Symptoms

Diarrhoea in children is of two types, simple and infective. Simple diarrhoea may be accompanied by vomiting or griping pain in the stomach. The child refuses milk, keeps on crying and cannot sleep.

Infective diarrhoea is, however, a serious disease. It is the most commonly seen form of diarrhoea in children. It presents itself in two forms. In the first form, the onset is gradual and looseness of the bowels is the first symptom. There may be five to ten motions a day. Thin and frequent green they soon show traces of mucus. Usually fever is also present. It may run into a mild course, or become progressively worse and turn into inflammatory diarrhoea.

In the second form, the onset is sudden and marked by vomiting, fever and numerous loose green motions. In the beginning, the motions may be large and watery and contain blood, but later they become green or brown and contain mucus.

Treatment

A simple diarrhoea, resulting from digestive disturbances, is severe. It can pass off with the removal of the cause. The child should be given the juice of an orange diluted with water on 50:50 basis for a day. This will help in improving the condition. Correct dietary method will prevent further occurrences of the trouble.

In case of infective diarrhoea, the child should rest in bed. He should be given warm-water enema daily, for the first two or three days of the treatment to cleanse the toxins in his bowels. It will expel gas and check diarrhoea by deceasing rectal tenesmus. He should be given orange juice and water for a few days. Milk and sold foods should be avoided at all costs. As soon as the condition improves, the child may be put on an exclusive diet of fresh fruits for two or three days. Thereafter, he may be allowed to gradually embark upon a regular, well-balanced natural diet, according to his age, with emphasis on milk, fruit juices, fresh fruits and steamed vegetables.

Certain home remedies have been found effective in curing diarrhoea. These include carrot soup, pomegranate and the buttermilk. Carrot soup supplies water to combat dehydration, replenishes sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium sulphur and magnesium. It also supplied pectin and coats the intestine to allay inflammation. It also checks the growth of harmful intestinal bacteria ad prevents vomiting. Half a kg. of carrots may be cooked in 250 ml. of water until it is soft. The pulp should be strained and boiled water added to make a litre. Three-quarter tablespoon of salt may be mixed. This soup should be given in small amounts to the patient every half an hour.

Pomegranate (anar) has proved useful in controlling diarrhoea, on account of it’s a stringent properties. It is especially beneficial in case of weakness due to profuse and continuous purging. The patient should be given about 50 ml. of pomegranate juice to drink at frequent intervals.

The use of buttermilk is also found beneficial in the treatment of diarrhoea. It helps overcome intestinal flora and reestablish the benign or friendly flora. The acid in the buttermilk also fights germs and bacteria. A cup of buttermilk mixed with a pinch of salt may be taken three or four times a day for controlling this disease.

The best watter treatment for diarrhoea is the application of abdominal compress at 600F. It Should be renewed every 15 to 20 minutes. A cold hip bath for 10 minutes will be beneficial for older children suffering from diarrhoea. For this bath, ordinary bath tub can be used. It should be filled with cold water (500 to 600 F), so as to cover the hips when the patient sits in it. In case of abdominal pain, hot fomentation for 15 minutes should be administered every two hours.