What is the cause of a child's diarrhea being watery?

Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
Updated on May 03, 2025
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Diarrhea is characterized by an increase in the frequency of a child's bowel movements and a change in the nature of the stool. When children have diarrhea, their stool can be watery, often caused by rotavirus infection resulting in seasonal diarrhea. The stool may resemble egg drop soup and can even be sprayed out. In such cases, it is recommended to administer montmorillonite powder and probiotics to the child, as well as to supplement with oral rehydration salts. For children with moderate to severe dehydration, intravenous rehydration is necessary to correct dehydration. Another scenario involves diarrhea caused by invasive bacterial infections in children, where the stool is also watery. Symptomatic treatment and correction of dehydration are required in such cases. If systemic bacterial infection symptoms are present, antibiotics should be administered under the guidance of a hospital doctor. This is mainly because the bacterial or viral invasion affects the intestinal mucosa, causing changes in osmotic pressure within the intestinal cavity, leading to the occurrence of watery stools. (Please use medications under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
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Child diarrhea test items

Pediatric diarrhea is a common disease in children characterized by an increase in stool frequency and specific stool shapes, caused by multiple pathogens and factors. Common tests for children with diarrhea start with routine stool tests. Stool culture is meaningful for identifying the pathogens causing diarrhea, and the latex agglutination test has diagnostic value for viral gastroenteritis. The stool-reducing sugar test primarily assesses malabsorption of disaccharides, lactose intolerance, etc. Counting and classifying white blood cells mainly clarify the presence of bacterial infections. Since diarrhea often accompanies electrolyte disturbances and dehydration, biochemical blood tests are necessary, and sometimes, X-rays of the abdominal plain film, ultrasound, endoscopy, and other examinations are needed.

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Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
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Symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration in children

Children with symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration are categorized into mild, moderate, and severe dehydration. Generally speaking, with mild dehydration, there is slight dryness of the mouth, not very severe. With moderate dehydration, the dryness of the mouth becomes quite noticeable, and with severe dehydration, there is extreme dryness of the mouth. In terms of mental state, those with mild dehydration generally feel okay, while those with moderate dehydration have poorer spirits, and those with severe dehydration appear very listless. Regarding urination, those with mild dehydration experience a slight decrease in urine output, those with moderate dehydration have a reduced urine output, and those with severe dehydration show a significant reduction in urine output, or even no urine at all. Another symptom to consider is skin turgor; in mild dehydration, skin elasticity is still acceptable, in moderate dehydration skin elasticity worsens, and in severe dehydration, skin elasticity is significantly impaired. For instance, the dryness of mucous membranes, including the oral mucosa, shows slight dryness in mild dehydration, dryness in moderate dehydration, and obvious dryness in severe dehydration. Therefore, dehydration should be assessed from multiple aspects.

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Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
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What is the cause of a child's diarrhea being watery?

Diarrhea is characterized by an increase in the frequency of a child's bowel movements and a change in the nature of the stool. When children have diarrhea, their stool can be watery, often caused by rotavirus infection resulting in seasonal diarrhea. The stool may resemble egg drop soup and can even be sprayed out. In such cases, it is recommended to administer montmorillonite powder and probiotics to the child, as well as to supplement with oral rehydration salts. For children with moderate to severe dehydration, intravenous rehydration is necessary to correct dehydration. Another scenario involves diarrhea caused by invasive bacterial infections in children, where the stool is also watery. Symptomatic treatment and correction of dehydration are required in such cases. If systemic bacterial infection symptoms are present, antibiotics should be administered under the guidance of a hospital doctor. This is mainly because the bacterial or viral invasion affects the intestinal mucosa, causing changes in osmotic pressure within the intestinal cavity, leading to the occurrence of watery stools. (Please use medications under the guidance of a doctor.)

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Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
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What does pediatric diarrhea mean?

Pediatric diarrhea mainly refers to an increase in the frequency of bowel movements in children caused by various pathogens and factors, as well as changes in the characteristics of the stool, which is a group of diseases caused by various reasons. It can be infectious or non-infectious. When children experience diarrhea, it is most often caused by bacterial or viral infections, which require active treatment. If the diarrhea is caused by non-infectious factors such as indigestion, symptomatic treatment is generally sufficient. Once pediatric diarrhea occurs, in addition to symptomatic treatment, it is essential to administer oral rehydration salts to the child. Oral rehydration salts can prevent dehydration in the child, reduce the frequency of bowel movements, and minimize the need for intravenous fluids. (Please use medication under the guidance of a doctor)

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Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
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Is it normal for a child with diarrhea to just sleep?

Infant diarrhea accompanied by excessive sleep is often abnormal. Generally speaking, diarrhea can lead to dehydration or electrolyte imbalance. In this case, the primary focus should be on rehydration to maintain electrolyte balance, adjusting the gut flora, and using some antidiarrheal medications for additional treatment.If the baby is only sleeping, it often indicates dehydration or symptoms of electrolyte imbalance. Under these circumstances, it is crucial to go to a hospital to check for any imbalance in electrolytes, acidosis, etc., and provide timely symptomatic treatment.