What are the dangers of diarrhea in children? Four major hazards need to be paid attention to

Children's gastrointestinal development is not perfect, which makes them prone to diarrhea. So, what are the dangers of diarrhea in children?

What are the dangers of diarrhea in children

1. Dehydration and electrolyte imbalance: When having diarrhea, the body not only cannot effectively absorb water and electrolytes from food, but also further loses them in the form of intestinal fluid. Therefore, when having diarrhea, if water and electrolytes cannot be replenished in time and effectively, dehydration and electrolyte imbalance will occur to varying degrees. Among them, electrolyte imbalance includes low sodium, low potassium, low calcium and low magnesium, which are not only not conducive to the recovery of the disease, but also bring unnecessary pain to the child. For example, low potassium can cause stubborn abdominal distension, and low calcium can cause hand and foot cramps or convulsions.

2. Viral myocarditis: It occurs after diarrhea caused by enterovirus infection. Diarrhea further reduces the child's resistance, and the virus can invade the heart and cause viral myocarditis. Children with this disease will have symptoms such as chest tightness, chest pain, palpitations, dizziness, and fatigue. Severe arrhythmias can lead to heart failure, cardiogenic shock, and even life-threatening.

3. Intussusception: One of the common acute abdomens in children, it is more common in infants aged 4 to 10 months. The incidence rate gradually decreases with age. The vast majority of infant intussusception is primary, and only 2% to 8% of cases are secondary. As the intestinal peristalsis loses its normal rhythm, the intestinal circular muscle undergoes continuous local spasm, and the proximal intestine peristsal violently, pushing the spasmodic intestinal segment into the distal intestinal cavity. Diarrhea and the viral infection that accompanies it are the main causes of intussusception, and should be vigilant.

4. Malnutrition: It often occurs after prolonged or chronic diarrhea. Malnutrition will further reduce the child's resistance and easily lead to various infections, such as thrush, bronchial pneumonia, tuberculosis, otitis media, urinary tract infection, etc. Moreover, prolonged diarrhea will aggravate malnutrition, creating a vicious cycle.

What to eat for children with diarrhea

1. Ripe apples

Ingredients: 1 apple.

Method: Take an apple, cut it into small pieces with the skin and core, boil it in warm water for 3 to 5 minutes, and eat it after it is warm. Eat it 2 to 3 times a day, 30 to 50 grams each time. When eating cooked apples, do not add sucrose for seasoning, otherwise it will aggravate diarrhea.

Efficacy: Apple is an alkaline food, containing pectin and tannic acid, which has astringent and antidiarrheal effects.

2. Lotus root starch

Ingredients: Lotus root powder, brown sugar

Preparation method: Take an appropriate amount of lotus root powder, dissolve it in water, add 5 parts of water to 1 part of lotus root powder, add a little brown sugar, and simmer until it becomes a paste. Eat it 2 to 3 times a day on average.

Prevention of diarrhea in children

1. Promote breastfeeding: Since breast milk contains an immune substance called secretory IgA (SigA), it plays an important role in maintaining and enhancing the local immunity of the digestive tract, that is, it enables the digestive tract to have a strong ability to resist the invasion of pathogenic microorganisms, ensures the healthy function of the child's digestive tract, and is less likely to develop diarrhea and digestive dysfunction. Therefore, it can be said that breast milk is the best health food for infants and young children. Breastfeeding is especially important for children 4-6 months after birth and the first summer of the child, and care should be taken to avoid weaning the child in the summer.

2. To prevent children from having diarrhea, the hygiene of food and utensils is very important. Especially for children who are bottle-fed, attention should be paid to food hygiene and water hygiene. Ensure the cleanliness of the food production process; the utensils used must be boiled and disinfected once a day, and should be washed with boiling water before each feeding. By removing the pathogenic microorganisms attached to the utensils, children will be less likely to get diarrhea.

3. Among the diarrhea cases in children, a considerable part is caused by improper feeding. The gastrointestinal tract of children is relatively weak and its function has not yet fully developed. Therefore, you should be cautious when adding complementary food to breast-fed or bottle-fed children. First, add it on time; second, follow the principle of "from small to large" when adding a food; and avoid adding several foods at the same time. This can effectively prevent diarrhea caused by improper feeding.

4. Children’s digestive tract is originally delicate, and digestive function is affected when they are sick (such as fever, respiratory tract infection, loss of appetite, etc.).

The amount of milk or food should be reduced during feeding. Older children should be given easily digestible and nutritious food, and raw, cold and greasy food should be avoided. Oral rehydration salts can be used to make drinks when necessary to avoid diarrhea caused by feeding errors when suffering from other diseases, which will make the child's condition worse.

Can children with diarrhea eat eggs?

The answer is no. Because during diarrhea, babies secrete less digestive juice. If they eat eggs, it will only make the diarrhea symptoms worse. Eggs are high-protein foods. If they are eaten during diarrhea, it will increase the burden on the baby's intestines and may cause enteritis. Therefore, eggs must not be eaten.