Question
What are the symptoms of pediatric diarrhea? How should it be treated?
Answer
When dealing with pediatric diarrhea, it’s crucial to identify the cause. The most common causes of childhood diarrhea include gastrointestinal infections and non-infectious conditions. Gastrointestinal infections can be caused by bacteria or viruses. If a child has a bacterial gastrointestinal infection, active anti-infection treatment is required. If a child is infected with a virus, only the symptoms of diarrhea are present, and there is no need for anti-viral treatment. Non-infectious diseases that can cause diarrhea often include improper feeding, lactose intolerance, or allergies to milk and proteins. Most young infants require the addition of lactase or the use of lactose-free formula before being breastfed. If lactose intolerance occurs, it is necessary to add lactase or use lactose-free formula before breastfeeding.