Question

What should I do if a 10-day-old girl has diarrhea?

Answer

Infantile diarrhea can be caused by various pathogens and causes, typically occurring in babies under 2 years old, especially those between 6 to 11 months. The peak period for diarrhea is mainly from June to September and October to January of the following year. Here are some suggestions:

  1. Take your baby’s stool sample to the hospital for testing promptly to determine the cause. Do not rely solely on symptoms to diagnose your baby with autumn diarrhea; a doctor’s assistance is needed for confirmation.
  2. If your baby has diarrhea more than 8 times a day, or if the frequency is not high but the amount of stool is two to three times more than usual, or if it is completely watery, it is important to take your baby to the doctor promptly.
  3. Autumn diarrhea is caused by rotavirus infection, and antibiotic treatment is ineffective, so do not use antibiotics arbitrarily. The focus of treatment is fluid replacement.
  4. If your baby has diarrhea accompanied by vomiting and cannot take oral rehydration salts, or if your baby does not vomit but refuses to drink water, it is important to take your baby to see a doctor promptly.
  5. When your baby has diarrhea, it is important to clean up the excrement promptly.
  6. Promptly replenish lost fluids and electrolytes; you can purchase oral rehydration salts. Using oral rehydration salts in the early stages of the disease, along with other treatments, can not only alleviate your baby’s pain but also prevent hospitalization and save costs.
  7. If your baby continues to vomit or refuses to drink water despite taking in fluids…