How to treat pediatric diarrhea

  Pediatric diarrhea is a disease caused by multiple pathogens and factors and characterized by an increase in the number of stools and changes in stool properties. Pediatric diarrheal disease occurs mostly in infants and children under 3 years of age, with a high incidence from 6 months to 2 years of age, and is one of the main causes of malnutrition and growth disorders in children.  The principles of treatment for pediatric diarrhea are to maintain nutrition with a reasonable diet; rapidly correct disorders of water and electrolyte balance; control infections inside and outside the intestinal tract; enhance care and prevent complications with symptomatic treatment; and avoid abuse of antibiotics.  Dietary treatment: Children with mild diarrhea who are breastfed can continue to breastfeed, appropriately limiting the number of nursing sessions or shortening the duration of each nursing session, and suspending complementary foods; artificially fed children can be fed with equal amounts of rice soup or diluted milk or other milk substitutes, and gradually transition from rice soup, congee, noodles, etc. to a normal diet. For lactose intolerant children, add lactase to the diet or remove lactose from the diet. For allergic diarrhea, consider protein allergy and switch to hydrolyzed milk powder or amino acid milk powder. During diarrhea, eat a light and easily digestible diet and do not “fast” as much as possible, as fasting can lead to prolonged symptoms and nutritional loss.  Correction of water and electrolyte disorders: (1) Oral rehydration salts (ORS) are suitable for children who are mildly or moderately dehydrated and can eat; intravenous rehydration is suitable for those with severe vomiting and diarrhea, abdominal distention and moderate dehydration or above.  (2) Correction of acidosis and electrolyte disorders.  Drug therapy: (1) Pathogenic therapy: Non-infectious diarrhea generally does not require antibacterial drugs. However, systemic bacterial infections and diarrhea due to invasive bacterial infections must be treated with appropriate systemic anti-infective therapy. General watery stool can be treated without antibiotics, mucus stool and purulent blood stool can be treated with antibiotics, with a full course of treatment, and the medication cannot be stopped without the doctor’s consent. (2) microecological therapy: through the restoration of the human intestinal microecological balance, to achieve the purpose of treatment of intestinal diseases.  (3) Adjuvant therapy: intestinal mucosa protective agents (such as sixteen-angle montmorillonite), intestinal dynamics inhibitors, antisecretory drugs, etc.  (4) Zinc supplementation therapy: WHO recommends oral zinc supplementation for children with diarrhea while continuing oral rehydration salt therapy, which can enhance immune function and prevent recurrence.  Parents need to observe the baby’s mental status, body temperature, number, nature and amount of stools, urine output and food intake. Children with infectious diarrhea need to be properly isolated to prevent cross-infection. Observe the baby’s dehydration and take good care of the buttocks.