Diarrhoea

Diarrhoea is abnormally liquid bowel motions, not those which are slightly loose or frequent. Some children may pass several motions a day, while others go only a few times a week. Both are normal.

Diarrhoea usually starts suddenly, and is often associated with colicky, coming-and-going tummy pains, which tend to flit around different parts of the tummy. This is quite different from appendicitis, where the pain is in one place and constant.

It can be caused by travel or over-eating of a particular food (e.g. fruit or chocolate), but if your child is also vomiting, then it is very likely to be caused by a bowel virus infection.

Most cases settle on their own without any special treatment, but if dehydration is setting in, then get medical advice without delay.

You will know your child is dehydrated if:

• He looks drawn and pinched in the face
• He has sunken eyes and a dry mouth
• His urine production slows down as his body tries to conserve fluid. If your baby does not wet his nappy for six hours, he may well be dehydrated

As a rule, if diarrhoea has lasted for a week or more, then a sample of the faeces should be sent to the local hospital laboratory for analysis, to see if there is a specific bacterial or parasitic infection that needs treatment. (These can include bugs called salmonella, shigella, and giardia.)

What to do

While waiting for the diarrhoea to settle, follow this guide to management:

• If your baby has diarrhoea continue to give milk feeds, and seek advice from your doctor
• Children should be encouraged to drink plenty of clear, non-milky fluids such as sugary (not ‘diet’) squash or flat lemonade
• Rehydration salts can be bought in a sachet or as a dissolving tablet from your pharmacist without a prescription, and these are useful to replace the sodium and potassium that are lost in diarrhoea and vomiting
• Your child’s appetite will probably be reduced or absent for a day or two. Not eating anything for a couple of days will not be harmful, providing lots of fluid and sugar is drunk. When the appetite returns, avoid rich or fatty foods, as these tend to promote vomiting and cause a greasy, undigested diarrhoea
• Offer light foods such as boiled rice, toast with an absolute minimum of fat spread, light biscuits or soups. Your child will let you know when he wants to eat more