Question
The one-year-old child has had diarrhea for two days, with milk-like stools, and had two bowel movements this morning. At night, the child cries and cannot sleep when the belly hurts. Probiotics have been taken for two days but there has been no improvement. There are no signs of dehydration, a belly patch has been applied, and there is no intention to give the child injections or intravenous fluids. The child used to eat a lot of eggs a few days ago and now only drinks formula milk, which is not consumed properly. What should I do?
Answer
Pediatric diarrhea is a common clinical diagnosis. The hormone-based medications commonly used often only provide short-term relief or are completely ineffective, and their strong side effects may affect the child’s healthy growth. Here, I introduce a simple yet effective method that I often use in clinical diagnosis, which is particularly effective for treating patients with weak constitutions. The method involves taking five-bark (available at pharmacies) and grinding it into powder. Mix it with warm old vinegar to form a paste and apply it to the child’s acupoint (navel), which is very effective.