Diarrhoea In Children

What is diarrhoea?

Diarrhoea is a condition whereby children will pass motion more frequently than usual and their faeces is usually liquid.
Diarrhoea is spread by germs from faeces entering the mouth.
The germs can be spread by water, food, hands, eating and drinking utensils, by flies and by dirt under the fingers.

Why is diarrhoea dangerous?

Diarrhoea is dangerous. If not treated, it can kill.
Most often, diarrhoea kills by dehydration, which means that too much fluid has been drained out of the child’s body.
Fluids and nutrients lost during diarrhoea should be replaced.

When a child has diarrhoea, give more fluids than usual

Suitable drinks to prevent a child from getting dehydrated are:

Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) mixed with the recommended amount of cooled boiled water.
Breast milk.
Porridge (diluted mixture of cooked cereals and water).

To prevent dehydration, one of these drinks should be given to the child every time he/she passes watery stool:

The amount to be given is:

If your child is less than 2 years old, give ¼ - ½ cup, in small amounts but frequently.
If your child is more than 2 years old, give ½ - 1 cup, in small amounts but frequently.

If the child vomits, wait for 10 minutes and then begin again, feeding the drink to the child slowly in small sips at a time.

Extra liquids should be given until the diarrhoea stopped.

ORS - A Special Drink

A special drink for diarrhoea can be made by using a packet of Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS)
This drink is used by doctors and health workers to treat dehydrated children. But it can also be used at home to prevent dehydration.
ORS is available in health centres, clinics and pharmacies.
To make the drink:
Dissolve the contents of the packet in the amount of cooled boiled water as indicated on the packet.
If you use too little water, the drink could make the diarrhoea worse. If you use too much water, the drink will be less effective.
Stir well, and feed it to the child in small sips from a cup.
After 24 hours, throw away the leftover of ORS solution.

When a breastfed child has diarrhoea, breast feeding should be continued, and if possible, more frequent.
If the child cannot suck, it is best to squeeze out the breastmilk and feed it to the child from a clean cup and spoon.

Parents should get help from a health worker as soon as possible if the child becomes dehydrated.

Signs of dehydration are:

In the meantime, keep giving the child liquids to drink.

Diarrhoea can lead to serious malnutrition unless parents make special effort to keep feeding the child during and after the illness.
A child with diarrhoea usually has less appetite. Coax the child to eat frequently by offering small amounts of his or her usual foods.
Children who eat solids should be given softrice or congee initially and then add well cooked meat or fish. Add 1 or 2 teaspoonfuls of oil to congee and vegetable mixes.
When diarrhoea lessens, fruits like bananas, papayas and pineapples are also good for the child.
Food should be freshly prepared and given to the child 5 or 6 times a day.

Extra feeding after diarrhoea stops is vital for a full recovery.
Give the child an extra meal a day for at least a week. This will help the child to catch up on the food ‘lost’ while the child was ill and the appetite was poor.
A child is not fully recovered from diarrhoea until he or she has at least the same weight as before the illness began.
Breastfeeding more frequently than usual also helps to speed up recovery.

Give only breastmilk for the first 4 – 6 months of a baby’s life.
At the age of 4 – 6 months, introduce clean, nutritious, well-mashed, semi-solid foods and continue to breastfeed.
If milk powder solution or fresh cow’s milk has to be used, feed it to the child from a cup with a clean spoon.
Water should be boiled and cooled before use.
Immunise your child against measles. Measles frequently result in serious diarrhoea. Immunisation protects your child against this cause of diarrhoea.
Always use sanitary toilet.
Wash hands with soap and clean water before preparing or eating food, and immediately after using the toilet.
Cover food and drinking water to protect it from flies.
Food should be well-cooked. If possible, prepare it just before eating. It should not be left for long or it will collect germs.
Dispose refuse in bins or bags if it is to be collected, or bury it to stop flies from spreading diseases.