning of kindergarten, the beginning of school, long excursions, and travel.

At an early age, the habit of holding stool and suppressing the urge to defecate can develop in a child in response to ridicule, reproaches and pressure from adults due to the fact that the child does not yet know how to ask to go to the potty.

Another cause of psychological constipation is the clearly expressed negative attitude of adults towards feces. Parents often use the word “kaka” not only to refer to feces, but also to designate various objects that the child should avoid (“touch, this is kaka,” “you can’t, this is kaka”). Thus, some children conclude that “kaka” is bad and they should try not to do “kaka”.

If you notice that prolonged constipation has developed in an apparently healthy child, pay attention to the changes that have occurred in his life.

Constipation occurred in a child who was being potty trained

Potty training is one of the main causes of constipation in children aged 1 to 3 years.

Unfortunately, many parents are overly persistent, and sometimes careless, when trying to teach their child this important life skill. Significantly complicating the problem is the extremely common but completely erroneous belief that at the age of 1 year, and even more so at 2 and 3 years old, children are “obliged” to go to the potty and if they do not do this, then they simply need to be forced to do so.

When faced with the problem of constipation in a child after starting potty training:

• Stop trying to potty train your child until constipation goes away.
• Check out our recommendations for Toilet Skills Training for Children

The child developed constipation after starting kindergarten or school

Starting to attend kindergarten is one of the main causes of constipation in healthy children aged 3-4 years. Most children are embarrassed to ask to go to the toilet or to be in the toilet in unfamiliar conditions or in the presence of other people's children or adults.

The optimal solution to the problem in this case is to teach the child to go to the toilet at home, preferably in the morning, after breakfast.

Constipation in a child + blood in stool or toilet paper

The appearance of fresh blood streaks in the stool or on toilet paper after constipation may be a sign of rupture of small blood vessels in the rectal area.

If a child suffers from constipation very rarely and traces of blood in the stool appear also rarely or even less often, no special treatment is needed.

In such a situation, the appearance of blood in the stool may be a sign of hemorrhoids or anal fissure, which can cause chronic constipation.

With hemorrhoids or anal fissure, the child experiences severe pain during bowel movements and therefore tries to retain feces for as long as possible. In this case, feces accumulate in the intestines in large quantities and form dense, voluminous lumps. The release of such feces inevitably leads to a deepening of the crack or worsening of hemorrhoids, which further complicates the problem according to the principle of a vicious circle.

Constipation in a child after starting medication

Constipation is most often observed during treatment with the following medications:

• antispasmodics (for example, No-shpa)
• calcium channel blockers
• antidepressants
• muscle relaxants
• anticonvulsants
• iron supplements
• antacids
• bismuth preparations

Perhaps the doctor will cancel treatment, replace the “culprit” medicine with another, or give additional recommendations regarding the prevention of constipation in this situation.

Until you see a doctor, continue giving your child's medications even if you think they are causing your child constipation. Also, be careful when using laxatives to treat constipation in a child (using laxatives may make other medications less effective).

If your child is being treated for a serious medical condition (eg, epilepsy, arrhythmia), do not give laxatives at least 2 hours before and 2 hours after taking other medications.

Constipation in a child after antibiotic treatment

In some cases, antibiotic treatment can actually cause constipation. Due to the fact that one of the possible causes of constipation after using antibiotics may be the development of intestinal dysbiosis, treatment in such situations is recommended with drugs from the group of prebiotics (for example, lactulose), which, in addition to a reliable laxative effect, have the ability to stimulate the restoration of normal intestinal microflora. (see Treatment below)

Explanation of the causes and mechanisms of development of constipation in children over one year old

It is well known that an effective solution to any problem is possible only if we know the reasons and principles underlying its occurrence.

In the problem of constipation in children, everything is much more complicated than it might seem at first glance, and the numerous mistakes that parents make when trying to solve this problem only prove this once again. In this regard, below we offer a detailed explanation of this issue.

Before you begin studying resources on treating constipation in children, take a moment to study the following diagram - it will help you better understand the problem and open up the opportunity for you to really help your child.

Explanation of the diagram

1. The main causes of constipation in children over one year of age are poor diet or shame associated with bowel movements.
2. Constipation in a child (formation of dense feces) can begin under the influence of either the first or second cause (or both causes at once). Painful and difficult passage of dense feces during constipation can increase the stress and shame associated with bowel movements, so if constipation began only due to malnutrition, very soon a psychological component is included in its development - the child begins to deliberately retain feces, consciously suppressing the urge to defecate.
3. Intentional fecal retention leads to the accumulation of bulky masses of dense feces in the rectum, which stretch the intestinal walls. As the child's rectum becomes stretched, it becomes less sensitive. This leads to the fact that some time after the onset of constipation, the child ceases to feel the urge to defecate (he simply does not feel that he needs to go to the toilet) and fecal retention occurs unconsciously. Long-term fecal retention only aggravates the problem - the feces become more voluminous and more densely and increasingly injure the child’s intestines with the formation of rectal fissures and, in some cases, hemorrhoids. Both hemorrhoids and rectal fissures manifest themselves in severe pain during bowel movements. It is completely understandable that when experiencing pain while going to the toilet, the child will try to visit the toilet as little as possible and will deliberately suppress the urge to defecate.
4. Significant stretching of the rectal muscles due to prolonged constipation can cause the child's intestines to lose the ability to close tightly and retain feces. As a result, the child will develop encopresis. Encopresis, especially for children over 3 years of age, can be an extremely shameful phenomenon (especially if this point of view is also supported by adults). The shame caused by encopresis can only aggravate the problem, since because of it the child will try even harder to retain feces, which means that his intestines will increasingly lose the ability to function normally.

If you notice fecal incontinence in your child, review our recommendations in the article Treatment of encopresis in children. Within the general developmental cycle of constipation, different combinations of causes can exist, regardless of other causes. For example, the formation of hard stool, fear and shame associated with defecation, and gradual distension of the rectum can all effectively support the development of constipation, even in children who do not have an anal fissure or hemorrhoids.

Treatment of sudden constipation in children over one year of age. First aid.

As mentioned above, single and short-lived episodes of constipation can occur in all healthy children and do not require any special treatment other than first aid measures.

If there is obvious constipation and a large amount of dense feces has accumulated in the child’s rectum, the first and only thing to do is to help the child remove the feces.

In children older than one year, it is best to use laxatives in the form of tablets or solution. The optimal laxative for the treatment and prevention of constipation of any type in children over 6 months of age are lactulose preparations, which are highly effective and safe.

Lactulose has a pleasant sweet taste, is usually liked by children and leads to resolution of constipation within hours. Lactulose is especially useful when long-term treatment of constipation is needed. The exact dosage of lactulose preparations is selected depending on the age of the child, and on average is 5 ml. Complete resolution of constipation is usually observed within 2-3 days.

In addition to lactulose, to eliminate acute constipation, you can use polyethylene glycol in the amount of 1 g per kg of child’s body weight. The medication should be divided into 2 doses (morning and evening). Treatment can be carried out for 3 days.

Other laxatives for children

For children 2-6 years old: 2.5-7.5 ml per day

For children 6-12 years old: 5-15 ml per day

For children under 3 years old: 1 rectal suppository, 5 mg per day

For children over 3 years of age: 0.3 mg/kg body weight, 1 time per day, orally

Depending on age - mg, orally, 1 time per day

Castor oil is used extremely rarely, only in cases of ineffectiveness of any other laxatives.

Dose: 5-10 ml, orally, 1 time

In cases where the child cannot independently remove very dense and voluminous feces, sit him on your lap so that his buttocks sag between your thighs. Further, while the child is straining and the “top” of dense feces appears from the anus, very carefully press on the perineum and on the edges of the anus in the direction from the child’s genitals to the tailbone, trying to flatten the feces inside the rectum. After several attempts, the deformed lump of feces will come out of the intestines.

Frequent use of laxatives made from aloe, senna, buckthorn, rhubarb, as well as drugs such as bisacodyl, castor oil, and salt enemas is not recommended. With prolonged use, laxatives from these groups are addictive and can cause serious side effects. If necessary, long-term treatment with these drugs can only be carried out under the supervision of a physician.

If you notice that the need to use anti-constipation medications is becoming more frequent, be sure to take your child to the doctor. Treatment of chronic constipation in children should begin only after a detailed examination of the child and identification of the exact cause of the disease.

Treatment of chronic constipation in children over one year of age

As mentioned above, chronic constipation in children over one year of age develops according to the principle of a vicious circle, the links of which are specific causes.

Looking at the pictures one by one, you will be able to notice the following important points:

• The main causes of constipation in children over one year of age are poor diet and stress associated with bowel movements. These reasons can trigger the development of constipation, but the disease can further develop without them.
• After applying one or another treatment measure, certain connections in the general circle of disease development disappear, but individual cycles of a large circle may remain. In this regard, the problem of chronic constipation in a child can be eliminated only through complex treatment aimed simultaneously at all parts of the disease development process.

By carefully examining the diagram above and comparing it with the data of your own problem, you will be able to understand exactly what phenomena support the development of chronic constipation in your child and, therefore, what treatment is necessary to successfully solve the problem.

1. Carefully review our recommendations above regarding when baby constipation may be a sign of a serious problem (see above). If you think that your child's constipation may be associated with some other disease, be sure to show your child to the doctor before starting any treatment.
2. If constipation began relatively recently in a child (a few weeks ago), begin treatment consisting of first aid (see above) + ensuring proper nutrition + eliminating stress. It is quite possible that only these measures will be enough to temporarily solve the problem. To prevent the problem from recurring in the future, follow the recommendations in point 4.
3. If constipation in a child has been going on for quite some time (several months or years), arrange treatment consisting of a long course of laxatives + proper nutrition + stress elimination + (if necessary) treatment of hemorrhoids and rectal fissures. As the treatment begins to produce results, create conditions for the implementation of point 4.
4. The ultimate goal of treatment in any case should be to develop the child's normal habit of having bowel movements daily and without stress (see below).

Diet for treating constipation in children

An important component of the treatment of chronic constipation in children over one year of age is adherence to a normal diet with the following dietary features:

• Make sure that the child's total fluid intake (plain water + fruit juice (apple, plum, peach)) is at least 1-1.5 liters per day (depending on the child's age). Fiber and fruit sugars contained in juices retain water in the intestinal lumen and soften stool.
• Try to enrich your child's diet with foods high in fiber: fresh fruits (except those mentioned below) and vegetables, wholemeal bread.
• Eliminate from the child’s diet foods that delay bowel movements: meat broths, pureed soups, rice and semolina porridges, jelly, strong tea, coffee, fruits such as pears, quinces, pomegranates
• Try to temporarily eliminate milk and dairy products from your child's diet or replace them with soy products. Some studies have shown that chronic constipation in children is often caused by an allergy to cow's milk. In this case, eliminating dairy products from the child’s diet leads to a quick resolution of constipation. As constipation resolves, you can try to carefully reintroduce dairy products into your child's diet.

It is convenient to create an effective diet for the treatment of constipation by comparing different types of foods for the same purpose:

White bread with bran

Muesli with dried fruits

Sweets and cookies with dried fruits

Whole grain sweets

Cookies made from premium flour

Still mineral water

Fresh dairy products

Tea (black or green)

Psychological support for the child

Children over 3 years of age can be very worried about constipation (and encopresis), especially if they do not receive adequate understanding and support from adults.

If in the case of your child, constipation is not associated with some congenital disease of the intestines or other internal organs, then most likely it is associated with stress, fear and pain, which the child associates with bowel movements.

Think carefully about the conditions under which the child developed constipation and try to identify possible psychological reasons that cause the child to retain feces.

In some cases, believing what is shown in advertisements or in movies, children may become seriously afraid of germs, monsters, and monsters that “might be in the toilet.” It also happens that children endow their feces with the properties of an animate being and are afraid that the feces will “drown in the toilet.” Be sure to ask your child whether he has such fears and try to reassure him with an understandable explanation.

Try to create for the child a special environment of peace, quiet, trust, safety and ease - this will help the child restore normal bowel function.

Preventive treatment with laxatives

The prophylactic use of laxatives, in the form of a long course of treatment, makes the stool soft, helps restore the normal size and sensitivity of the child's rectum and creates favorable conditions for the healing of rectal fissures.

For children over 3 years of age, it is best to use oral laxatives. Enemas and rectal suppositories can be very unpleasant and distressing for a child, so it is best to avoid using them.

Due to the risk of some serious side effects, long-term treatment with laxatives should only be carried out under the supervision of a physician.

The safest and most effective laxatives for treating chronic constipation in children are:

• Polyethylene glycol: maximum 0.8-1 g per kg body weight, 1 time per day (1 tablespoon = 17 g). The medicine should be dissolved in 250 ml of water and given to the child to drink.
• Lactulose: 1-3 ml per kg. body weight (maximum 60 ml per day) divided into 2 doses per day (half in the morning and the other half in the evening). According to some studies, polyethylene glycol-based laxatives relieve constipation faster and are tolerated much better than lactulose-based laxatives.
• Supplements with dietary fiber (microcrystalline cellulose, psyllium preparations, Forlax) in quantities calculated by the formula: child’s age in years + 5 = number of grams of fiber that the child should receive per day.

It is important to take fiber supplements with plenty of water, otherwise they can cause increased constipation and other serious complications.

How do you know if laxative treatment is effective and how long should it last?

• At the beginning of treatment, you may need to increase the dose of the medicine over a period of time until your child begins to have soft stools every day.
• Treatment with laxatives is continued for several months (up to a year). The duration of treatment is determined individually for each case.
• The goal of treatment is the stable occurrence of 1-2 episodes of bowel movements every day with the passage of soft stools that are easy for the child.

Formation of normal bowel habits (emptying your bowels daily and without stress)

After starting treatment with laxatives, having soft, regular stools, and eliminating the fear, pain, and stress associated with bowel movements, it is important to try to establish normal bowel habits in your child. This can be achieved simply by following these rules:

• Without coercion, invite your child to go to the toilet 2-3 times a day (especially after breakfast and dinner), preferably always at the same time
• Make sure the potty or toilet seat is warm and comfortable. When seating small children on the toilet, use a special children's circle so that the child can sit stably (some children are afraid of falling butt into the toilet). Try offering a small stool for your child to rest his feet on and relieve tension in his abdominal muscles.
• While your child spends time on the potty or toilet, try to keep him occupied with something for 5-10 minutes
• If your child attends school or kindergarten, try to wake him up a minute earlier so that he can go to the toilet without haste in the morning, after breakfast.
• Do not insist that your child go to the toilet at school or kindergarten

After forming a stable bowel habit and completely eliminating the possible causes of constipation, you can begin to gradually wean the child off laxatives (after several months of continuous treatment), subject to maintaining treatment with dietary fiber supplements, following a diet and developing correct toilet habits.

publication date: 07/12/2011

Last revision of the article: 9T15:08:47+02:00.

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In the first year of a child’s life, the functions of the digestive system are not yet fully formed, and therefore, the feces (stool) of newborns and children of the first year of life have a number of characteristic features. Stool analysis also has some features that are important to consider when trying to establish a diagnosis of dysbiosis or digestive disorders. The properties of a child's stool depend on the nutrition he receives, so the normal stool of breastfed children is very different from the stool of bottle-fed children.

Features of stool analysis in newborns

The first stool that passes approximately 8 to 10 hours after the baby is born is called meconium. It is a mucus plug that contains a small number of cells lining the baby's intestines, as well as tiny droplets of fat and a yellow-green pigment - bilirubin. Meconium is usually a sticky, thick, odorless substance that has a viscous consistency and a dark green color. Its characteristic color is given by bilirubin, which is formed during the breakdown of the baby's erythrocytes (red blood cells). Typically, meconium is sterile, meaning it does not contain germs. Normal passage of meconium in the form of greenish-black mucus in a total amount of up to 100 g continues for another 2-3 days after birth.

What diseases are detected by meconium analysis?

Meconium examination is an important step in identifying some congenital diseases of the child’s digestive system. An important indicator is the time of passage of the first meconium (normally, the first portion is released in the first 8-10 hours of the child’s life). Delayed passage more than 24 hours after birth is called meconium ileus and may be a sign of the following diseases:

1. Cystic fibrosis is a hereditary disease that is characterized by increased production of thick mucus by the body's glands (including the intestinal glands). Meconium in this case becomes too viscous and is not able to come out.
2. Anomalies of intestinal development (overgrowth of the intestinal lumen - atresia, narrowing of the intestinal lumen - stenosis, etc.) cause delayed passage of meconium. Treatment in such cases consists of surgical restoration of intestinal patency.

Features of feces of a breastfed child in the first year of life.

With breastfeeding, the baby receives all the necessary nutrients, vitamins and minerals with milk. In addition, mother's milk contains enzymes that allow the baby to absorb the maximum amount of nutrients. Fecal frequency in breastfed children changes with age:

False diarrhea

Once again, we draw the readers' attention to the fact that loose, frequent stools in infants receiving breast milk are completely normal and should not be considered as diarrhea or a sign of dysbiosis. In letters from our readers, expressions such as “a child who has been breastfed since birth has had diarrhea... numerous attempts at treatment have been made, but to no avail, and stool analysis shows the presence of dysbacteriosis.” This situation can be commented on as follows: It is completely natural that a child who receives only liquid and easily digestible food excretes liquid feces. A completely healthy adult will have approximately the same stool if he begins to eat only milk. After introducing complementary foods, the baby's liquid stool will immediately begin to thicken and become the same as that of adults. The fact that dysbiosis is often detected in children in the first year of life can be explained by the fact that the intestinal microflora takes a long time to form. We do not recommend treating dysbiosis in cases where the only symptom of the suspected disease is liquid feces. Treatment should be resorted to only if there are obvious and severe symptoms of dysbiosis: allergies, weight loss, severe bloating after 6 months.

False constipation

Due to the fact that breast milk is digested and absorbed almost completely, in some children, after 6 months, bowel movements may become very rare (once a week or less). If at the same time the child feels normal and can empty his bowels on his own without crying or worry, this fecal excretion schedule should be considered normal. No treatment for constipation is required in this case. Also quite often, children in the first months of life experience some temporary difficulties with the passage of feces, which causes significant concern on the part of parents, who immediately begin to actively stimulate the passage of stool in the child with the help of enemas, laxatives, gas tubes and even soap (!). In such cases, you should pay attention to the consistency of the child’s stool: if it is soft, no treatment is needed, since the difficulty in defecation is obviously not due to the fact that the stool is too dense, but to the fact that the child has not yet learned to control it well. bowel function. Let us also note that persistent attempts by parents to stimulate defecation in a child with soft stool can only aggravate the problem, since they deprive the child of the opportunity to teach his intestines to function correctly. The use of enemas and laxatives is allowed only as an emergency measure in cases where the child cannot remove dense feces. If a child experiences chronic formation of dense feces and accompanying difficulty in defecation, he should be seen by a doctor and treated for constipation.

Features of breastfed baby's feces

The stool of a breastfed baby is an unformed mass of golden or yellow-green color, with a sour odor. Often, even with the same diet, the color of the stool changes from yellow to green, which also should not cause concern. The fecal reaction to bilirubin content in children is positive up to 6-8 months of age. Bilirubin gives stool a greenish tint, so green stool (stool) in a child under 8 months that is not accompanied by other signs of illness (fever, blood in the stool) should not cause any concern and does not require any treatment. In infants, after 8 months of life, bilirubin in the feces is practically absent, since intestinal bacteria convert it into stercobilin. Until 8 months of age, the intestinal microflora is not sufficiently formed to completely convert bilirubin into stercobilin. So, the analysis of the stool of a breastfed baby is normal:

• stool is yellow-green, mushy or runny
• positive for bilirubin (up to 6-8 months of age)
• has a sour odor and a slightly acidic environment (pH = 4.8-5.8)
• Baby's stool may contain white blood cells (blood cells designed to fight infection), as well as mucus and visible undigested lumps of milk
• intestinal flora is not fully formed

Features of feces of a child of the first year of life who is bottle-fed

In a healthy bottle-fed baby, the stool has some differences compared to the stool of a baby receiving breast milk: The color is pale yellow or light brown, has an unpleasant odor and is more alkaline (pH = 6.8-7.5) The consistency of the stool is pasty (if the child receives liquid formulas) or semi-solid if the child receives solid food. The reaction of feces to bilirubin is also positive up to 6-8 months of life. Microscopic analysis of the feces of a child in the first year of life reveals single leukocytes and a small amount of mucus. Feces are passed 1-2 times a day, in larger quantities than with natural feeding. The main diseases of infants that cause changes in stool analysis:

1. Celiac disease is a disease characterized by a deficiency of a special enzyme that promotes the absorption of gluten, a substance found in wheat flour, oats, rice, rye and barley. The disease manifests itself only when the child is given complementary foods containing foods with gluten (various cereals, bread, cookies). Undigested gluten causes an allergic reaction in the body, which results in intestinal inflammation. Symptoms of celiac disease are: frequent stools (up to 10 times a day), light yellow in color, with an unpleasant odor, restlessness of the child, lack of weight gain, etc. Analysis of the stool of a child with celiac disease: stool contains a large amount of fat (steatorrhea).
2. Lactase deficiency is a disease in which the baby’s body does not produce enough lactase, an enzyme that facilitates the absorption of lactose (a carbohydrate in breast milk). Lactase deficiency manifests itself in the first days of feeding a child with breast milk: stools are frequent (up to 10 times a day), stool is watery, has a sour smell, the child is restless, cries, and does not gain weight. A stool analysis reveals a large amount of fat (steatorrhoea) and lactic acid, a substance that is formed from lactose in milk under the influence of intestinal microflora.
3. Cystic fibrosis is a disease that is inherited. With cystic fibrosis, the body's glands produce a viscous secretion that makes it difficult for all organs to function. In the intestinal form of cystic fibrosis (predominant damage to the digestive system), the child’s stool has a viscous consistency, a grayish color, an unpleasant odor, and “glitters” due to the presence of fat in the stool (steatorrhea). Fecal analysis reveals a large amount of fat (steatorrhoea); in older age, when complementary foods are introduced, muscle fibers (creatorrhoea), connective tissue, and starch. All these substances in the feces indicate insufficient digestion of food.
4. Acute and chronic enteritis is an inflammatory bowel disease, which is usually caused by an intestinal infection. The feces of a child with acute enteritis are semi-liquid or liquid in consistency, contain a lot of mucus, and sometimes contain blood. Microscopic examination of the stool of a child with acute enteritis reveals a large number of leukocytes (white blood cells), as well as an increased fat content (steatorrhea). In case of chronic enteritis in a child of the first year of life, an increased content of important microelements (calcium, phosphorus, etc.) is also found in the stool.

Diarrhea in a 10-month-old child occurs due to infection and changes in diet. Diarrhea in a child - stool passing 10 g per 1 kg of weight per day.

This manifestation of intestinal disorder is considered a clinical phenomenon in which the absorption of water and electrolytes is disrupted.

Medical indications

Diarrhea in a 10-month-old child occurs after a viral or bacterial infection, and also as a complication of antibiotic therapy.

Diarrhea in a 10-month-old baby can be acute or chronic. In the latter case, stool is observed more often than 3 times, and its duration is longer than 3 weeks.

Diarrhea is the first symptom of dysentery in a 10 month old child. With such a diagnosis, immediate assistance is necessary.

Functional diarrhea in a 10-month-old child – no disturbances in the baby’s condition, while normal physical development is observed.

Since diarrhea in a 10-month-old child provokes dehydration, it is necessary to pay close attention to his condition and nutrition. It is normal if bowel movements occur 10 times a day, and a liquid consistency is normal.

Parents should be concerned if their child is 10 months old. diarrhea is accompanied by additional symptoms. The stool may have a golden hue, mucus, and blood. The smell of feces is sharp and sour.

Dangerous symptoms of diarrhea in a 10 month old child include:

• lethargy;
• apathy;
• abdominal pain;
• intoxication;
• heat;
• dehydration up to 5%.

At low weights, dehydration can be fatal for a child.

Etiology of the process

The causes of diarrhea at 10 months include a change in the mother's food preferences. Sometimes diarrhea is allergic in nature. A similar condition occurs against the background of overeating.

A more dangerous etiology is an intestinal infection, which provokes high fever and profuse vomiting.

Diarrhea can be caused in a 10-month-old child by a stomach strain or a pathology of internal organs.

Antibiotics can cause intestinal upset. A similar symptom is characteristic of teething and dysbacteriosis. A rare cause of diarrhea is stress.

What is dehydration

Before you know what to give your child, you need to undergo laboratory tests. Special treatment is indicated if the balance of salts and water is disturbed. Diarrhea and vomiting upset the balance of these indicators.

Against the background of an imbalance, a serious disruption occurs in the functioning of the child’s body.

If moderate dehydration occurs, when the child’s body loses up to 5% of its weight, medical attention is required. A similar decision is made in case of severe dehydration - up to 10%.

With such diagnoses, apathy increases, rare voiding is observed, and the urine itself acquires a dark yellowish tint. The skin turns pale and dries out.

Due to diarrhea, a 10 month old child has no tears. His eyes are sunken and his fontanelle is sunken.

Infants under 1 year of age are more sensitive to dehydration. It is necessary to treat an infant taking into account the following etiology:

• an undigested product introduced into complementary foods for a child. This phenomenon is associated with the early introduction of complementary foods or individual intolerance;
• congenital dysfunction of the pancreas or intestines, which is associated with pathology or the introduction of a new product into complementary foods;
• dysbacteriosis – the disease develops after taking an antibiotic;
• intestinal infection - a virus or bacteria that causes diarrhea. Bacteria enter the child’s body through expired yogurt, poorly processed food, and through toys;
• EI – diarrhea is accompanied by high body temperature.

Therapy methods

If diarrhea is caused by early complementary feeding, there is no need to treat the child. All you have to do is cancel this product.

If the diarrhea does not worsen and does not stop, while the baby is active, it is necessary to examine it with a pediatrician, prescribing an ultrasound of the peritoneal organs. What to do with diarrhea in this case? It is necessary to give the child 800 ml of water.

If diarrhea is accompanied by fever, parents do the following:

• mild intestinal upset - up to 100 ml per day, as well as low body temperature, make it possible to treat a child of 10 months at home. The baby is weighed twice a day. Weigh the diaper separately. This will take into account the amount of urine and the amount of water lost due to dehydration. What should I give my baby? Chamomile infusion and semi-sweet tea are prepared for the child. At 10 months you can give Oralit or Humana Electrolyte;
• Infants prone to increased acetone need to measure this indicator frequently. To do this, use a special test strip and a rota test. Using the latter method, rotavirus can be detected in a child at 10 months;
• will help eliminate diarrhea in a child Smecta. One sachet of the product is dissolved in 200 ml of water. The prepared solution must be drunk one day before. You can replace Smecta with White Coal. The last solution or tablets are given to the child an hour before meals;
• if the rota test is negative, it is recommended to eliminate diarrhea with Nifuroxazide. Take up to 5 ml of this product per day. In some cases, vomiting occurs during such therapy. Therefore, the drug is given to the child after consultation with a doctor;
• if the test for oral infection is positive, diarrhea is eliminated with Viferon or Laferobion suppositories;
• The child should not be fed new foods. The diet should be presented in the form of mashed potatoes and liquid rice porridge.

An infant has feces in the form of liquid yellow sour cream with a sour odor. In artificially fed children, the stool is thicker with a yellow tint and an unpleasant odor.

During the first 6-10 months, a child defecates up to 7 times a day, and artificial ones - up to 4 times a day.

An infant often suffers from diarrhea caused by unhealthy foods, including sausages, sweets, and smoked foods.

This theory will allow you to restore the weight lost during the illness. You should not give your child medications other than a water-salt solution, including Regidron, ORS. This remedy is given in crumbs before consulting a pediatrician.

Treatment of certain types of intestinal disorders

If a child has functional diarrhea, this phenomenon is considered normal. This phenomenon occurs for the following reasons:

• violation of the rules for diluting milk formula;
• disruption of the feeding process with formula that does not correspond to age and health status.

Diarrhea can be triggered by even a minimal change in diet, including switching to a new mixture or drinking water of an unusual composition.

If diarrhea develops after an intestinal infection, bacteria, or viruses enters the body, the temperature may additionally rise and vomiting may occur. This condition causes severe dehydration.

Situations when you urgently need to consult a pediatrician:

• the baby is unable to swallow or drink, and there is severe thirst;
• lethargy or restlessness;
• high body temperature that exceeds 38 degrees;
• relapse of vomiting.

Additionally, lethargy, general malaise, and rash may occur. Experts consider dehydration due to the loss of electrolytes with liquid to be the most serious complications of intestinal infection.

Therapy depends not only on the etiology, but also on the nature of the infection. The causative agent of diarrhea may be Shigella, which causes dysentery.

Salmonella, an enteroinvasive bacillus, is also an infection. In this case, antibiotics are indicated.

A severe manifestation of dysbacteriosis is diarrhea. The etiology of this phenomenon is the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. This therapy destroys not only pathogenic microbes, but also beneficial bacteria.

Fighting fever

Fever with diarrhea is common in infants. Therapy is carried out after measuring the temperature and examining the child.

Most often, the temperature is measured in the groin area or under the arms. Infants can have their temperature taken through the rectum.

The risk group includes children prone to seizures. They are registered with neurologists, cardiologists and pulmonologists. It is also necessary to reduce the temperature in children up to 2 months of age.

If a high temperature is accompanied by chills, pale skin, and muscle pain, the child is given an antipyretic drug:

• Nurofen;
• Ibuprofen.

If the above symptoms appear, the child should be given the following assistance, after calling a doctor:

• undress or easily dress the child;
• constant drinking with frequent breastfeeding;
• Do not roll the baby, otherwise there will be heatstroke. It is better to undress the child and cover him with a diaper;
• rubbing the baby with warm water in the folds of the neck, legs and arms. It is better to start this procedure with the face. You can place a damp cloth on your forehead. It is changed once every 30 minutes. This therapy technique will slightly reduce body temperature;
• Give your baby an antipyretic. If he has diarrhea, it is better to use the medicine. For vomiting, use suppositories. In the latter case, the temperature will begin to decrease 40 minutes after input. The syrup or solution takes effect within 20 minutes.

If your body temperature rises and diarrhea appears, you need to call a pediatrician. Before his arrival, the baby is given water from a teaspoon or bottle.

With the doctor's permission, a decoction of salt, soda, raisins and sugar is prepared for the child. For this, use 100 grams of raisins. It is boiled in a liter of water for 30 minutes. Add 1 tsp to the composition. salt, 4 tsp. sugar and ½ tsp. baking soda.

The medicine is boiled for 2 minutes. The resulting product is cooled and given to the child throughout the day. Children at 10 months can be given rice and carrot-apple decoction. These remedies remove toxins from the body.

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