Jaimie Etkin: The Devil Wore Manolos
Diarrhea, cha cha cha
Filed under: Babies, Health & Safety: Babies
You know, people like to joke about diarrhea but it can actually be the sign of something pretty serious, especially in children. You know the song, right? I won't repeat it here but my guess is most of us have a version called to mind from when we were kids that utilizes baseball bases.
In infants and young children, diarrhea can lead to dehydration, which can land a kid in the emergency room, the one place a parent wishes to never, ever go.
My son has diarrhea out of the blue, I just found out. The daycare workers advised me when I picked him up from school this evening. Apparently it happened four times. And no one thought to call me? Well, for my part I freaked out like any new parent would and hit both the nurse hotline at my pediatrician and the internet.
Looks like we'll be heading to the local deli to pick up some pedialyte to go along with the water and formula I've given him. He does seem to have a very mild temperature, which I am watching vigilantly in case it turns into a full , he is as energetic and happy as he always is.
Frankly, I am sure he'll be fine but I am still terrified. What caused this? Is it still in my house? Will he get it again--or, will he transfer whatever is causing it to me? More than anything, I feel bad for the little guy, although he seems to be taking it well. I guess this is just one of those baby "firsts" no one likes to talk about!
Photo by Salim Virji.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
2-28-2008 @ 10:04PM
Jenn said...Probably just one of those little kid viruses....my daughter has had several of those, picked up seemingly out of the blue...lasts for 24 hours or even a couple of days, and other than the diarrhea, she might as well not even be sick!
I never got the whatever it was, and neither did DH. All we did was keep an eye on her temp, and give her lots to drink.
Oh, and keep on top of the diapers! Their poor little bums get SOOOO irritated by the diarrhea :(
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2-28-2008 @ 11:37PM
Eva said...If he's acting fine, then he's fine. These things happen. Best wishes!
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2-29-2008 @ 8:20AM
denese said...Definitely a worrisome situation but I'll agree with the previous comments, seems like things should turn out fine!
Might I offer a little suggestion? I'm almost finished with a degree in Early Childhood Education, nanny an 18 month old 30 hours a week, and worked in a daycare infant room for four years. So if this comes out like "I know more and better than you" because of my education & career backgrounds, I apologize, I intend only the best due to my passion. The daycare where I worked enforced a policy to notify the parents immediately after the second diarrhea and make arrangements for the child to be picked up as soon as possible, partly to avoid parent freakouts but really to most effectively take care of any underlying health problems.
Would you consider inquiring after your daycare's policy? Perhaps even mentioning that if this same event occurs in the future, you'd like to be notified sooner? I don't mean to trash your daycare and how they care for your child, but it seems to me that you would have at least had a better peace of mind and but also opportunity for preventive care had they contacted you earlier in the day. Plus, (knock on wood) if your son has (or had) a small virus and could have caught it from/passed it on to other children, further contagion would have also been avoided.
Good luck!
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2-29-2008 @ 2:06PM
Jessica said...Is he teething? My daughter got horrid diarrhea and a low temp every time she got a tooth.
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2-29-2008 @ 5:02PM
queentree said...My pediatrician recommended Florastor for kids which is a probiotic which helps get their tummies and poo back to normal. You can buy it at the drugstore. It comes is little powder packets you can mix in his formula. I also switched to lactose free formula the second he would get the runs and keep him on it until his poo was normal. The lactose is hard on their stomachs and tushes when are sick. Keep putting on the TriplePaste at every diaper change. Good luck!!
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2-29-2008 @ 5:39PM
Kevin said...I agree with queentree - give the child some pro-biotics (although breast milk is best and your healthy bacteria will pass through). Powdered is best - yogurt won't always get the bacteria as far down as they need to.
Whatever you do - DON'T SUPPRESS THE SYMPTOMS! If there is a "bug" you certainly don't want it to hang out in your child's digestive track (right!?). The biggest issue wit infants and diarrhea is dehydration. Load the child with water and fruits (bananas and mangoes because of their high levels of potassium are best).
Again, I agree with queentree - dairy based formula is not the best choice but soy is far, far, far worse! Infants under 1 are not capable of processing soy - it's very hard on their digestive system (not to mention the phyto-estrogens).
If the child has a fever and it spikes or gets really high - just keep observing the child - if he is coherent and responsive - all is well. If the child becomes completely listless and unresponsive - get to a doctor.
Just remember, fever, diarhea and vomiting are "normal" bodily processes - not to be feared - observed, yes - but not feared.
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