This archive report was first published on 2 August 2019.
Diarrhoea in Young Children: Possible Causes and Solutions ¶
Published on August 2, 2019, by Dr. Mukuhi Ng'ang'a, a paediatrician, sheds light on the possible causes of chronic diarrhoea in young children.
Chronic diarrhoea refers to diarrhoea that has been present for more than three weeks. Determining the cause can be difficult and requires several lifestyle changes to pinpoint the culprit.
Some possible causes of chronic diarrhoea in young children include infections of the digestive tract, toddler's diarrhoea, gluten intolerance, food allergies, lactose intolerance, fructose/sucrose intolerance, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Hirschsprung's disease, and rare tumours of the digestive system.
It is essential to have your child reviewed by a paediatrician for a full physical examination and discuss the different possibilities that may be contributing to your son's condition.
Practising strict hand washing protocol, washing fruits and vegetables before feeding them to the child, and keeping cooked food in the refrigerator can help prevent diarrhoea.
Identifying food culprits and eliminating sweetened drinks from your child's diet can also help solve the puzzle of what is causing the diarrhoea.
It is crucial to avoid giving your child medication to stop diarrhoea, as these are not recommended for use in children.
Finally, remember to always keep your son well hydrated and keep a few sachets of oral rehydration salts in the house in case of severe episodes of loose stool.
Children with diarrhoea can sometimes develop complications, such as dehydration, bloody or black stool, fever, irritability, or becoming very drowsy.
