Question

How should one handle a child who has a cold accompanied by diarrhea symptoms?

Answer

For symptoms that persist for a month, improve for two days, and then reappear with coughing, fever, runny nose, and diarrhea, the following measures can be taken:

  1. Increase the child’s fluid intake. For breastfed infants, increase the milk supply; for infants on solid foods, the main diet should consist of congee, rice gruel, and rice powder.
  2. Employ two dietary therapies: one involves stir-frying noodles (to a slight golden hue), adding finely chopped ginger to make a soup, then feeding the baby after removing the ginger; the other is to cook apple water or steam an apple, both of which have anti-diarrheal effects.
  3. Avoid high-protein, high-fat, and high-sugar foods such as eggs, fish, meats, fried and greasy foods, butter, and sugary beverages and desserts.
  4. Use some folk remedies like Wind-Cold Diarrhea and Spleen-Kidney Yang Deficiency Diarrhea. Heat salt and apply it warm using a cloth on the baby’s navel for cold compress.
  5. If diarrhea is severe, administer oral rehydration to the baby by preparing a diluted sugar-salt solution and feeding it to the baby, while observing urine output.
  6. Pay attention to keeping the baby’s abdomen, back, and feet warm; do not let the baby play barefoot.
  7. After the baby recovers from diarrhea, follow a diet principle of lightness and sufficient quantity; avoid rushing to replenish nutrients to prevent recurrence. These measures can help alleviate the baby’s symptoms and accelerate recovery. If symptoms persist or worsen, seek medical attention promptly.