Nursing Management of Diarrhea in Infants and Children

Diarrhea is a common disease found in infants and children. According to WHO, diarrhea is a bowel movement in liquid form is more than three times in one day, and usually lasts for two days or more. Sometimes parents often wonder whether or not the baby has diarrhea. In children, stool consistency more attention than the frequency of bowel movement, this is because the frequency of bowel in infants more frequently than adults, can be up to five times a day. Frequency of bowel that often the child may not necessarily be said if the diarrhea stool consistency as the days in general. A mother can tell when their children get diarrhea, and depending on the child's condition.

Diarrhea can cause a person to dehydrate. Miscellaneous causes of diarrhea include infections (bacterial or viral) and food allergies (particularly milk or lactose). Diarrhea in children must be addressed because if not immediately treated, diarrhea can cause dehydration of the body can be fatal.


Causes of Diarrhea

As mentioned above, a lot of things that can cause diarrhea. If your baby or your child has diarrhea, could be due to parasites, bacterial and viral infections, antibiotics, or food .

Viral infections
Viruses cause most diarrhea is rotavirus. According to WHO, contributed rotavirus diarrhea by 15-25 % in children aged 6-24 months.

Bacterial Infections
Bacteria such as Shigella, Vibrio cholerae, Salmonella (non- typhoid), Campylobacter jejuni and Escherichia coli may be a cause of diarrhea in your baby. Your children are likely to experience diarrhea caused by bacterial infection if they experienced a very severe diarrhea, followed by seizures, blood in the stools, and fever.

Parasite
Infections caused by parasites can also cause diarrhea. Disease giardiasis example. The disease is caused by microscopic parasites that live in the intestines. Symptoms of giardiasis include a lot of gas, which is very much feces and stinking, flatulence, and diarrhea.

Antibiotics
If your child or baby has diarrhea during antibiotic use, maybe it is related to the treatment that is being lived. Antibiotics can kill the good bacteria in the gut during treatment. Consult your doctor about this. However, do not stop treatment on your child until the doctor gives approval.


Food and Beverage
Too much juice ( especially fruit juices containing sorbitol and content fruksosa high ) or too many sugary drinks can make baby belly " shocked " and cause diarrhea .

Food Allergies
Food allergy is a reaction of the body's immune system to food intake. Food allergies in infants is common in babies begin to recognize complementary feeding . Milk protein is an allergen ( an allergen ) that is most common in infants . In addition to milk proteins , which are common allergens are eggs , soy , wheat , peanuts , fish , and shellfish . Consult your doctor if you suspect emo have food allergies . Food allergies can cause a variety of reactions ( one of which is diarrhea ) in a short time and after a few hours .

Food intolerance
In contrast to food allergies , food intolerance is not influenced by the immune system . An example of food intolerance is lactose intolerance ( very rarely found in infants ) . Infants with lactose intolerance , meaning that the baby does not produce enough lactase , an enzyme needed to digest lactose ( ie sugar in cow's milk and other dairy products ) . Symptoms such as diarrhea , abdominal bloating , and gas can occur when lactose is not broken down. Symptoms usually appear about one or two hours after consuming milk products .


Prevention of Diarrhea

Easily preventable diarrhea among others, by:

Washing hands properly with soap at critical times ie five before eating, after defecating, before holding the baby, after cleaning a child of defecation and before preparing food.

Healthy Food
Food can be contaminated by cause of diarrhea in the stage production and preparation, and storage. Cook food properly, separate the food that has been cooked and uncooked, pisakan also food that has been washed and unwashed, and keep the food from insects such as flies.

Healthy drinking water, or water that has been treated, such as by boiling, heating by the sun or the chlorination process.
Better waste management so that food is not contaminated insects (flies, cockroaches, fleas, cockroaches, etc.)

Defecating and urinating in place.


Management of Diarrhea in Children

1. Eating and Drinking
For infants and toddlers who are still breast-fed , continue drinking milk ( breast milk ) . For children who are not drinking milk , eating and drinking as usual to replace lost body fluids

2. Salts ORS ( Oral Rehydration Salts )
Give rehydration salts to replace lost body fluids . Please note for parents on how ORS is correct . The trick is to drink a glass of ORS little by little , two to three sips , then stopped for three minutes . This should be repeated continuously until the glass ORS exhausted . ORS drink one glass at a time can lead to vomiting and defecation .

3. Immediately consult a doctor if the child's diarrhea more than 12 hours or if your baby does not wet the bed within 8 hours , body temperature over 39 ° C , there is blood in the stool , dry mouth or cries without tears , and unbelievable sleepy or no response

For all parents of diarrhea in children are common but need treatment immediately , no need to panic if your child caught in these conditions . Hygiene and environmental influence on child health therefore wherever possible we should always maintain the cleanliness in all things , whether it's environmental , food etc....

Tag : Diarrhea, Nursing Management, Pediatric Nursing