Not Making A Big Stink Over A Stinky Situation: The Facts About Children And Diarrhea

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By Mia Bolaris-Forget

Potty-mouth is never appreciated, well, accept if your talking about some potentially serious potty matters, one of them being diarrhea. Diarrhea isn’t as bad as you may think, especially when you take into consideration that it’s one of the body’s best defense mechanisms for eradicating waste and germs.

Experts point out that because diarrhea purifies your (child’s) system, it best to deal with it by allowing it to run its course. They note that mild to moderate diarrhea may last anywhere from five days to a week, generally getting better on its own. They also emphasize refraining from giving your child any antidiarrheal medicine in the first few days, unless otherwise instructed by your doctor.

The most important thing to be concerned with is keeping your child hydrated, especially since diarrhea tends to deplete the body of (essential) fluids. Give your child plenty of fluids (between two to three ounces every hour). For babies, give breast milk or formula. Avoid apple juice and other sugary drinks, which may worsen the diarrhea. If however the diarrhea is accompanied by vomiting or lasts longer than a week, consider giving your child replacement-fluid products specially designed for children. Contact you doctor if symptoms persist for more than 10 days, if diarrhea contain blood or pus, and/or is accompanied by high fever.

Long Island Family Life & Parenting Articles > Not Making A Big Stink Over A Stinky Situation: The Facts About Children And Diarrhea