What is diarrheal disease?
Diarrheal disease is a group of diseases caused by multiple pathogens and factors characterized by an increased number of stools and changes in stool properties. The disease is highly prevalent and it is one of the leading causes of death in children under five years of age.
Diarrheal diseases can be classified according to their duration: acute diarrheal disease: duration ≤ 2 weeks; migratory diarrheal disease: duration of 2 weeks to 2 months; chronic diarrheal disease: duration of disease > 2 months.
How can I tell if my baby has diarrhea?
When the baby’s stool changes in nature (dilute watery stool, paste-like stool, mucus-purulent-blood stool) and the number of stools increases compared to usual, it indicates that the baby has diarrhea.
The nature of the stool is more important than the number of times, for example, repeatedly passing formed stools is not diarrhea, nor is it diarrhea if the stools of an exclusively breastfed baby are thin and uneven.
What are the main effects of diarrheal disease on your baby’s health?
When a baby has diarrhea, a lot of water and electrolytes (sodium, chloride, potassium and carbonate) are lost through loose stools. Water and electrolytes can also be lost through vomiting, sweating, urine and breathing.
Without adequate replacement, dehydration can occur and water and electrolyte deficiencies can progress. Dehydration is the leading cause of death from diarrhea.
How can I recognize the severity of dehydration in my baby?
Early dehydration: no signs or symptoms.
Mild to moderate dehydration: Signs and symptoms appear gradually. Initial signs are thirst, irritability or irritability, less frequent urination than usual (for infants, less than 6 wet diapers per day indicates decreased urine output) decreased skin elasticity, sunken eye sockets and sunken fontanel (for infants).
Severe dehydration: worsening of the above signs and symptoms, irritability or marked lethargy; marked sunken eye sockets and fontanelle; cold hands and feet; reduced urination to only 1~2 times per day. If rehydration is not timely, death occurs quickly.
Home care and treatment of the disease?
①Oral rehydration salts are hypotonic oral rehydration salts recommended by the World Health Organization to prevent and treat dehydration caused by diarrhea, shorten the duration of diarrhea, reduce the amount of stool as well as reduce the baby’s need for intravenous rehydration.
② During diarrhea, continue feeding (or increase breastfeeding) if there is no violent vomiting. Increase feedings after the baby has diarrhea.
③Recognize the degree of dehydration and take your baby to the doctor promptly.
④Treat your baby with zinc supplementation as soon as possible after he/she can eat (no vomiting), 10mg/day for babies under 6 months and 20mg/day for babies over 6 months, for 10-14 days.
⑤ Avoid giving your baby fruit juice or high sugar drinks.
⑥Wash your baby with warm water promptly after pooping. After washing, you can apply some oil-based ointment to prevent red buttocks and change diapers promptly to avoid breakage.
What are the conditions that require prompt medical attention?
① Violent diarrhea, frequent stools or large amount of diarrhea.
② Inability to eat and drink normally.
③ those with frequent vomiting and unable to give medication orally.
④fever (temperature >38℃ for infants <3 months, >39℃ for toddlers 3~36 months).
⑤ obvious thirst, detection of signs of dehydration, such as sunken eyes, few tears, dry mucous membranes or reduced urine output, changes in mental status, such as irritability, apathy, drowsiness, etc.
(vi) Blood in the feces.
(vii) Age <6 months, prematurity, history of chronic illness or comorbidities.
What methods can be used to prevent diarrhea?
① For most infectious diarrhea, it often results from hand contact with the infectious agent followed by contact with the oral cavity. Therefore, good hand hygiene (cleaning hands thoroughly with hand sanitizer after toileting, after diaper changing, before handling food and before eating is an important way to prevent infectious diarrhea.
② Vaccinate your baby against rotavirus. This vaccination can prevent rotavirus-induced diarrhea and vomiting in infants and children.
③Advocate breastfeeding throughout infancy.