Diarrhea

Background:

Diarrhea is defined as frequent, watery stools.

 

Diarrhea can be caused by many things. The most common is a viral gastrointestinal infection.

 

What to Do:

Because diarrhea stools involve extra water leaving the body, large volumes of diarrhea can cause dehydration.

 

It is important to continue to get extra fluid into your child to maintain their hydration. They can drink as much as their thirst guides them. If they are also vomiting, please read the vomiting instructions. We continue to feed through diarrhea. There is no special dietary requirements. Your child can eat and drink normally. Work on giving them extra fluid to drink to replace the extra fluid that is coming out through the diarrhea. If a particular food causes them discomfort or worsening diarrhea then hold off on that food for a few days until their stomach is feeling better.

 

With prolonged diarrhea (i.e. one week) some people lose the ability to digest milk sugar (which is called lactose). If you notice that your child's diarrhea or other abdominal symptoms get worse when consuming dairy, then change to lactose free products.

 

When to Be Concerned:

Your child should be seen if:

 

• diarrhea has lasted for two weeks
• blood in the stool – small streaks or spots can be seen in clinic the next day, large amounts of blood needs to go to the emergency room
• signs of dehydration – children who are dehydrated are:
  • Very droopy, they tend to lie around and are not particularly interested in doing anything.
  • Their mouth is dry and sticky and their eyes look dull.
  • They are not making much urine. For children still in diapers, they should be passing the equivalent of 3 good wet diapers per day. Once children are toilet trained, it is very easy to assess their hydration by the colour of their urine. We all pass a darker urine first thing in the morning but our urine gets lighter during the day as we drink fluid. If their urine stays dark i.e. apple juice, during the day then they need more fluid. As long as your child is peeing lemonade or lighter you are doing a good job maintaining their hydration.
  • If your child is happy and playing, they are NOT dehydrated enough that you need to take them to the doctor.

 

Go Back to Resources