Home » Pregnancy & Parenting  » Child health » Diarrhoea Mild intestinal infection causes diarrhoea. Most episodes of diarrhoea can be controlled by dietary methods. But if it persists or gets worse, it can get serious. Significant loss of body fluid can be the direct result of this. Mildly loose movements that are only slightly more frequent than usual are not diarrhoea. This condition can be treated with a modified diet of rice gruel, tender coconut, bananas and applesauce. Breast milk should be continued but if your child is on formula, stop it for a while. Avoid sweet liquids like juices since sugar can aggravate the condition. If the changed diet does not help, call your paediatrician. Frequent loose stools can dehydrate the child and so give your baby as much liquid as possible. Keep track of the number of times she passes urine. If the urine output has reduced and she loses weight, then rush to your doctor without further delay.

An infection should be considered severe if any of the following symptoms are present:

• Watery stools
• Change in the colour of stools
• Pus or blood in the stools
• Vomiting
• Fever of 101 F or more
• The baby has sunken eyes with grey circles under them

Do not waste time!

Consult your doctor immediately!

Prevention of diarrhoea

1. Always give your baby clean, clear and double boiled water
2. Ensure that the food given to your infant is hygienically prepared
3. Always wash your hands before feeding your baby
4. Immunisation (check with your doctor on the possibilities of this)