What to Do if Your Child Has Diarrhea

Seeing your child struggling with diarrhea is never a good time for a parent. However, you must remain strong and help them in any way that you can. Of course, the first step on your child's journey to recovery is learning more about what might be causing the issue in the first place. What causes diarrhea? Diarrhea can be caused by a number of different things. Often, it can be a bacterial, viral or parasitic infection, commonly called a GI (gastrointestinal) infection. Depending on the severity of the case, this may warrant a visit to your family doctor. It is also possible that a high sugar, low fiber diet is causing an imbalance in the gut between the healthy and harmful bacteria. Diarrhea is simply the body's natural response to an issue such as this. Diarrhea can also be caused by a food intolerance. The most common intolerances include foods such as:

Wheat-based foods

Hormone treated dairy products

Foods high in sugar

Foods high in trans fats

Foods high in artificial additives Processed foods

These foods can all potentially weaken your child's intestinal health and therefore their overall immune system, leading to diarrhea.

Now that you know a little bit more about the potential causes of your child's distress, it is time to learn more about what you can do to treat it.

How To Treat Diarrhea

Most diarrhea is fairly easy to deal with and can be treated at home by simply cutting out dairy, eating high fiber foods, and drinking lots of fluids. Where possible, try to ensure that the drinks are sugar free. If your child does not have an appetite, it is OK to let them go without food until their appetite returns - but make sure to continue with their fluids. For children who retain their appetites, small regular meals of foods such as dry toast or scrambled egg is always a good option. Though knowing how to treat an illness is always helpful, it would of course be better to know how to minimize the risk of getting it in the first place.

How To Prevent Diarrhea

It is impossible to prevent diarrhea but you can reduce the risk of your children catching it by teaching them proper hygiene habits. These include:

Washing hands before and after eating.

Washing hands before and after using the toilet.

Drinking clean fresh water, from glass or stainless steel bottles - try to avoid plastic.

At Home:

Keep animal and human foods separate.

Wash animal and human bowls, utensils and foods separately.

Refrigerate food as soon as it has cooled. And don’t put hot food into the fridge too soon. If you have to reheat food, make sure the temperature is high enough and the food is heated through thoroughly.

Wash fruit and vegetables thoroughly.

When To Call The Doctor

Though most diarrhea is readily treated at home, there are some instances when you may need to call your doctor. These include:

If the diarrhea is accompanied by abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting that won’t subside.

If the diarrhea contains blood.

If the child is running a temperature of more than 102°F.If dehydration has set in.

A bout of diarrhea is no fun for the child or the parents. However, by knowing how to treat the illness and minimize the risk of a recurrence in the future, you are doing everything in your power to keep your child healthy and well.