Stomach upset in children is always a very worrying factor for their parents. And it does not matter at all, the baby has suffered from dysfunction of the intestine or an older baby. Diarrhea in a child in 4 years is almost always a defensive reaction of the body, which is aimed at removing from the digestive tract pathogenic microorganisms that provoke the development of diarrhea and toxins that are the products of their vital functions. Experts usually advise young mothers in the event of a liquid stool in a child at 4 years prematurely not to panic. And especially not to take any measures on their own that will quickly save the baby from diarrhea. First of all, you should analyze all the cause-effect relationships and think about whether diarrhea is caused by the use of certain foods. The slow and easy upset of the digestive organs has little effect on the general condition of the children.
But if watery feces are repeated, and there are more abdominal pains and vomiting, this is already becoming very serious, since such a symptom is a signal of unhappiness in a child's body, and may indicate the development of any intestinal infection. A liquid chair, which does not stop for several days, serves as a reason for contacting a specialist. It should be done as soon as possible, because with diarrhea a child at 4 years old can develop very quickly dehydration. The kid can fade away in such a development of events, and in a short time his condition will be qualified as very serious, because in 4 years the body of the child is still weak. Diarrhea in this case may be the result of some serious disease. Very often, young parents ask about why diarrhea can occur in a child who is 4 years old. There may be several reasons for this:
- Very often, the liquid stool in children occurs due to "sickness of dirty hands", it is easier to say, diarrhea in this case is caused by non-observance of hygiene rules by children. Microbes in this case enter the body through not washed hands in a timely manner;
- Diarrhea in a child of 4 years may be the result of an infection, viral or bacterial. The main diseases of this type, which are accompanied by a liquid stool, are rotavirus infections, salmonellosis, viral hepatitis A and dysentery;
- Diarrhea is very often caused by helminthic invasion;
- A child in 4-5 years of age may experience a neurogenic diarrhea due to the stressful situation at home or in the kindergarten.
Watery bowel movements are caused by impaired absorption in the small intestine, lack of bile, lack of enzymes, as well as any other digestive disorders. Unformed feces also accompany both acute and chronic intestinal diseases - enterocolitis and colitis.
In the event that a child in 4 years of diarrhea caused by a serious pathology of the gastrointestinal tract or intestinal infection, it will not be possible to cope with developing dysfunction. It is necessary to urgently appeal to a specialist to prevent the transition of pathology into a chronic form. To accurately determine the root cause, which gave rise to the appearance of a liquid stool, it is necessary to conduct differential diagnosis. This can only be done by a pediatrician who, if necessary, will send the baby to a specialist.
Diarrhea in a child of 5 years old
In five-year-olds, as well as in 4 years, watery excrement lasting several days, arise due to quite serious reasons, which can not be controlled independently. Therapeutic measures in this case should be purposeful, and for this purpose it is necessary to find out the cause that provoked upset stomach:
- If diarrhea in a child in 4-5 years is caused by dysfunction of the pancreas, he is prescribed drugs that restore its activity;
- In case of dystrophy of the gastric mucosa, it is recommended to take substitutes for digestive enzymes;
- Liquid stool, caused by hypovitaminosis in children 5 years, is treated with a certain vitamin complex.
But all appointments must be performed only by a specialist after identifying the cause of diarrhea lasting several days. Often parents ask a question, whether it is possible independently to be engaged in treatment of an intestinal dysfunction at kids in 4 years or 5 years? In this case, the unequivocal answer of specialists will be that it should be done only when it is accurately known that diarrhea in a child is not caused by a serious pathology of the digestive tract. That is, in order to clarify the cause, which became a prerequisite for a stomach upset, in any case, you should consult a doctor and go through the necessary studies. How can you help your child in case of light food poisoning at home? Recommendations of specialists are as follows:
- Since with a diarrhea a child at least 4 years old, even at 5 years old, loses a large amount of water from the body, he should strengthen the drinking regime. But it's best not to give usual boiled water, but a special solution from the pharmacy or slightly salted mineral water. It is very important that the temperature of the drink does not exceed 23 °, otherwise diarrhea at the child in 4 years and 5 years will only increase;
- To stop a child diarrhea, which is not associated with pathological infectious diseases, help drugs that have absorbent properties. These include Polysorb or Smecta. How to take them in 5 years or 4 years, is written on the package. These mixtures perfectly help to remove from children's organisms harmful substances accumulated during the liquid stool;
- As a fastening agent, rice decoction works great;
- When diarrhea that appeared in a child in 4 years or 5 years, and not associated with any infection, it is necessary to observe fractional meals( often in small portions).It should include abundant and frequent drinking and limit the intake of foods that contain large amounts of fats and carbohydrates. It is also not recommended to give to children those dishes that are capable of irritatingly acting on the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract. The basis of the diet should be rice, boiled on water.