Diarrhea
Diarrhea in Children
Children can have *acute and *chronic forms of diarrhea. Causes include *bacteria, *viruses, *parasites, medications, functional bowel disorders, and food sensitivities. Infection with the rotavirus is the most common cause of acute childhood diarrhea. Rotavirus diarrhea usually resolves in 3 to 9 days. Children can be vaccinated against the virus with a vaccine called Rotarix. Rotarix is a liquid and given in a two-dose series to infants from 6 to 24 weeks of age.
If your child has diarrhea, do not hesitate to call the doctor for advice. Diarrhea is especially dangerous in newborns and infants, leading to dehydration in just a day or two. A child can die from dehydration within a few days. The main treatment for diarrhea in children is rehydration to replace lost fluid quickly.
Take your child to the doctor if there is no improvement after 24 hours or if any of the following symptoms appear:
- Stools containing blood or pus
- Black stools
- A temperature above 102 degrees
- Signs of dehydration
Medications to treat diarrhea in adults can be dangerous for children and should only be given with a doctor's guidance.
Glossary For This Page
*Acute
Pronounced - uh-KYOOT
Symptoms or signs that begin and worsen quickly; abrupt, sharp and brief.
*Chronic
Pronounced - KRAW-nik
A term that refers to disorders that last a long time, often years; A chronic condition is one lasting 3 months or more, by the definition of the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics.
*Bacteria
Bacteria is tiny microorganisms that reproduce by cell division and usually have a cell wall. Bacteria can be shaped like a sphere, rod, or spiral and can be found in virtually any environment and range from the harmless and beneficial bacteria to the bacteria that can casue infections and disease in animals and humans. Bacteria is plural (consisiting of more than one) for bacterium.
*Viruses
Extremely small microscopic organisms that often cause disease.
*Parasite
A parasite is an animal or plant that gets nutrients by living on or in an organism of another species (host). A complete parasite gets all of its nutrients from the host organism, but a semi-parasite gets only some of its nutrients from the host.
References:
March 2007
NIH Publication No. 07-2749
digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/diarrhea/
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