How many days will it take for a child's diarrhea to get better?

Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
Updated on September 17, 2024
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Children's diarrhea can be divided into viral diarrhea and bacterial enteritis. Viral diarrhea, most commonly rotavirus enteritis, follows a specific disease course, where most cases gradually recover after 5-7 days with rehydration and symptomatic treatment. If it is bacterial enteritis, effective anti-infection treatment with sensitive antibiotics can also control the symptoms within 5-7 days. Additionally, some diarrheas caused by bacterial dysentery generally require 7-14 days of treatment, and fungal enteritis also typically needs one to two weeks of treatment.

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Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
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What are the common causes of diarrhea in children?

Some common causes of childhood diarrhea include infectious and non-infectious diarrhea. Causes of infectious diarrhea include bacteria, viruses, amoebic dysentery, etc. Common viruses such as rotavirus, norovirus, etc. Common bacterial infections include Escherichia coli, Shigella, and other bacteria. Additionally, intestinal amoebic pathogens can also cause diarrhea. Some causes of non-infectious diarrhea include lactose intolerance and food allergies, among others.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
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Can children with diarrhea eat fruit?

When a child experiences diarrhea, their gastrointestinal function is clearly disordered. They have absorption dysfunction, meaning the nutritional substances they consume are not easily absorbed. There may even be a bacterial infection in the intestines, leading to inflammatory exudation and consequently, a noticeable increase in the frequency of bowel movements and watery stools. If the child consumes cold fruits during this period, it could aggravate the diarrhea. Therefore, if parents need to give fruits to a child with diarrhea, they should choose fruits like apples or oranges and serve them warm. Other fruits, such as bananas, could increase gastrointestinal motility and thus worsen the symptoms of diarrhea. During a diarrhea episode, it is important to select appropriate fruits and avoid cold foods.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
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Can children with diarrhea drink yogurt?

Yogurt is made by fermenting pure milk and retains all the nutritional components of fresh milk. During the fermentation process, lactic acid bacteria can produce a variety of vitamins essential for human nutrition. Yogurt contains a large amount of lactic acid bacteria, which have the effect of resisting the production of harmful bacteria. Therefore, children with diarrhea can appropriately drink some yogurt. However, it is not recommended to drink it on an empty stomach. Additionally, if a baby has diarrhea, drinking chilled yogurt might aggravate their condition, so it is also not advised to consume large amounts of yogurt on an empty stomach.

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Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
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What medicine should a child take for indigestion and diarrhea?

For childhood indigestion and diarrhea, one can initially use intestinal probiotics to modulate the gut flora, such as Bifidobacterium or Lactobacillus. Additionally, zinc supplementation can be provided to promote the repair of the gastrointestinal mucosa. Another option is to administer Smecta to protect the gastrointestinal mucosa. Digestive medications can also be given, such as Chinese medicinal herbs like hawthorn, Shenqu, and malt to aid digestion. Furthermore, it is important to ensure the diet consists of easily digestible foods.

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Written by Li Jiao Yan
Neonatology
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Can children with diarrhea eat noodles?

Children experience diarrhea because various factors cause disturbances in their gastrointestinal function, leading to malabsorption of nutrients. This manifests as a significant increase in the frequency of defecation and a noticeable change in the nature of the stool, even resulting in watery stools. When children have diarrhea, it is recommended to eat easily digestible, bland foods; noodles and porridge are good dietary options.