What to do if a 4-month-old baby has diarrhea

Children's health is the most concerning issue for parents. Any discomfort will make them very worried. Therefore, it is particularly important to understand the causes of children's diarrhea and take preventive measures as early as possible. The main causes of diarrhea in children are gastroenteritis, bacterial infection, parasitic infection and antibiotics. Parents should choose appropriate treatment methods based on their children’s actual situation.

1. Causes of diarrhea in children

Reason 1: Gastroenteritis. It is common in both adults and children. It is an inflammation of the stomach and intestines that can easily lead to diarrhea. The pathogens that cause gastroenteritis are mostly viruses, the most common of which is rotavirus, which occurs frequently in late autumn and early winter. Half of the babies hospitalized for diarrhea are infected with this virus. If a baby has diarrhea accompanied by stomach cramps, vomiting, and low fever, it is likely caused by gastroenteritis.

Reason 2: bacterial infection. If your baby has severe diarrhea (sometimes accompanied by vomiting) and also has abdominal pain, bloody stools, fever, etc., it is often caused by bacteria (such as E. coli, Salmonella, etc.). Some of these infections are self-healing, but others (such as those caused by E. coli in undercooked meat) can be serious. Therefore, if your baby has the above symptoms, take him to see a doctor immediately.

Reason 3: Parasitic infection. Parasitic infections may also cause diarrhea in babies. For example, giardiasis (also called "pir-shaped flagellation") is caused by a microscopic parasite that lives in the intestines. Therefore, practicing good hygiene habits, such as washing hands after changing diapers, is the best way to stop the spread of parasitic infections.

Reason 4: Antibiotics. If your baby has diarrhea during or after treatment with antibiotics, it may be related to the medication. Tell your baby's doctor about diarrhea to see if other medications or treatments can be used.

2. Children's diarrhea remedies

1. Boil the apples. A thoroughly cooked apple has an astringent effect. Giving your baby one apple a day can help relieve diarrhea. When cooking apples, you should cook them in water or add some rock sugar, so that babies will like them more.

2. Egg yolk diet: Boil the eggs, remove the shells and egg whites, and simmer the egg yolks in a pot over low heat to extract oil. Infants under one year old can take one egg yolk oil a day, divided into 2-3 doses, for a course of 3 days to treat diarrhea, and it has the effect of tonifying the spleen and stomach and stopping diarrhea.

3. Scorched rice soup: first grind the rice flour or milk cake into powder, fry until it turns yellow, then add appropriate amount of water and sugar, and then cook it into a paste. When rice noodles are added with water and then heated, its carbonized structure has a better adsorption and antidiarrheal effect.

4. Carrot soup: Carrot is an alkaline food. The pectin it contains can promote stool formation and absorb bacteria and toxins on the intestinal mucosa. It is a good antidiarrheal food.

5. Rice porridge. When your baby has diarrhea, give him more porridge, which is easy to digest and nutritious. Don't feed your baby hard food when he has diarrhea. It is better to cook the porridge until it is softer.

6. Drink ginger tea. When your baby has diarrhea due to a cold stomach, you can make some ginger tea for him. Cut the ginger into small pieces, add the ginger pieces to boiling water, and then add a small amount of cooked tea. Giving your baby some every day can relieve the symptoms of diarrhea.

7. Hawthorn malt water. When your baby has diarrhea due to indigestion, you can boil some hawthorn malt water for your baby to drink. The effect is good. Use fried malt and 3-5 hawthorns will do. It would be better to add some brown sugar.