Question
A six-month-old baby, who has been artificially fed, developed persistent diarrhea about half a month ago after being treated with intravenous injections for high fever. The condition has not improved for nearly half a month. Although there are occasional normal bowel movements after taking medication, most of the time the bowel condition remains abnormal. What could be the cause of this situation?
Answer
Diarrhea is a common symptom in infants, as their digestive systems are not yet mature, and they grow rapidly with high heat and nutritional demands. Therefore, improper feeding can easily lead to diarrhea. Common causes of diarrhea include: overfeeding or feeding too frequently, which increases the burden on the gastrointestinal tract; introducing complementary foods too quickly or with too many types, as well as consuming excessive amounts of fatty or indigestible foods, which prevent complete digestion; irregular feeding times; and poor hygiene during feeding.