Even the slightest complications in a child will raise significant alarm amongst the parents with regards to the toddler’s overall health. However, this is a much better practice than ignoring a seemingly small problem that could eventually snowball into something that it out of control. Children are usually more prone to loose motions or diarrhea as a result of the fact that their bodies are still adjusting to the types of food consumed and their immune systems are still vulnerable. When affected by the condition, a person or child will generally pass stool more than three times during the day and the condition will generally last for about a day or two before it eventually passes without any additional or special treatment. Given that your child has been suffering from the condition for about a week now, it could be a sign that the body does not agree with the kind of food being consumed. You may want to change the child’s diet a bit just to see if it is related.
While a number of people only regard diarrhea to be a mere inconvenience, it can also cause dehydration as a result of the excessive fluid drainage from the body. This means the body does not have enough fluid to function properly and the condition can lead to several further complications in children. Very often diarrhea is brought on by a bacterial infection such as those present in contaminated water or food; Food intolerances – much like lactose intolerance where a persons body is not able to digest any sugar present in milk or artificial sweeteners; or even parasites that have entered the body by way of food and water and settle in the digestive system.
When a child is affected by the condition, it is essential that you take her to visit a doctor before trying to administer any home remedies. Sine your child has had the problem for a couple of weeks, there is likelihood that she is affected by Rotavirus diarrhea. Children are usually protected against this virus after being vaccinated with a vaccine called Rotateq between the ages of 6 to 32 weeks. The effects of dehydration in children are far reaching and could reach fatal stages if left unattended. Most of the symptoms will include no tears when crying, skin that does not seem to flatten when pinched and released, extreme irritability, a high fever or even a noticeable sunken look of the abdomen, cheeks or eyes. Moreover along with the continuous loss of fluids there is also a loss of minerals and salt which affects the electrolyte balance of the cells. This condition can have very serious implications and since your daughter has been ill for a week, it would be advisable to take her to the doctor as soon as you can.