Causes of Diarrhea in Babies and How to Treat It

Diarrhea is one of the most common health problems in infants. Some cases of diarrhea in infants can actually heal by itself. However, babies are also at risk for dangerous complications, if the diarrhea they experience is not treated quickly and appropriately.

The infant and toddler mortality rate due to diarrhea is still relatively high. Worldwide, around 525,000 infants and toddlers die from diarrhea each year. In Indonesia alone, the percentage of infant mortality due to diarrhea is still quite high, around 25-30%.

Causes of Diarrhea in Babies and How to Treat It

Various Causes of Diarrhea in Babies

Diarrhea in babies can be caused by various things, including:

  • Gastroenteritis and intestinal infections due to viruses, bacteria and parasites
  • Food poisoning, especially in infants who have consumed solid foods
  • Consuming too much fruit juice
  • Allergies to certain foods or drugs
  • Intolerance of cow's milk

Babies who have started consuming solid food and are experiencing diarrhea are advised to avoid oily, high-fiber, high-sugar, and cow's milk foods. This is because these types of foods and drinks can worsen the symptoms of diarrhea in infants.

Recognizing the Texture and Color of Baby Stool

The main signs and symptoms of diarrhea in infants are more frequent bowel movements with watery stool texture or loose stools. Therefore, you can detect diarrhea in your little one by looking at changes in the texture and color of his stool.

However, even if they don't have diarrhea, babies who eat breast milk can sometimes produce looser stools. Thus, mothers need to be careful in distinguishing stools in babies with diarrhea and babies who consume breast milk.

Meanwhile, small, hard, round stools can be a sign that your baby is constipated. The following is the meaning of the color of the stool that can be a guide for mothers to detect the health condition of the little one:

  • Blackish green or also known as meconium is stool that appears when a newborn is born.
  • Light brown or yellowish brown is the color of the stools of babies who are fed formula milk.
  • Green-brown is a common stool color in babies around 5 days old.
  • Green-yellow is the color of the stool of a baby who after birth consumes breast milk.
  • Deep chocolate is the color of the stool of babies who have eaten solid food.

The color and texture of the baby's stool will change with age and the type of food consumed.

Noticing the Symptoms and Impact of Diarrhea on Babies

If your little one is under 6 months old and has diarrhea, you should immediately consult a doctor, especially if he shows some of the following signs and symptoms:

  • Vomiting
  • Sluggish
  • Stool is black or white
  • Bloody or purulent bowel movements
  • Funny and looks sick
  • Fever
  • Not wanting to breastfeed and having trouble eating
Diarrhea can cause the baby's body to lose a lot of fluids and electrolytes, which can lead to dehydration. If treated too late, this condition can endanger the baby's life.

Therefore, Mothers need to be more alert and immediately take your little one to the doctor if he has diarrhea along with the following signs and symptoms of dehydration in babies:

  • Dry mouth
  • No tears when crying
  • Peeing less than usual or not urinating at all
  • Skin looks drier
  • Looks very weak and often sleepy

How to Treat and Prevent Diarrhea in Babies

Diarrhea caused by a viral infection can go away on its own in a few days. However, babies still need to get adequate fluid and nutritional intake during diarrhea.

Here are some steps to treat diarrhea in babies that you can do at home:

1. Providing breast milk and electrolytes

Babies under 6 months of age who have diarrhea can be treated by breastfeeding more often. This is because breast milk contains the nutrients needed to replace fluids and nutrients lost during defecation In addition, breast milk also contains antibodies that can help babies fight bacteria or viruses that cause diarrhea. In infants over 6 months of age, breastfeeding may be continued while giving oral rehydration fluids, such as ORS or water tajin, every time he defecates and vomits.

2. Giving zinc

suplemen supplements

Supplements zinc can be given to treat diarrhea in toddlers. According to WHO and the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI), infants with acute diarrhea can be given zinc supplements for 10–14 days.

The dose of zinc supplementation for infants under 6 months of age is around 10 mg per day, while for toddlers it is 20 mg per day. To determine the correct dosage and how to give supplements, you can consult your pediatrician.

3. Giving probiotics

Some research shows that giving probiotics can support the healing process and speed up the recovery of babies with diarrhea. Therefore, you can give your little one supplements or foods that contain probiotics when he has diarrhea.

Prevention is always better than cure. Therefore, mothers need to take steps to prevent diarrhea in babies in the following ways:

  • Wash hands before preparing milk and baby food and after changing diapers
  • Washing your little one's hands, especially after playing, touching dirty objects, or after urinating and defecating
  • Maintaining the cleanliness of the house and the surrounding environment, including toys and other objects that are frequently touched by the little one
  • Provide exclusive breastfeeding on a regular basis
  • Ensure the cleanliness and sterility of milk bottles or complementary feeding equipment used

When Does Diarrhea in Babies Need to be Treated by a Doctor?

Diarrhea in infants and children does not always require antibiotics. Giving antibiotics is only intended for cases of diarrhea caused by bacterial infection. Therefore, the use of antibiotics to treat diarrhea in infants needs to be consulted with a pediatrician first.

If the baby's diarrhea is severe enough to cause him to lose a lot of fluids or become dehydrated, immediate medical attention is needed.

To treat diarrhea in infants, doctors can provide intravenous fluids to replace body fluids lost due to diarrhea as well as treat dehydration in infants.

If your little one's diarrhea doesn't go away within 2 days or his condition gets worse, take him to the pediatrician immediately so that the right treatment can be done. This is important to prevent dangerous complications of diarrhea in infants, such as dehydration and shock.

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