Patient's question:
BR>Age of the patient: 1 My child will be one year old on September 7th. Since eating duck soup and rice, and then going out to play, he vomited. The doctor gave him Domperidone, which then caused diarrhea. He was hospitalized for intravenous fluids and has now been discharged. The doctor prescribed Smecta and Mimi Ai Ai, but after taking them for two days, the effect is not very significant. He still has about 10 bowel movements a day, and they occur shortly after eating porridge. What should I do? How should I care for him now?Duration and course of the illness: 3 days
Current general condition: Currently, he still has about 10 bowel movements a day. He doesn’t have them while sleeping, but after eating porridge, he has more frequent and quicker bowel movements.
Medical history: He had diarrhea during teething, but after taking one dose of Smecta...
Doctor's answer:
Considering that your child's diarrhea may be related to drinking duck soup, which is too greasy and causing "food stagnation" (indigestion), my advice for your child's current condition is to use the "astringent intestines and stop diarrhea" method for treatment. For Western medicine, you can use compound benzoin tincture for oral administration. For traditional Chinese medicine, you can decoct five grams each of fried white atractylodes rhizome, fried Chinese yam, fried poria, fried coix seed, and fried licorice, along with three grams of chebula fruit, and drink the decoction. Boil two bowls of water into half a bowl, and you can add a moderate amount of brown sugar. Take it in small doses multiple times, and continue for two days. However, if your child's stool contains mucus, you should not use this method, as it may lead to "closing the door and trapping the evil."Here are some of my general observations and suggestions on diarrhea, hoping you can find some help in them:
The most common causes of infant diarrhea are indigestion and intestinal inflammation. Generally, if your child's stool is mixed with bubbles, it often indicates indigestion. Only when your child's digestion is poor and there is more food residue, fermented by bacteria in the intestines, will the stool be mixed with bubbles. Additionally, bubbles in the stool may also be related to the child crying for a long time and swallowing more air.
If your child also has vomiting, and the vomit has an acid odor or undigested milk curds, or if there is abdominal bloating (when the child lies flat, the abdomen is higher than the chest), with no mucus or pus in the stool, but the stool frequency increases, the consistency remains yellow or slightly greenish, or loose and mushy, it is likely indigestion. You can help by feeding some digestive water or giving some Lactobacillus casei to adjust the intestinal flora, as well as Smecta to stop diarrhea.
If your child also has severe vomiting, even vomiting immediately after eating, or intermittent crying that can be relieved on its own, with significant changes in stool consistency, such as being like egg drop soup or watery, or with mucus, it is more likely to be intestinal inflammation. This requires immediate medical attention, and a stool test can help diagnose it.
If your child has persistent crying during diarrhea and appears lethargic, with tomato-paste-like stools, you should be wary of intussusception. If the stool also has a very foul odor, you should be concerned about necrotizing enterocolitis.
Some children may also develop diarrhea after drinking cold tea. If your child has indeed consumed cold tea before the diarrhea, this is more likely the cause. I recommend not feeding your child excessive amounts of cold tea in the future.
Another possible cause is improper complementary feeding, such as adding food too quickly, too much, or too early.
In terms of care, since diarrhea affects digestive function during intestinal inflammation, you can feed some pepsin or digestive water to help, such as "Food" digestive water.
If your child is formula-fed, it is recommended to use a formula specifically designed for children with diarrhea. If you cannot find it temporarily, you can dilute the milk. If your child is breastfed, the lactating mother should follow a light but nutritious diet and avoid greasy foods. The mother can also take "Chang Le Kang" to help with recovery, as I believe in treating the child's diarrhea with "mother-child co-treatment."
Additionally, since frequent bowel movements will inevitably cause discomfort to the baby's bottom, it is recommended to avoid wrapping the baby's bottom too tightly, especially if there is a risk of the baby getting cold. When cleaning the bottom, it is best to use water rather than a cloth. If using a cloth, avoid rubbing and instead gently press, as the baby's delicate skin is prone to tearing, which can cause severe crying. If the baby cries uncontrollably, check if the skin is red, as this may indicate discomfort.
To prevent diaper rash, you can apply a layer of ointment, such as tetracycline ointment or eye ointment, after each cleaning. Also, change the diaper promptly and let it air out to prevent the ammonia released from urine and feces from irritating the delicate skin.
I hope this explanation helps answer your questions.