Question

A 10-month-old baby who has been weaned for a month. On October 17th, the baby may have eaten too much. On the morning of October 18th, the baby experienced diarrhea, followed by another episode in the afternoon. That evening, the baby had a fever of 38.5 degrees Celsius. After taking Tylenol for fever reduction, the baby’s fever subsided in the morning and started to have a runny nose. After the nap, the condition improved slightly. The baby breastfed three times that night and was stable. On October 19th, the baby ate more in the morning and vomited two hours later; vomited after eating dumplings at noon; and again after drinking milk too quickly in the afternoon. At 7 pm, the baby had a bowel movement that was not watery but very smelly, and it was yellowish in color. What could be wrong?

Answer

The baby’s condition may be due to diarrhea, and it is necessary to determine whether it is caused by a viral or bacterial infection. Recommendations include:

  1. Conduct a routine stool test. If there are no symptoms of bacterial infection, such as pus cells or white blood cells, antibiotics are generally not used. If necessary, narrow-spectrum antibiotics should be used.
  2. Administer antiviral medication, fluid replacement, and electrolyte supplementation. It is better to perform electrolyte tests before supplementation if possible.
  3. Use symptomatic treatments such as attapulgite powder, dextrotetracaine granules, and four-strain probiotic tablets.
  4. In terms of diet, provide easily digestible and light foods such as white rice porridge or noodles; avoid greasy and sugary foods. Wishing the baby well.