The hot summer months are a high season for gastrointestinal diseases in infants and children. Diarrheal diseases are caused by multiple pathogens and factors, and are a major cause of childhood illness and death, as well as malnutrition. The incidence of pediatric diarrhea in China is the second highest after respiratory diseases. In summer, pediatric diarrhea is mostly infectious, with thin stools, several to dozens of times a day, some with pus and blood, often accompanied by vomiting, fever, abdominal distention and irritability, which seriously affects the baby’s health and requires timely treatment. Since most babies with diarrhea can be treated at home, it is especially important for parents to know about the prevention and treatment of summer diarrhea. 1.Why are babies prone to diarrhea in summer? Baby’s gastrointestinal tract is immature, stomach acid is lower than that of adults, coupled with more drinks in summer, diluting gastric juices and reducing bactericidal ability; various digestive enzymes in baby’s gastrointestinal tract are also less than that of adults, which is not conducive to the digestion of food; hot weather reduces the secretion of digestive juices and enzymes, making it easier to cause indigestion and diarrhea; infants and young children grow and develop rapidly, requiring relatively more nutrient intake than adults, and nutrients have to be digested and absorbed through the digestive tract. The digestive tract to digest and absorb, its burden will be heavier; summer heat, bacteria are easy to grow and multiply, coupled with the eating of more cold dishes, increasing the chances of gastrointestinal tract infection. 2, the baby’s had diarrhea performance? Pediatric diarrhea will suddenly manifest as loss of appetite, diarrhea, vomiting, mostly after vomiting and then diarrhea, but there are also cases that cause vomiting and diarrhea at the same time, the affected child has thin stools, several to dozens of times a day, some with pus and blood, often accompanied by vomiting, fever, abdominal distension, irritability. In cases of vomiting and diarrhea at the same time, dehydration can easily result if the child is not rehydrated in time. For some children, symptoms such as fever, runny nose and cough may also occur. When the symptoms are mild, they can be cured with more hydration and rest. However, the immune system of infants is weak and the symptoms are more likely to worsen. If there is diarrhea, it is important to go to the hospital. 3.What should I do if my baby has diarrhea? If the baby has diarrhea, if there is no fever and vomiting, and there is spirit, but the stool is loose, you can observe for half a day. When the number of stools increases and becomes more and more diluted, then you need to go to the hospital for consultation. The doctor will usually do some simple blood and stool tests and prescribe some medication for diarrhea and oral rehydration. If there is blood in the stool, a bacterial culture of the stool will also be done, and if the doctor determines that the diarrhea is caused by a bacterial infection, antibiotics may be used. However, in cases of severe dehydration, intravenous fluids and hospitalization are usually required. In addition, parents should record the condition, color, shape (watery stool, mucus-like stool or mucus-purulent stool) and number of previous stools before the visit so that the doctor can understand the condition in a timely manner. Some attentive parents will also take photos of their babies’ stools with their cell phones. 4.How can I treat my baby’s diarrhea? In recent years, there have been two important findings in research on the treatment of diarrhea: the use of a new oral rehydration salt (“hypotonic” oral rehydration salt) formula is recommended to replace the previous oral rehydration salt formula; and early zinc supplementation is emphasized for all children at the onset of diarrhea. The recommendations of the Chinese Medical Association’s Pediatrics Division on the principles of diagnosis and treatment of diarrhea in children emphasize early oral rehydration, continued feeding, recognition of signs of dehydration, zinc supplementation, breastfeeding, and the recommended application of the new oral rehydration salt formula. Prevention of dehydration is particularly important, and adequate oral fluids should be given from the beginning of the child’s diarrhea to prevent dehydration. Breastfed infants should continue breastfeeding and increase the frequency and duration of single feedings; mixed-fed infants should be given oral rehydration salts or other clean drinking water on top of breastfeeding; non-breastfed (artificially fed) infants should choose oral rehydration salts or food-based rehydration solutions such as soup, rice soup water and yogurt drinks or clean drinking water. It is recommended to give a certain amount of rehydration fluid after each loose stool until the diarrhea stops.