Question

My child often has diarrhea. Do I need to take them to the hospital? How long will it take for them to recover?

Answer

Diarrhea is quite common in infants. First, parents should not be too anxious. The human body may experience diarrhea and vomiting as a normal response and self-protection mechanism, as it seeks to quickly expel impurities such as bacteria and viruses. However, if diarrhea and vomiting are particularly severe, they may lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, so it is necessary to replenish fluids and electrolytes. Nowadays, for general intestinal baby diarrhea, you can give your baby oral rehydration salts, which are available at pharmacies or hospitals, and then supplement some gluconate zinc. Additionally, you can provide oral mucosal protective agents.