First Aid When Babies Are Affected by Diarrhea

Diarrhea is one of the main causes of infant mortality in Indonesia.

In Indonesia, diarrhea is the cause of infant mortality (ranging from 29 days to 11 months), accounting for more than 30% and about 25% in infants aged 1 to 4 years.

What are the causes of diarrhea?

Baby diarrhea can be caused by many things ranging from intestinal infections to changes in the diet, including:

• Parasitic, bacterial or viral infections. Babies and toddlers who touch objects that are not necessarily clean are prone to infections because they often put dirty hands in their mouths. Moreover, their developing immune system makes them more prone to contracting the disease.

• Food poisoning.

• Consume too much fruit juice.

• Allergy for certain medications.

• Allergy to certain foods.

Babies who could digest solid foods and had diarrhea had to stay away from fatty, high-fiber, sweet foods such as cakes and dairy products for some time. This is because this type of food can aggravate the symptoms of diarrhea.

Recognize baby faeces texture

The best way to recognize this disease is to see changes in the color and shape of the stool as early as possible. Baby crutches generally change color, smell and texture, depending on the food consumed. Crutches that appear to be more watery, more frequent or more common are the main symptoms of diarrhea.

However, be careful when distinguishing babies who are breastfeeding who also produce more humid stools. Conversely, faeces in the form of small, hard and rare areas can indicate constipation.

The following is the color of the stool, which can be a guideline for detecting the condition of the baby:

• Young chocolate or yellowish brown: often in infants who ingest milk.

• Blackgreen: also called meconium, is a stool that appears when a new baby is born.

• Brown green: the color of the baby's stools about five days after birth.

• Green yellow: the color of the baby's stools after delivery consumes breast milk.

• Other colors: the baby's chair turns dark brown when he eats solid food. This color changes depending on the type of food consumed.

Aware of the symptoms and consequences of diarrhea

If your baby is younger than six months and has diarrhea, consult a doctor, especially if you notice the following symptoms:

• Vomit.

• Looks lazy.

• Stools are black, white or red because they contain blood.

• The baby's stool contains blood or pus.

• Stomach ache

• Fever above 39 ° C

• There are signs of dehydration.

When a baby has diarrhea, the balance of water and salt (electrolytes) is disturbed in his body. This condition can lead to dehydration, which can be particularly dangerous in newborns.

There are several symptoms of dehydration in children that are clearly visible:

• Dry mouth

• There were no tears when we cried.

• Urinate less than normal.

• His skin feels drier.

Any parent of dehydration in children with diarrhea must be aware, because dehydration of the child's body condition can deteriorate quickly.

Hospital Care

Especially for infants who have diarrhea, an infusion must generally be performed. The doctor will probably administer antibiotics or antiparasitic agents for the treatment of bacterial or parasitic infections. ORS can also be given. ORS are liquids that contain electrolytes to prevent dehydration.

Prevent diarrhea

Here are some preventive measures that can be taken to prevent diarrhea:

• Wash your hands of your baby or toddler regularly, especially after playing.

• Adults who take babies or toddlers should also stay clean, to ensure that there are no microorganisms that can cause infections in infants.

• Keep the bottom and items that your baby or toddler always keep clean.

• If the baby consumes milk or food, you always pay attention to cleanliness and sterility of the bottle. Keep breastfeeding your baby. This can help to prevent diarrhea, and your baby is recovering faster.

• Note the cleanliness of food and drinks for infants and young children. Avoid the administration of foods normally consumed by adults. Do not feed foods that aggravate diarrhea such as apple juice, milk and baked.

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