Acute diarrhea is one of your body’s best defense mechanisms. It’s your body’s cleansing response, body’s way of getting unwanted substances out of your system. But when it comes to a parent, with a toddler suffering from diarrhea, it creates great panic and worry.
Most cases of diarrhea are relatively mild and don’t pose a major health threat. Parents should be careful that their baby does not get dehydrated. Most toddlers who have diarrhea but aren’t suffering from severe diaper rash or dehydration usually act perfectly normal and are energetic.
Young children and toddlers can get dehydrated very quickly, hence should be watched carefully. The resulting loss of fluids and salts can be very serious, even fatal in a baby, so it’s crucial that you make sure your baby is getting plenty of liquids.
Normal or healthy baby stools are soft and loose. Babies have frequent stools during the first 1 - 2 months. Because of this, it may be difficult to tell when your baby has diarrhea.
Every parent can easily tell if their child is suffering from diarrhea, if they learn to observe the pattern. Every toddler has a slowly evolving pattern in their stool depending on their changing age, food habits etc. An occasional stool that is looser than normal is nothing to worry about. But if you notice any sudden changes, with other symptoms discussed below, it is probably diarrhea.
SYMPTOMS OF DIARRHEA
Parents should decide based on a few symptoms whether their baby has diarrhea, namely: sudden increase in how often the baby has stools, more than one stool per feeding, more watery stools. Sometimes, if the baby is feeding poorly, has a nasal congestion or fever, the changes noticed as above are more likely to be diarrhea.
Other important signs are: dry eyes, crying with few or no tears, fewer wet diapers than usual, irritable or less active than usual, dry mouth, dry, non springy skin, sunken appearing of eyes, no urine output for several hours (around 8 hrs), sunken fontanelle, sometimes unconsciousness.
CAUSES OF DIARRHEA:
Toddlers get diarrhea for many reasons: Looseness of the bowels can be caused due to viral infections like the rotovirus, adenovirus etc, bacterial infections such as salmonella, staphylococcus, E coli etc, certain ear infections, certain antibiotics (which kill the good bacteria in the intestines), certain medication, teething, change in the baby’s diet or the breast feeding mother’s diet, rare diseases. .
HOMEOPATHIC ACHIEVEMENT:
Several studies show that homeopathic remedies can be very effective in treating acute diarrhea in toddlers, small children and adults alike.
Homeopathic remedies can help prevent the side effects of the diarrhea. It also cuts short the duration of the diarrhea and when constitutionally prescribed will effectively address the underlying cause of the diarrhea.
LIFE STYLE HELP:
Parents should avoid fruit juice, water, sports drinks etc in an attempt to rehydrate the child. A better option will be to use electrolyte solutions (as advised by World Health Organization) or salt and sugar in water to compensate the loss of fluids(pich of salt and a teaspoon of sugar in a glass of water makes an emergency electrolyte)
Breast feeding helps diarrhea (when no changes are involved in mother’s diet). Avoid nappy rashes from settling in by frequent diaper change, air drying etc. And any abnormal reactions, severe vomiting, high temperatures etc should be brought to immediate medical attention.
You may ask your personal query to Raj Kothuru (Homeopath) via email drraj@aurahealth.com.au or phone 0425 761 826 / (03) 9077 5044 regarding any of your health problems. You will be offered authentic information and an opinion as to what best can be done pertaining to your ailment.

You may ask your personal query to Raj Kothuru (Homeopath) via email drraj@aurahealth.com.au or phone 0425 761 826 / (03) 9077 5044 regarding any of your health problems. You will be offered authentic information and an opinion as to what best can be done pertaining to your ailment.