How many days do teething children suffer from diarrhea and how to treat it?
Diarrhea during teething in young children is not necessary, but a common symptom. Parents, especially inexperienced ones, are frightened by the appearance of diarrhea and urgently call a doctor. Should you be afraid of such a condition as teething diarrhea? What could be the reasons for this phenomenon in a child? How long does the process take? Does the condition need to be treated? And what should you do if diarrhea appears during teething and worries both the child and the parents?
Diet for diarrhea on teeth in a child
After the examination, the pediatrician will prescribe plenty of fluids. Some medications, like Regidron, taste bad. In order for the baby to drink the product, you will need to dilute it with compote. Before giving the medicine to the child, the mother needs to taste the medicine herself. If the temperature is elevated, then drink liquid in larger quantities than with diarrhea.
Prevention
During teething diarrhea after 6 months of life, you need to follow the following tips:
- painkillers are used carefully after a doctor’s prescription and after reading the instructions;
- Antibiotics can only be prescribed by a doctor and it is strictly forbidden to give them to a child on your own;
- maintaining personal hygiene;
- Depending on your age, proper dental care is required;
- You cannot walk with a child who has a high temperature;
- When teeth are cutting through, you should not take your child to crowded places and invite friends to visit.
If you follow the pediatrician's recommendations correctly, the process of changing teeth will become less stressful for the baby. The appearance of an intestinal disorder requires special monitoring of the baby's health. If your stool changes, you should seek help from your pediatrician.
The process of teething is difficult for a baby. At this moment, all the functions of his organs also undergo changes, and viruses lie in wait for the baby everywhere. Parents should know that diarrhea during primary teething does not last more than a day. Otherwise, there may be loose stools for several days, which is not normal. Therefore, if a change in consistency and color is observed, urgent assistance from a specialist is required. If a child has previously erupted teeth, but not all of them have appeared, then the parents must provide special food.
The information” on our website is provided by qualified doctors and is for informational purposes only. Don't self-medicate! Be sure to consult a specialist!
Author: Rumyantsev V. G. Experience 34 years.
Gastroenterologist, professor, doctor of medical sciences. Prescribes diagnostics and carries out treatment. Expert of the group for the study of inflammatory diseases. Author of more than 300 scientific papers.
A baby's first teeth are a long-awaited joy for parents. Their appearance is often accompanied by anxiety, fever, and digestive problems in the baby. These phenomena are short-term in nature and do not affect children's health. However, even a few days of the baby’s illness bring anxiety to the young mother. It is important for her to know how long diarrhea lasts during teething, and how to help the baby during this difficult period.
How do they erupt?
Teething is a natural process for babies. This phenomenon may be accompanied by certain deviations in the well-being of children, which include diarrhea. Children begin to develop teeth from the age of six months. There are also variations - the process occurs individually for each person, and can begin either earlier than six months of age or much later. This phenomenon may be accompanied by symptoms:
- Body temperature rises, usually up to 37–37.5 °C.
- Anxiety.
- Decreased appetite.
- Loose stools.
- Stomach ache.
Naturally, a six-month-old child does not have the opportunity to say what is bothering him. In this situation, the baby signals problems in his well-being by constant crying. Parents begin to worry, not understanding what is happening to their little child, not noticing that he is teething. How to assume that the cause of diarrhea is teeth, and how long will it last? To determine that diarrhea in children occurs during teething, you need to take a closer look at additional manifestations:
- Body temperature is increased.
- The baby constantly tries to put his hand or toy in his mouth.
- Looking into the baby's mouth, you can detect slight swelling and redness of the gums, and the appearance of whitish spots at the supposed site of eruption.
The combination of such signs indicates the most likely cause of diarrhea in the baby - the beginning of teething. What is the connection between teething and loose stools? Why is teething in a child accompanied by a strange effect - diarrhea that can last for several days? The mechanism of development of diarrhea is associated with certain changes in the body of children:
- Body temperature rises - in young children this often leads to the development of diarrhea.
- The baby's constant anxiety, caused by pain and irritation of the gums due to teething, stimulates the peristaltic activity of the intestines and leads to frequent diarrhea.
- Peristalsis is also significantly enhanced by increased motor activity in children associated with unpleasant sensations in the mouth.
- The process is accompanied by increased salivation, which for a little man causes stool liquefaction.
- Constant itching in the gum area leads to the baby pulling any objects into his mouth, trying to get rid of irritation, and these objects are not always clean, so diarrhea during teething can be the result of an intestinal infection.
Duration of disorder
How long does this phenomenon last? Teething is not a quick process and takes a long time. In this regard, the restless state of children, as well as diarrhea on the teeth, lasts for several days. Both the little person and, accordingly, the parents get tired of this phenomenon. There are certain periods within which diarrhea lasts until teeth appear. How long can it last? The normal state is when the duration of diarrhea does not exceed 3 days. If the diarrhea drags on and does not stop after 3-5 days, it is recommended to contact a specialist to begin treating the child.
The cause of long-term intestinal upset may not be due to teething, but to the possible development of an intestinal infection or other disease of the digestive tract in children. What to do when teething? Is it possible to alleviate the condition, how long will it take and what actions should be taken to stop the diarrhea? The most important thing to do in such a situation is not to panic. The child feels the parents' anxiety and becomes more nervous, which further aggravates the situation.
What are the signs of normal loose stools? The frequency is no more than five times a day, the stool is of normal color, without any impurities, for no more than three days. In this case, diarrhea in children should not cause concern, and there is no need to treat it with special drugs. It is necessary to contact a specialist if the following changes occur:
- The child does not allow his belly to be touched.
- The frequency of stools is more than 10 times a day.
- Loose stools last more than three days.
- Various impurities appear in feces.
- Body temperature rises to more than 37.5 °C.
These symptoms in children indicate the development of an infectious disease or problems in the abdominal cavity that must be treated immediately. How much and how to treat children at home? What should be done if parents are convinced that diarrhea is a reaction to teething? It is still necessary to help your child; you can treat with symptomatic means. Low-grade fever does not require measures to reduce it. But with a strong increase, you need to do something that will facilitate relief - open the child, wipe him with a damp cloth, if the procedure does not help - give Paracetamol or Nurofen in the form of a suspension or suppositories.
What to do for pain in the gums in children? In this situation, it is recommended to use special gels that reduce pain in the gums in children when they are teething - Dantinorm Baby, Kalgel. They can be used throughout the teething period. They contain lidocaine, which will relieve pain for a while. To prevent your child from putting dirty objects into his mouth, you need to give him special teething toys, which must be carefully treated. If several teeth are being cut at once, you can use the same Nurofen or Panadol as an anesthetic and additionally apply pain-relieving gels to the gums.
Treat dehydration with plenty of fluids. This can be either plain water or juice, or treatment with special water-salt solutions that will prevent the development of severe dehydration. To maintain normal intestinal microflora, you can prescribe treatment with the following drugs - Hilak-Forte, Linex for children, Bifiform Malysh: they can treat any dysbiosis. These medications can stop diarrhea and shorten its duration by several days. Treatment should be continued for several days to completely eliminate the symptoms of this condition.
How to normalize a child's stool?
No particular relationship has been identified, but observations of mothers and pediatricians make it possible to substantiate this phenomenon.
- The appearance of teeth in infants is accompanied by increased salivation, as a result of which a large amount of it enters the intestines and dilutes the stool.
- Saliva contains microorganisms that, when they enter the baby’s gastrointestinal tract, cause digestive disorders.
- New products introduced into complementary foods.
- Accelerated metabolism in children.
- The process of teething itself is a stressful factor for the body.
Everything in a baby’s body is interconnected, and another proof of this is diarrhea in a healthy child when teeth come out. Why does it arise? Experts cite the following reasons:
- Increased salivation. It is not by chance that wise nature turns on this mechanism. Saliva washes the mucous membranes of the oral cavity, protecting against the penetration of opportunistic microflora. Once in the child's stomach, it accelerates peristalsis and provokes loose stools.
- Weakened immunity. The risk of an infant catching an intestinal infection during the teething period is quite high. In the summer, rotavirus is common, which is characterized by a slight increase in temperature, vomiting, and watery stools in the first days of the disease. In winter, a weakened child is susceptible to ARVI.
- Ingress of microorganisms and bacteria from the outside. The gums itch, hurt and bother the baby, so he puts everything that is nearby into his mouth. This increases the risk of pathogenic bacteria entering the gastrointestinal tract.
- Poor nutrition during teething. The enzymatic apparatus of the pancreas in a child may malfunction, which provokes intoxication and loose stools.
- Heredity, somatic diseases (gastritis, tonsillitis, pancreatitis). If the parents' teething was accompanied by discomfort, then the baby is more likely to experience it in a severe form.
Diarrhea without infection lasts up to three days (this is usually how long it takes for a tooth to emerge above the surface of the gum). The stool is usually yellow-brown, watery, without impurities or foul odor. In this case, the number of bowel movements does not exceed 4 times a day. If rotavirus or another infection occurs, diarrhea can last 4-6 days, which does not go away without leaving a trace on the baby’s body and requires consultation with a doctor.
Digestive upset in children may be accompanied by fever, frequent regurgitation, swelling, nasal congestion, and runny nose. Sometimes the color and consistency of stool changes, and a stench appears. During this period, it is important to closely monitor the baby to prevent dehydration and deterioration of health.
Diarrhea during teething is not considered a pathology if it does not contain impurities of blood, mucus, or is green in color (a sign of an intestinal infection). Loose stools should not be accompanied by bloating, changes in peristalsis, or pain on palpation.
The mother can assess the situation on her own by placing her hand on the baby’s tummy, checking its softness, symptoms of gas formation (“gurgling”), and the baby’s reaction to touch. In babies under one year of age, diarrhea should not be profuse and frequent (the norm is up to 4-5 times a day). If it gets worse over time, it indicates a serious problem.
Teething in a child is often accompanied by various symptoms that cause discomfort to the baby and make parents worry. Diarrhea is one of those phenomena that occurs during teething. Most often, loose stools occur when fangs grow.
What is the reason for frequent bowel movements during the eruption of baby teeth? How can you get rid of it? How long does dental diarrhea last and when should you see a doctor?
If loose stools do not tend to become stronger or more frequent and do not cause discomfort to the baby, then, according to experts, it does not need to be treated with medications. During this period, doctors recommend paying special attention to the cleanliness of your baby’s toys, drinking regime, and also adjusting the diet. However, for prolonged and frequent diarrhea, medications must be used.
Experts believe that during the period when teeth are being cut, new foods should not be introduced into the children's diet. If the baby is still fully breastfed, then the mother should avoid eating foods that can worsen diarrhea. The following foods should not be given to a baby or eaten by a nursing mother:
- meat;
- fatty foods;
- smoked sausages;
- milk, fresh kefir and yogurt;
- sour cream and cottage cheese;
- raw fruits and berries;
- prunes;
- fresh juices;
- beets.
The baby should be put to the breast often, and babies who are already receiving complementary foods should be given more to drink. To reduce the intensity of diarrhea, the following products are recommended:
- bananas;
- boiled rice;
- rice water;
- mashed potatoes with water;
- baked apples;
- fruit jelly;
- Black tea;
- dried pear compote;
- drying and crackers.
When you have diarrhea, food should be easy to digest. Until the symptom disappears, the nursing mother or baby should eat light soups and cook porridge in water with a minimum amount of oil. You should also avoid foods that cause increased gas formation (legumes, cucumbers, eggs).
It is necessary to resort to the help of pharmaceuticals when diarrhea lasts more than 3 days or its frequency reaches 5 times a day. Prolonged diarrhea can cause dehydration and intoxication of the body. However, you should not give medications without consulting a doctor.
It is necessary to show the child to the doctor so that he can rule out the presence of a disease or find out the cause of diarrhea. To normalize intestinal function and maintain water balance in the body, pharmaceutical saline solutions, preparations with lactobacilli, and sorbents are prescribed. The table lists medications that are given to babies for diarrhea.
Drug name | Release form | Compound | Purpose of application |
Regidron | Soluble powder | Sodium chloride, sodium citrate, potassium chloride, dextrose | Restoring water-salt balance |
Linex | Capsules with powder inside | Lacto and bifidobacteria, etherococcus fecium, potato starch, lactose | Restoring intestinal flora, reducing the growth of pathogenic microflora, establishing the mechanism of the gastrointestinal tract |
Hilak forte | Drops | Lactobacilli, bifidobacteria | |
Espumisan | Solution | Simethicone | Elimination of colic and increased gas formation |
Pedialight | Powder for preparing solution | Potassium, sodium, chloride, dextrose | Maintaining water and salt levels in the body |
Humana electrolyte | Potassium and sodium citrates, glucose, sodium chloride | Replenish fluids and electrolytes | |
Smecta | Dioctahedral smectite | Elimination of diarrhea, removal of dangerous toxins from the body | |
Enterofuril | Suspension | Nifuroxazide | Fighting infections in the gastrointestinal tract |
The listed drugs can be used to eliminate diarrhea in infants. However, the dosage and frequency of use should be determined by the doctor based on the baby’s physical data and the intensity of the symptom.
Folk remedies
Many parents prefer to use folk remedies when treating babies. However, before using alternative medicine, you should consult with your pediatrician, since some ingredients included in various products can cause allergies or aggravate the child’s condition. The table describes folk recipes and how to use them.
Name | Main components | Cooking method | Application |
Lime tea | Dried linden flowers | 2 tbsp. spoons of raw materials pour 200 ml of hot water. Leave for 30 minutes, strain. If desired, you can add a little sugar. | 1 teaspoon 3 times a day. |
Chamomile infusion | pharmaceutical camomile | 1 tbsp. Pour a spoonful of chamomile into 100 ml of boiling water. Let cool and strain. | Drink 30 ml three times a day. |
Viburnum decoction | Viburnum berries | 2 tbsp. Boil spoons of berries for 1 minute in 200 ml of water. | Give to the child twice a day as a drink, but not more than 100 ml. |
Starch drink | Water and potato starch | Dilute 30 grams of starch in half a glass of warm water. | Give the child 1/3 of the resulting solution. If the diarrhea does not go away, you can repeat it. The maximum number of appointments per day is 3. |
Home Regidron | Salt, sugar, water | 1 tbsp. Pour a spoonful of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt into a glass of clean water and mix well. | For severe diarrhea, give the child something to drink every 10 minutes. Single dose – 2 teaspoons. |
Chicory decoction | Chicory inflorescences | Boil Art. spoon of herb in 200 ml of water for 5 minutes. | Give 5 ml of decoction every 3 hours. |
Blueberry drink | Dry blueberries | Pour 20 grams of berries into 400 ml of boiling water and leave for 8 hours. | Give your baby water 2-3 times a day. |
Cumin infusion | Dry cumin seeds | Pour 5 grams of raw material into 200 ml of water, brought to a boil. Cool and strain. | Give 15 ml three times a day. |
Lemon drink | Lemon juice, honey | Add 3-4 drops of lemon juice and 3 grams of honey to 100 ml of water at room temperature. | Offer to baby as a drink. |
When babies start teething, in most cases there is a decrease in immunity. Children begin to put everything they find around into their mouths when their gums itch. Any object introduces microbes into the child’s body that cause diarrhea. Reduced immunity is unable to overcome the pathogen, which leads to intestinal upset.
Otherwise, during teething, increased salivation occurs. Then the baby swallows a lot of the secreted secretion. This leads to intestinal lavage and diarrhea. Sometimes teething stomach upset is caused by new foods. The child’s body begins to grow and develop, which leads to an acceleration of metabolic processes. This becomes another cause of diarrhea.
After the examination, the pediatrician will prescribe plenty of fluids. Some medications, like Regidron, taste bad. In order for the baby to drink the product, you will need to dilute it with compote. Before giving the medicine to the child, the mother needs to taste the medicine herself. If the temperature is elevated, then drink liquid in larger quantities than with diarrhea.
If you have diarrhea, your doctor will prescribe a diet that you will need to follow. Parents should exclude the following foods from their diet:
- dairy products;
- store-bought or freshly squeezed juices;
- fruits and berries;
- meat products.
How many days do teething children suffer from diarrhea and how to treat it?
Diarrhea during teething in young children is not necessary, but a common symptom. Parents, especially inexperienced ones, are frightened by the appearance of diarrhea and urgently call a doctor. Should you be afraid of such a condition as teething diarrhea? What could be the reasons for this phenomenon in a child? How long does the process take? Does the condition need to be treated? And what should you do if diarrhea appears during teething and worries both the child and the parents?
Prevention
If diarrhea appears during the eruption of the first tooth, then, most likely, this unpleasant phenomenon cannot be avoided in the future. Therefore, after detecting the first symptoms of the appearance of another tooth, it is necessary to prevent digestive disorders.
Experts recommend:
- Strictly observe the rules of personal hygiene, wash your hands often and keep things around the child clean.
- Stop introducing new products into complementary foods, as well as into the diet of a nursing mother.
- Buy teethers and, if necessary, give them to the child, having previously disinfected them.
- Do not insist on eating solid food. It is better to feed your baby breast milk or formula.
- During periods of acute pain, apply special gels to the child’s gums.
After consulting with your pediatrician, you can also use traditional medicine. For example, infusions of chamomile and sage flowers can soothe the digestive system. In addition, they also have an antibacterial effect, which creates an additional barrier to the penetration of infection into the child’s body.
- Is it possible to take chloramphenicol for diarrhea?
- What to eat to get diarrhea
- Medicinal herbs for diarrhea
- Diarrhea with cholecystitis and pancreatitis
How do they erupt?
Teething is a natural process for babies. This phenomenon may be accompanied by certain deviations in the well-being of children, which include diarrhea. Children begin to develop teeth from the age of six months. There are also variations - the process occurs individually for each person, and can begin either earlier than six months of age or much later. This phenomenon may be accompanied by symptoms:
- Body temperature rises, usually up to 37–37.5 °C.
- Anxiety.
- Decreased appetite.
- Loose stools.
- Stomach ache.
Naturally, a six-month-old child does not have the opportunity to say what is bothering him. In this situation, the baby signals problems in his well-being by constant crying. Parents begin to worry, not understanding what is happening to their little child, not noticing that he is teething. How to assume that the cause of diarrhea is teeth, and how long will it last? To determine that diarrhea in children occurs during teething, you need to take a closer look at additional manifestations:
- Body temperature is increased.
- The baby constantly tries to put his hand or toy in his mouth.
- Looking into the baby's mouth, you can detect slight swelling and redness of the gums, and the appearance of whitish spots at the supposed site of eruption.
The combination of such signs indicates the most likely cause of diarrhea in the baby - the beginning of teething. What is the connection between teething and loose stools? Why is teething in a child accompanied by a strange effect - diarrhea that can last for several days? The mechanism of development of diarrhea is associated with certain changes in the body of children:
- Body temperature rises - in young children this often leads to the development of diarrhea.
- The baby's constant anxiety, caused by pain and irritation of the gums due to teething, stimulates the peristaltic activity of the intestines and leads to frequent diarrhea.
- Peristalsis is also significantly enhanced by increased motor activity in children associated with unpleasant sensations in the mouth.
- The process is accompanied by increased salivation, which for a little man causes stool liquefaction.
- Constant itching in the gum area leads to the baby pulling any objects into his mouth, trying to get rid of irritation, and these objects are not always clean, so diarrhea during teething can be the result of an intestinal infection.
Duration of disorder
How long does this phenomenon last? Teething is not a quick process and takes a long time. In this regard, the restless state of children, as well as diarrhea on the teeth, lasts for several days. Both the little person and, accordingly, the parents get tired of this phenomenon. There are certain periods within which diarrhea lasts until teeth appear. How long can it last? The normal state is when the duration of diarrhea does not exceed 3 days. If the diarrhea drags on and does not stop after 3-5 days, it is recommended to contact a specialist to begin treating the child.
The cause of long-term intestinal upset may not be due to teething, but to the possible development of an intestinal infection or other disease of the digestive tract in children. What to do when teething? Is it possible to alleviate the condition, how long will it take and what actions should be taken to stop the diarrhea? The most important thing to do in such a situation is not to panic. The child feels the parents' anxiety and becomes more nervous, which further aggravates the situation.
What are the signs of normal loose stools? The frequency is no more than five times a day, the stool is of normal color, without any impurities, for no more than three days. In this case, diarrhea in children should not cause concern, and there is no need to treat it with special drugs. It is necessary to contact a specialist if the following changes occur:
- The child does not allow his belly to be touched.
- The frequency of stools is more than 10 times a day.
- Loose stools last more than three days.
- Various impurities appear in feces.
- Body temperature rises to more than 37.5 °C.
These symptoms in children indicate the development of an infectious disease or problems in the abdominal cavity that must be treated immediately. How much and how to treat children at home? What should be done if parents are convinced that diarrhea is a reaction to teething? It is still necessary to help your child; you can treat with symptomatic means. Low-grade fever does not require measures to reduce it. But with a strong increase, you need to do something that will facilitate relief - open the child, wipe him with a damp cloth, if the procedure does not help - give Paracetamol or Nurofen in the form of a suspension or suppositories.
What to do for pain in the gums in children? In this situation, it is recommended to use special gels that reduce pain in the gums in children when they are teething - Dantinorm Baby, Kalgel. They can be used throughout the teething period. They contain lidocaine, which will relieve pain for a while. To prevent your child from putting dirty objects into his mouth, you need to give him special teething toys, which must be carefully treated. If several teeth are being cut at once, you can use the same Nurofen or Panadol as an anesthetic and additionally apply pain-relieving gels to the gums.
Loose stools in children during teething
Teething in children occurs at high temperatures and sometimes with complications such as diarrhea and constipation, in addition, the child becomes capricious due to the fact that he constantly experiences discomfort in the oral cavity.
Despite the abundance of symptoms, you first need to find the causes of the child’s ailments, and an examination with the attending physician can help with this. However, you need to pay special attention to loose stools when teething, because it may not be a simple stomach upset, but a serious infection.
Common mistakes
Inexperienced mothers, having discovered that their baby has diarrhea on their teeth, begin to panic and buy everything at the pharmacy. Their good intentions are understandable, but unknowingly you risk harming the health of the newborn.
- Antibiotics. The main indication for taking antibacterial drugs is infections of bacterial origin. In this case, the type of bacteria must be sensitive to one or another class of antibiotics. How will they help a child who is stressed because his teeth are teething? That’s right, nothing, but will only worsen the course of diarrhea.
- Lacto and bifidobacteria. These drugs are drugs with unproven effectiveness. Moreover, the main indication for their use is intestinal dysbiosis. And microflora disturbance and the process of teething have no relationship. So in most cases their purpose is unjustified.
- Painkillers applied to the gums. The safety of their use is highly questionable. So you shouldn’t get carried away with these means. It is better to replace medications with chilled teethers. A bright toy that can be chewed on will bring more benefits to the baby and will undoubtedly bring pleasure.
- Antidiarrheal drugs. Medicines that stop diarrhea are contraindicated for use in pediatric practice, regardless of the cause of the disorder.
We recommend: Reasons for the development of white diarrhea in a child
Most often, diarrhea during teething is not potentially dangerous to the health of the baby. But there is no need to completely ignore this condition, carefully observing the child’s behavior. Parents should be alert to dry skin, crying without tears and refusal to drink. All this indicates dehydration, which threatens the baby’s life. In this situation, you need to act immediately!
Signs and features of pathology
Parents often wonder how long teething diarrhea can last, but
doctors assure that if there is no reason for this, then on average no more than 3-7 days. At the same time, many people who have encountered this problem say that the period can reach up to 10 days, but if the stool does not return to normal during this time, then you should urgently go to the hospital, because the child may have an infection.
It is necessary to examine the child's stool, because normally, when teeth are cut, it is only slightly watery and without bloody marks.
To know why a child has diarrhea, you need to familiarize yourself with the signs that are characteristic of teething:
- Swelling of the gums is observed;
- Saliva production is higher than normal;
- The baby doesn't sleep well;
- The child may be capricious;
- Doesn't eat well
- Loose stools appear;
- Body temperature becomes higher than normal, up to 39°;
- Nasal congestion is common;
- The child becomes nauseous.
Despite the fact that the symptoms correspond to teething, they also apply to other pathologies and therefore you need to see a doctor to find out whether diarrhea can occur during this process. In addition, during this period the immune system is just beginning to strengthen and therefore infection, like other diseases, can easily enter a young body.
It should also be taken into account that if an infection was introduced during teething, then how long the diarrhea will last depends on how quickly it was eliminated.
How to distinguish a normal process from a pathology?
This is where parents have a question: can there be loose stools during teething and should they be worried? And how long does diarrhea last during teething? Maybe don't panic? Or maybe it's time to call an ambulance?
The number of bowel movements a child has should be taken into account. Some children normally have stool once a day, while for others it is up to 3-4 times a day. But in any case, the number of bowel movements more than 4-5 times a day is a cause for alarm. Pay attention to the consistency and smell of stool.
If you see a picture that is uncharacteristic for your child, namely, foamy, foul-smelling stool with copious mucus, green or bloody discharge, call a doctor! These are already signs of an intestinal infection.
Too frequent bowel movements can lead to dehydration of the child and pose a serious threat to his health and even life.
The main signs of dehydration of a child that parents should notice are dry and bright red lips, dry skin and mucous membranes, lethargy and drowsiness of the child, sometimes the smell of acetone is felt in the exhaled air, the saliva is viscous, and when crying few tears are released, the baby rarely urinates .
A dehydrated child must be treated with IVs, often in intensive care. Therefore, it is not worth risking the health of the baby; in babies under one year old, infectious processes can develop rapidly.
Diarrhea and fever during teething. Yes, elevated temperature is possible. But, as a rule, up to 38 degrees. Although no medical textbook will write that teething is the cause of fever and diarrhea in a child, many parents have observed the opposite picture.
How long does teething diarrhea last? What about elevated temperature?
No more than three days! But this is not a rule, and if your baby is clearly unwell, or if the situation has dragged on, be sure to call a doctor!
If the call turns out to be “false,” no one will judge you. Remember that during this period your child is especially vulnerable, and where is the guarantee that this is not an insidious infection? Therefore, it is so important to carefully monitor the baby so as not to mistake the symptoms of the disease for teething.
Treatment of loose stools
To treat a baby who has diarrhea during teething, you must adhere to the following instructions:
- Drink fluids often. Infants often experience dehydration during diarrhea; to prevent this, the mother should put the baby to her breast as often as possible or give him something to drink. In the case when there is a temperature, the liquid consumed should be even more;
- Strict diet. It is also important for treating diarrhea during teething. It is necessary to exclude dairy and fermented milk products, foods high in fat, juices, meat products, as well as fruits (bananas can be left) and berries from the child’s diet;
- Food that strengthens the stool. The child’s diet must include boiled rice and its broth, mashed potatoes, compote made from dried pears, jelly, crackers (preferably homemade), bananas, tea (strong), and oven-baked apples.
It should also be noted that the baby’s diet should consist mainly of low-fat soups and porridges.
Diarrhea in a baby during teething - how many days can loose stools last in children?
The appearance of teeth in a baby is not only a responsible process, but also a painful one and, often, associated with various disorders. The bone tissue under the enamel of the fangs, cutting through the baby’s gums, affects the temperature rise, causes emotional changes, causes bowel movements and colic.
Experts explain the diarrhea that occurs during this process with a large amount of saliva secreted, which in turn affects peristalsis and the intestinal walls, causing disorders. In a normal course, the nature of the discharge differs little from the child’s usual stool, and the disorder lasts with a certain frequency for a short period of time. Experts recommend finding out the cause of the baby's bowel disorder, and if it is associated with the appearance of teeth, do not panic, but take the necessary measures to facilitate this difficult process.
What color is the stool during teething?
When liquefying stool, it is important to pay attention to the color of the stool. By this indicator, one can distinguish the onset of intestinal infections or pathologies of the child’s internal organs.
Normally, stool up to one year is mushy, mustard-yellow in color during breastfeeding, or brown-yellow when complementary feeding begins in one-year-old children. Change in color with the appearance of:
- green veins, bacterial infection, dysbiosis, liver dysfunction with indigestion of food, dysfunction of the biliary system and impaired conversion of the bilirubin fraction,
- bright yellow or orange spots interspersed with bile,
- white stool pathology of the pancreas with enzymatic dysfunction, non-acceptance of protein components of food, lactase intolerance, gluten intolerance,
- discolored or light yellow stools, with greasy spots, large amounts of mucus, impaired digestion of food,
- black stool melena – internal bleeding, overdose of iron supplements,
- feces with blood (rupture of the intestinal mucous membranes).
If the color indicator changes, you should contact a medical institution for tests, treatment, and condition monitoring by qualified specialists.
Teething: main symptoms
Examination of the baby's oral cavity will help to partially eliminate the possibility of bowel disorders. Komarovsky and other pediatricians include the following changes as symptoms of teething:
- increased saliva production as a protective reaction against pathogenic microflora entering the body;
- swelling and increase in the size of the soft tissues of the gum shell;
- itching in the area of teething and pain in the gums, trying to eliminate which the child gnaws on various objects, since the pressure they exert on the tissue helps the pain disappear;
- the appearance of discernible contours of the future tooth under the soft tissue shell;
- at the same time, the primary stage of tooth growth in a child may be accompanied by weakness, increased body temperature and general malaise.
How many days can a child have loose stools?
The normal duration of loose stools associated with dental growth in children ranges from 2 to 3 days. At the same time, more frequent diarrhea is observed, which is also within the normal range with a total amount of up to 3-4 per day. How long diarrhea will last depends on the individual characteristics of the body; in rare cases, bowel disturbances lasting up to 5 days may be normal.
If, after the expiration of the time limit of 3-5 days, or if there is one of the above-mentioned deviations regarding the color or purity of feces, loose stools persist, you must contact your pediatrician to find out the cause of the disease.
How to help your baby?
You can make it easier for your child to go through this stage of growing up by carrying out therapy according to the regimen recommended by the treating pediatrician.
It is necessary to carefully monitor the baby’s hygiene during this period, disinfect his toys and teethers with boiled water, and wipe the handrails and bed frames with a disinfectant. After each bowel movement, it is necessary to rinse the child’s genital organs under running water.
Painkillers
In addition to the pain associated with the tooth breaking through the gum shell, complications can be caused by various infections, the likelihood of which entering the child’s body during this period increases many times over. In this regard, it is recommended to use drugs that, in addition to the analgesic effect, have anti-inflammatory properties, for example, Kamistad and Orajet gels.
In addition, various local anti-edematous drugs with an analgesic effect, suspensions of analgesics (Paracetamol, Ibuprofen) and teethers can be used.
Diarrhea medications
Pediatricians recommend treating defecation disorders in a baby using strengthening agents, for example, Imodium. If necessary, it is possible to individually include into the treatment regimen drugs that have beneficial microflora, for example Acipol, Linex. If there are obvious signs of flatulence and colic, it is recommended to treat the child with Espumisan or its analogues.
Traditional methods
Folk remedies help strengthen the immune system and normalize the bowel movement process. Among the most well-known means are:
- Chamomile tea, for the preparation of which you need to pour 5 g of chamomile color into a glass of boiling water. The child needs to consume 1 tsp. means five times a day. In addition, infusions based on blueberries, St. John's wort, sage and bird cherry and decoctions based on viburnum berries and mint are suitable for the treatment of diarrhea.
- Applesauce, obtained by chopping apples on a fine grater, is consumed within 30 minutes each time. before meals.
Folk remedies in the treatment of baby diarrhea
To alleviate the condition of the baby, they also resort to folk recipes. Before using them, you should consult your pediatrician.
- Chamomile tea . It is good at stopping diarrhea that occurs when teething begins. In addition, this drink reduces inflammation of the oral cavity and facilitates the process. Prepare it as a regular decoction: pour 5 g of chamomile color into a glass of boiling water and leave for at least 30 minutes. Babies are given a teaspoon at least 5 times a day.
- St. John's wort decoction . It has the same effect as chamomile tea. It is prepared as follows: 1 tablespoon of raw materials per 1 glass of boiling water. Take a teaspoon before meals.
- Applesauce . Apple puree can stop diarrhea in an infant during teething faster than an absorbent. The fruits are crushed and consumed a teaspoon before each meal.
- Blueberry infusion . 1-2 teaspoons of blueberries are poured into 250 ml of boiling water. To eliminate diarrhea, you can also eat blueberry jelly. But only if the baby is not allergic to this product.
Diarrhea during teething is a fairly common occurrence. It is distinguished from diarrhea of other origin by a number of signs. The disorder does not require special treatment. But it is necessary to include plenty of fluids and astringent foods.
Diarrhea during teething in children baffles many mothers who have never encountered such a phenomenon. How long does it last and do I need to do something to eliminate it? How to recognize if there is a connection with teeth? Let's try to find answers to these questions.
Teething in children is accompanied by various, at first glance, completely unrelated signs. Among them, there are also disturbances in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, such as vomiting and diarrhea.
Sometimes parents often attribute any changes in the behavior and health of the child that arose during the teething period to them. Therefore, it is worth carefully monitoring changes in the child’s condition so that the symptoms that arise are not mistaken for a reaction to teething and do not miss a serious illness.
Why is it important to stay hydrated during diarrhea?
Frequent bowel movements lead to dehydration of the child, which can be recognized by:
- changing the color of the lips, acquiring a brighter shade;
- dryness of the mucous membranes of the outer surface of the mouth and other skin;
- the smell of acetone released from the child during the exhalation stage (for more details, see the article: reasons for the smell of acetone on the breath of a child);
- rare urination;
- increase in saliva viscosity.
If fever is present as a symptom of teething, it is necessary to increase the amount of water consumed by the child. Ignoring this condition leads to the need for medical care, which, in the case of moderate dehydration, is treated by placing IVs with saline, and in severe cases may require placing the mother and baby in the intensive care unit.
Drinking regimen and diet
One of the serious complications of diarrhea is dehydration. For children, this complication is many times more dangerous than for adults. That is why the main task in case of indigestion is to actively restore the fluid balance in the body.
Liquid (water) should be introduced into the baby's body by drip. This means that you can’t drink a lot at once; it’s better to drink in small sips, but often. In this case, a bottle with a small hole for liquid is perfect - sucking from it is much more difficult and the water will enter the stomach in small portions.
To make it easier to navigate, we will present you with the main symptoms by which you can independently diagnose dehydration:
- dry skin (especially heels and cheeks), peeling;
- darkening of lips;
- pallor;
- bluish skin tone;
- lethargy, lifelessness, passive behavior;
- dyspnea;
- increased desire to “eat”;
- rare urination;
- dark color of urine and strong odor;
- smell of acetone from the mouth.
If you have any of these symptoms, and especially a combination of them, contact your pediatrician immediately. In some cases, with dehydration, young children require a drip with saline or other liquids that restore water and salt balance.
As for the diet, lactic acid products should be completely excluded during diarrhea, and fruits such as should be introduced into the diet:
- bananas;
- pears;
- peach.
Among cereals (if they are already included in the diet), give preference to rice. It has a strong strengthening effect and will help you quickly say goodbye to loose stools.
For a nursing mother there are the following recommendations:
- eat a lot of nuts and flour (all this causes constipation in the baby in normal situations, but now it will have the desired effect);
- drink more whole milk;
- do not eat apples, prunes, kefir and other products that have a laxative effect.
Compliance with all these conditions will help to prevent dehydration in a timely manner and go through this difficult period as comfortably as possible.