What causes diarrhea in children?

Children at home are the apple of their parents’ eyes. Parents will be very worried if their children show some adverse symptoms. Nowadays, the most common factor causing children’s discomfort is diarrhea. When children show symptoms of diarrhea, parents will be very worried. In fact, children’s intestines are very fragile, so it is very necessary to prevent diarrhea. Below, the editor will tell you some of the causes of diarrhea.

Causes of diarrhea in children

1. Gastroenteritis: Gastroenteritis (also called stomach flu) is an inflammation of the stomach and intestines that can cause diarrhea in infants, children, and adults. Gastroenteritis is very common and can be caused by many different viruses. The most common pathogen is rotavirus. Half of the children hospitalized for diarrhea are infected with this virus, which occurs most frequently in late autumn and early winter.

2. Bacterial infection: severe diarrhea (sometimes accompanied by vomiting), abdominal pain, bloody stools, and fever are often caused by viruses or bacteria (E. coli, Salmonella, etc.). Some of these infections are self-healing, but some can be very serious, such as those caused by E. coli in undercooked meat.

3. Parasites: Parasitic infections may also cause diarrhea. For example, giardiasis (also called giardiasis) is caused by a microscopic parasite that lives in the intestines. Parasites are easily spread when living in groups and require special medications to treat. Parasites mainly enter the baby's body through drinking water (including water used to make formula milk). Tap water is easily contaminated by secondary pollution when it is stored and transported through rooftop water tanks and water pipes.

4. Antibiotics: If your baby develops diarrhea during or after antibiotic treatment, it may be related to the medicine.

When a child has diarrhea, parents also need to pay attention to the diet of their children. Some children who drink milk may have diarrhea due to milk allergy. If the child continues to drink milk, the diarrhea will only make it worse. Therefore, when a child has diarrhea, parents must first find out the cause of the diarrhea.