Patient's question:
Doctor, hello. My 5-month-old baby has had diarrhea for several days. I gave him half a pack of medicine. Is there anything else I need to pay attention to?Doctor's answer:
Pediatric diarrhea, also known as indigestion, is a digestive disorder caused by dysfunction of the spleen and stomach. It occurs in all four seasons, with higher prevalence in summer and autumn. It is most common in infants and young children under the age of 2. After onset, it easily depletes qi and yin, and severe cases may develop dangerous complications. If prolonged, it often leads to malnutrition, delayed growth and development, and conditions such as xuanji (dyspepsia). This condition is equivalent to modern medical conditions such as infantile indigestion, steatorrhea, intestinal absorption disorder syndrome, and viral enteritis.In traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed that children's spleen and stomach are weak. Improper feeding, irregular hunger and fullness, consumption of cold or unclean food, or external pathogens such as wind-cold, excessive heat, or cold exposure can all disrupt the spleen and stomach's digestive function, leading to diarrhea. The main symptoms include increased bowel movements, thin or even watery stools, often accompanied by abdominal distension and pain, nausea and vomiting, fever, poor appetite, and weight loss.