Is diarrhea a major cause of death among children? Keep these four medicines at home!

Author: Wu Jie, Chief Physician, National Children's Medical Center, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University

Reviewer: Yang Yunsheng, Chief Physician, PLA General Hospital

Relevant data show that children under 5 years old, especially those under 2 years old, are at high risk of diarrhea in China. This is mainly due to the immaturity of multiple systems in children's bodies, including the immaturity of the immune system, and the incomplete establishment of intestinal flora.

Worldwide, diarrhea is a very important cause of death among children and requires serious attention, mainly to prevent complications.

1. What are the main causes of diarrhea in children?

Diarrhea is mainly divided into infectious diarrhea and non-infectious diarrhea.

Infectious diarrhea is generally related to viral or bacterial infections, with viral diarrhea being the most common. In autumn and winter, rotavirus enteritis is most common in infants and young children under 2 years old, with symptoms of fever, vomiting, egg drop soup-like stools, and watery stools. The course of the disease is generally about a week, and complications are particularly prone to occur. Norovirus enteritis is more common in older children, also known as winter vomiting, which is mainly characterized by vomiting and may also be accompanied by fever, muscle aches, diarrhea, etc., and is particularly prone to clustered outbreaks.

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In summer, bacterial infections are more common, and bacterial enteritis is manifested by fever, vomiting, diarrhea, mucus, pus and blood in the stool, etc. As sanitary conditions continue to improve, the incidence of parasitic infections is lower than before, but it still exists.

Non-infectious diarrhea is generally related to diet and climate. For example, if complementary foods are added too quickly or too many types are added, children will suffer from indigestion and are prone to diarrhea. Giving children too many dairy products or sugary drinks in the summer can also easily lead to diarrhea. Children are allergic to food, and digestive tract symptoms are mainly diarrhea. If the weather suddenly turns cold, the gastrointestinal motility of children speeds up, which can also easily lead to diarrhea.

In general, children under 5 years old have their systems not fully developed and are prone to diarrhea due to infectious and non-infectious factors.

2. What medicine can children take for diarrhea?

Since the 1990s, the World Health Organization has recommended basic medicines for the treatment of diarrhea, and families can stockpile some of them.

First, oral rehydration salts. Children with diarrhea are particularly prone to dehydration. Severe dehydration can lead to shock and other complications, and is the direct cause of death in children. Therefore, once a child has diarrhea, you should start rehydrating to prevent dehydration. Supplement the appropriate amount of fluid according to the number of diarrhea episodes and the age of the child. If a child cannot drink oral rehydration salts, or if the symptoms of dehydration worsen after drinking, such as fewer or no tears, decreased urine volume, decreased skin elasticity, sunken fontanelles, decreased saliva, cold extremities, and mental depression, the child should be sent to the doctor for treatment in time.

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Second, montmorillonite powder. Montmorillonite powder is an intestinal mucosal protective agent that can stop diarrhea and is relatively safe. Choose the appropriate dose according to age and take it two hours apart from food for better results.

Third, intestinal microecological preparations. Children with diarrhea often have intestinal flora imbalance, and supplementing with probiotics can relieve diarrhea, shorten the course of the disease, and protect the intestinal mucosal barrier. However, in particularly severe invasive bacterial enteritis, there is mucus, pus, and blood in the stool, and the intestinal barrier is damaged. In this case, probiotics should be used with caution. The type of probiotics should be selected based on the doctor's advice, or if the child has taken a certain probiotic before and it works well, you can give the child a trial supplement.

Fourth, zinc preparations. Zinc preparations can promote the repair of intestinal mucosa and the recovery of digestive enzyme activity, including lactase. They are very helpful in shortening the course of diarrhea, including preventing diarrhea from occurring again in the next 2-3 months.

If a child has mild to moderate diarrhea, you can give the child the above-mentioned medicines at home for symptomatic treatment on an experimental basis. If there is no improvement, or if serious complications occur, seek medical attention promptly.

3. Do children with diarrhea need to take antibiotics?

When children have diarrhea, many parents tend to use antibiotics to treat them first. However, this approach is incorrect and should be judged based on the specific circumstances.

First of all, non-infectious diarrhea does not require antibiotics. It is necessary to find out the cause, whether it is caused by improper feeding or food allergy. Eliminating the cause is the most important thing.

The most common cause of infectious diarrhea is not bacterial infection, but viral infection, which does not require antibiotics. Invasive bacterial enteritis causes severe damage to the intestinal mucosa, high fever, mucus, pus and blood in the stool, and particularly high inflammatory indicators. There are also a lot of red blood cells and white blood cells in the stool. In this case, antibiotic treatment is needed.

If your child has diarrhea, you must follow the doctor's advice on whether to use antibiotics. Use them when necessary and don't use them when not necessary. Antibiotics can cause intestinal flora imbalance in children, and it takes a long time to recover.