What should I do if my baby has diarrhea in summer? What should I pay attention to if my baby has diarrhea in summer?

What are the precautions for babies with diarrhea in summer? Today, I will introduce to you the common causes and treatments of baby diarrhea in summer. The hot summer weather makes many people prone to illness in summer, and babies are no exception. So how to correctly treat baby diarrhea?

Common causes of summer diarrhea in babies

Summer diarrhea in children is determined by the physiological characteristics of children.

1. Because children's gastrointestinal tract is not fully developed, they have less stomach acid and poor bactericidal ability. If they consume too much food and beverages in the summer, the stomach acid will be diluted, making it easy for bacteria to pass through the stomach acid and enter the intestines, causing diarrhea.

2. Children have less digestive enzymes in their gastrointestinal tract, which is not conducive to food digestion and can easily cause indigestion.

3. Infants and young children grow rapidly and need adequate nutrition. The burden on the gastrointestinal tract of children is relatively heavy, and digestive disorders are prone to occur. In addition, the high temperature in summer makes it easy for bacteria to multiply, which is also one of the reasons for the increase in infection.

What to do if your baby has diarrhea in summer

1. Do not use antibiotics arbitrarily

As written above, there are three types of baby diarrhea. Among them, physiological diarrhea and food-induced diarrhea do not require medication, while infectious diarrhea requires medication under the guidance of a doctor. The long-term use of antibacterial drugs, especially broad-spectrum antibiotics, can cause intestinal flora disorders and aggravate diarrhea. Therefore, antibiotics should be used reasonably, adequately, and in a standardized manner under the guidance of a doctor with a clear diagnosis.

2. Don’t use antidiarrhea drugs lightly

The misuse of antidiarrheal drugs not only fails to cure certain diarrheal diseases, but on the contrary, has certain side effects on babies, especially newborns.

3. Replenish water in time

For babies who have frequent and watery stools, it is important to pay attention to water replenishment to prevent dehydration. Oral rehydration salts can be given if necessary. The specific use of oral rehydration salts must be carried out under the guidance of a doctor.

4. Can babies continue to breastfeed if they have diarrhea?

Breast-fed babies do not need to stop feeding, but only need to reduce the amount of feeding appropriately, that is, shorten the feeding time and extend the feeding interval. The normal feeding time is 10 minutes per breast, now it is changed to 5-7 minutes, and the remaining milk is squeezed out because the latter part of the milk has a high fat content.

5. It is not advisable to add complementary food during the period of diarrhea

In addition, when the baby has diarrhea, you should stop adding complementary foods. As the condition improves, gradually resume feeding milk and various complementary foods that have been consumed.

Finally, parents are reminded that after each bowel movement, the baby with diarrhea should be cleaned with warm water, and irritating foods, fermented and bloating foods, high-fat and high-protein foods should be avoided. The baby should be fed with small and frequent meals, and fasting should be avoided. Mothers must pay attention that babies have the strength to fight the disease only when they are full, and fasting will only make the baby weaker and weaker.

The above treatment is for cases where the diarrhea is not serious and can be cured by adjusting the diet. If the diarrhea is frequent, the nature of the stool changes, or the baby's eyes are sunken and dehydrated, the baby should be sent to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment immediately. According to the doctor's arrangement, the breastfeeding should be properly controlled. Sometimes it is necessary to temporarily fast and stop breastfeeding.

Three major precautions for summer diarrhea

1. Add a "small bellyband" to your room if you like to stay cool

In summer, babies should not be covered too much, but they must pay attention to keeping their abdomen warm. Parents can choose a small blanket or put a small bellyband on their children to cover their abdomens. "Local warmth" is very important to prevent children from diarrhea in summer. In addition to external preventive measures, internal prevention is also very important. As the saying goes, "diseases come from the mouth." To prevent children from having gastrointestinal problems, you must control their mouths.

First of all, parents should also keep a close eye on their children's favorite cold drinks in summer. Cold drinks themselves are not good for children's nutrition, they can only cool down and satisfy their cravings. It is recommended not to exceed two bottles a day, otherwise it will greatly irritate the gastrointestinal tract and may increase respiratory allergic diseases.

Secondly, when parents choose heatstroke prevention and cooling foods for their children, they can consider watermelon, mung bean soup, etc. However, if it is taken directly from the refrigerator, it is recommended to put it at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to "thaw" before giving it to children.

2. Don’t stop eating if you have gastrointestinal problems

The "starvation therapy" that was used in the past when children had diarrhea is no longer advocated. Many parents believe that "eat less, poop less, don't eat, don't poop", so they are smart enough to "fast" their children, which is not scientific. Especially for children with non-infectious diarrhea, their intestinal system is not affected by bacteria, and their digestive function is still very good. If parents implement "fasting", it may cause the child to increase intestinal peristalsis when hungry, which may make the diarrhea worse.

During diarrhea, you can choose relatively light and easily digestible foods such as porridge and soft noodles for your child, and avoid high-protein, high-fat and greasy foods. For young babies, continue breastfeeding or diluted formula feeding for 2-3 days, and then gradually resume normal diet.

3. It is not recommended to use "antidiarrhea drugs" for children with diarrhea

There are many antidiarrhea drug advertisements on TV now, but parents must not blindly believe them. In general, it is best not to use antidiarrhea drugs on children easily. After a child has diarrhea, comprehensive treatment can be adopted according to different situations.

If the child's stool is just thin and mushy, and there is no fever or other symptoms, the main nursing treatment is to regulate gastrointestinal function. If the child has infectious diarrhea, the stool is sticky or even accompanied by bleeding, anti-infection treatment is required. However, for babies, topical medicines are more convenient, and babies will not resist treatment due to problems such as the taste of the medicine. For example, the umbilical cord patch is used for treatment. According to the instructions for the medicine, the umbilical cord patch is attached to the baby's belly button to avoid various problems encountered when the baby takes oral medicine. Therefore, the abuse of antidiarrheal drugs when solving diarrhea problems for babies will cause certain side effects. Especially for young infants, antidiarrheal drugs will inhibit the excretion of toxins in the intestines and aggravate the condition.