About this topic
When your child has more than three very loose stools in 1 day, it is called diarrhea. It is travelers diarrhea if it happens while your child is traveling or soon after returning home. This illness lasts for a few days before your child feels better. If this condition is not treated early, it can lead to fluid loss. ‚
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do to care for your child.
- Give your child small amounts of fluid every 15 to 30 minutes. This is better than having your child drink a large amount at one time. Good fluids to give are oral electrolyte solutions that you can buy at most supermarkets or pharmacies.
- Avoid sharing your childs food and drinks.
- Follow good hygiene practices. Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 15 seconds. Also wash your child's hands. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers also work to kill germs. This is especially important:
- After using the bathroom or changing diapers
- Before eating
- Before cooking
What follow-up care is needed?
The doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your childs progress. Be sure to keep these visits. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Prevent infection or kill germs
- Relieve signs of diarrhea
- Prevent throwing up
- Replace fluids and nutrients
Will physical activity be limited?
Yes. Your child may feel weak because of losing fluid. Encourage your child to rest when feeling tired. Ask the doctor about what activities are best for your child. ‚
What changes to diet are needed?
- Stay away from caffeine and foods that are greasy, high in fiber, or sweet.
- Eat soft, bland foods like bananas, plain rice, boiled potatoes, toast, crackers, cooked carrots, and baked chicken without the skin or fat.
- Eat small meals every few hours instead of 3 big meals.
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
To lower your childs chance of getting diarrhea: ‚
- Always wash your child's hands. Keep a hand sanitizer with you.
- Always prepare and store food in a proper way.
- If your child has diarrhea, do not allow your child to help prepare food for others.
If your child is traveling: ‚
- Give your child bottled water.
- Make your child use bottled water when brushing teeth.
- Stay away from drinks that have ice.
- Do not eat food from street vendors.
- Do not eat raw vegetables or fruits. All produce should be peeled and/or cooked.
- Prepare your child's own food.
- Make sure meats and seafood are cooked properly.
- Eat only pasteurized dairy products.
- Always check the utensils to make sure they are clean.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Your child is less than 6 months old and has loose stools and throwing up
- Signs of fluid loss. These include soft spot on a babys head looks sunken, few or no tears when crying, dark-colored urine or only a small amount of urine for more than 6 to 8 hours, dry mouth, cracked lips, dry skin, sunken eyes, lack of energy, feeling very sleepy.
- Throwing up or very bad loose stools that last for more than a few days
- Throwing up blood, has mucus or bloody loose stools
- Not able to keep fluids down
- Very bad pain in the belly
- Your child is not feeling better in 2 to 3 days or is feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you about your child. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my childs condition.
- I can tell you what precautions to take when traveling to help keep my child from getting this illness.
- I can tell you what I will do if my child has dark colored urine or no urine for more than 8 hours, few tears when crying, dry mouth, lack of energy, or is very sleepy.
Where can I learn more?
FamilyDoctor.org ‚
http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/diseases-conditions/travelers-diarrhea.html ‚
KidsHealth ‚
http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/common/diarrhea.html ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚