Acute diarrhea consists of an increase in the number of bowel movements. and / or a decrease in its consistency, which quickly ensues. It can be accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, fever or abdominal pain. The most common cause is gastrointestinal infection, which causes gastroenteritis or inflammation of the gastric and intestinal mucosa.
Because of this, the term "acute diarrhea" is practically used as a synonym for acute infectious cause gastroenteritis. In the case of babies and children, before a picture of this type you have to go to the medical services so that the specialist makes the appropriate diagnosis and establishes the most convenient treatment, depending on the severity of the diarrhea.
In most cases, only an assessment of the child through an adequate medical history and careful physical examination is necessary to establish the relevant indications.
As we have commented on other occasions, the severity of diarrhea is related to the degree of dehydration, which is the greatest danger involved (and the smaller the child is), so an as accurate assessment as possible of this one, to avoid the delay in the treatment and the unnecessary interventions.
According to existing scientific evidence, the recommendations of action of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics in our environment in front of children under five years with a picture of acute diarrhea, without underlying diseases, would be:
Oral rehydration for three to four hours in children with mild-moderate dehydration, followed by a rapid reintroduction of the usual diet along with rehydration solution supplements to compensate for sustained losses.
In children with diarrhea without dehydration, maintenance of the usual diet is advised, ensuring rehydration solution supplements to compensate for sustained losses.
Breastfeeding Maintenance in all cases.
Non-use, in most children, of a lactose-free milk or a cow's milk protein hydrolyzate.
In general, the use of pharmacological agents is not necessary for the treatment of acute diarrhea (the efficacy of racecadotril is considered in the symptomatic treatment of diarrhea, always associated with oral rehydration, as well as in certain cases of ondansetron; antibiotic therapy in very specific cases).
We must remember that these tips are aimed at medical specialists and we should not put them into practice without their supervision, as before a picture of acute diarrhea in the baby or in the child it is necessary to go to the pediatrician. The specialist will establish, once examined the small, how to act against gastroenteritis.
