- How to give rehydration serum
- Baby feeding with diarrhea
- Causes of diarrhea in the baby
- When to go to the doctor
The treatment for diarrhea in the baby, which corresponds to 3 or more bowel movements, within 12 hours, mainly involves preventing the baby's dehydration and malnutrition.
For this it is necessary to give the baby breast milk or bottle, as usual, and the serum for rehydration from the pharmacy or home. To avoid dehydration, the serum should be given in a minimum amount of 100 times the baby's weight in kg. Thus, if the baby is 4 kg, he should drink 400 ml of serum throughout the day, in addition to milk.
Here's how to make serum at home:
However, taking medications such as antispasmodic drops against colic is not recommended because they impede the active movement of the intestines and hinder the elimination of viruses or bacteria that may be causing diarrhea.
How to give rehydration serum
The amount of rehydration serum that should be given to the baby throughout the day varies according to age:
- 0 to 3 months: 50 to 100 mL should be given for each diarrhea evacuation; 3 to 6 months: administer 100 to 150 mL for each episode of diarrhea; More than 6 months: give 150 to 200 mL for each bowel movement with diarrhea.
Once opened, the rehydration serum should be kept in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours and, therefore, if it is not completely used after that time, it must be thrown in the trash.
In cases of diarrhea, parents should be alert to signs of dehydration, such as sunken eyes or crying without tears, decreased urine, dry skin, irritability or dry lips, immediately going to the pediatrician or hospital if they happen.
Baby feeding with diarrhea
In feeding the baby with diarrhea in addition to giving the bottle or breast milk, when the baby already eats other foods, it can also be given to the baby:
- Corn porridge or rice; Mashed cooked vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes or pumpkin; Baked or cooked apples and pears and bananas; Cooked chicken; Cooked rice.
However, it is normal for the baby to have a lack of appetite, especially in the first 2 days.
Causes of diarrhea in the baby
The main cause of diarrhea in the baby are intestinal infections caused by viruses or bacteria, also called gastroenteritis, due to the habit of babies carrying anything in their mouth, such as toys or pacifiers lying on the floor, for example.
In addition, other causes of diarrhea in the baby can be infestations with worms, side reactions from another illness such as flu or tonsillitis, ingestion of spoiled foods, food intolerance or use of antibiotics, for example.
When to go to the doctor
It is necessary to go to the doctor when diarrhea is accompanied by vomiting, fever above 38.5 ºC or if blood or pus appears in the stool. See what bloody diarrhea can be in babies.
In addition, it is also necessary to consult the doctor when the bouts of diarrhea do not resolve spontaneously in approximately 5 days.
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