baby has diarrhea

Gastroenteritis: prevention and treatment against gastro

What are the main causes of acute diarrhea in babies? How to avoid dehydration, the main risk? But also how to prevent diarrhea? The answers of Dr Jean Lalau Keraly, pediatrician.

Diarrhea in babies is mainly infectious. "The first cause is gastroenteritis," says Dr. Jean Lalau Keraly. But diarrhea can also have an extra-digestive etiology.

“It can occur in the event of nasopharyngitis, otitis…, completes the pediatrician. And the second most common cause is an intolerance to cow's milk protein, or more rarely to lactose. »

Diarrhea in babies: treating dehydration

Whatever the cause of diarrhea, the first thing to do is to treat its consequences: dehydration. "For this, we dilute a sachet of oral rehydration solution in 200 ml of water in a bottle and we offer it every quarter of an hour or every half hour to our child as long as he suffers from diarrhoea", explains the pediatrician.

As long as the child is drinking, he is dehydrated. You should know that toddlers under two years old have less water reserves than older children.

There are many oral rehydration solutions: Adiaril, Gastrolyte SRO, Hydranova, Nutriben SRO… Mothers should always have some in their medicine cabinet.

Diarrhea being, most often, viral, there is no specific anti-diarrhea medication to be given or antibiotics prescribed.

To continue milk or not?

"If the baby is breastfed, breastfeeding continues," reassures the pediatrician. What about when fed formula?

“If he is less than 3-4 months old, we replace the milk with a hydrolyzate for the duration of the diarrhea, advises the pediatrician. From 4 to 5 months, we do not change milk, unless the diarrhea persists and we sense an intolerance. We then give lactose-free milk. »

Hydrolisates are only sold in pharmacies on medical prescription. As for lactose-free milks, we find, for example: Galliagest, Nutrilon lactose-free, Nutribén lactose-free, Guigoz expert AD…

Diarrhea in infants: what monitoring?

“As soon as diarrhea appears, you have to weigh the baby and check his weight,” reminds the pediatrician. A 5% weight loss means there is already dehydration. “From a weight loss of 10%, the infant is hospitalized and perfused, reports the pediatrician. But it is now rarer thanks to rehydration solutions. »

It is also necessary to check that the diaper of the baby is well wet. If the urine is rare and dark, there is dehydration.

Diarrhea: an effective vaccine

"A vaccine can reduce the risk of severe diarrhea and infant hospitalization by 80%," says Dr. Lalau Keraly. It is administered orally. There are two vaccines: Rotarix which requires two doses one month apart at two months and three months of age, and Rotateq which requires three doses at two months, three months and four months.

As the vaccine is not part of the vaccination schedule, it is offered directly by the doctor after an individual medical assessment.