Children's Digestive Health Overview  Childhood Diarrhea

Your Child's Digestive Health... Dealing with Diarrhea

By Jo Jordan and Jim Danna, M.A.

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A common problem in kids, diarrhea can be caused by viral and bacterial infections, food allergies, and inflammatory conditions in the GI tract that disrupt a child's ability to absorb properly.¹

Other reasons for childhood diarrhea include parasites, certain medications (such as antibiotics), problems digesting specific foods, and digestive diseases such as Crohn's or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).²

While diarrhea often clears up on its own, it may be an indication of something more serious. If your child's diarrhea doesn't go away in a couple of days – or if it is accompanied by symptoms such as black and tarry stools or stool containing blood or pus, high fever, severe pain in the abdomen or rectum, or dehydration – check in with your child's health care provider.³

Dehydration can be quite serious for children. A dry mouth and tongue, high fever, crying without tears, and crankiness are signs to watch out for.

Specific Treatment for Childhood Diarrhea

• Some research suggests probiotics [http://www.puristat.com/products/probiotics.aspx] may be helpful in treating diarrhea, particularly viral diarrhea in children.⁴
• Probiotic foods, such as cheese, miso, tempeh, and yogurt may also help.⁵
• It's important to replace fluids and salts lost during diarrhea by having your child drink water, juice, or broth. Fruit juices and soups are especially helpful as they replenish minerals such as potassium and sodium, and help return a child's electrolyte balances to safe levels.⁶
• Adjustments to medications (such as antibiotics) that tend to cause diarrhea may be necessary.⁷
• Treating underlying conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), is crucial.⁸

Finding Solutions: Protecting Your Child's Digestive Health

While there are many digestive ailments that can afflict kids from a very early age, there's good news; parents can do a lot to protect their child's digestive health for today…and for the rest of their lives.

Starting kids down the right track early in life with natural, kid-friendly supplements as well as dietary and lifestyle changes is the right thing to do. Under the advice of a health care professional, such as Puristat's Nurse Vickie, supplementing a child's diet with multi-vitamins, digestive enzymes, and probiotics can help alleviate the symptoms of childhood digestive problems, and may even prevent serious digestive problems later in your child's life.

Additional Treatments for Childhood Digestive Disorders

Many childhood digestive problems affect vitamin and nutrient intake. A digestive health-specific multi-vitamin is vital to digestive health. Together, along with digestive enzymes and probiotics, the symptoms of many digestive ailments can be greatly alleviated. Modified dosages of these natural, digestive health products are recommended and considered safe for children by many physicians.

Puristat is here to help. The information contained in this Children's Health section of our website provides specific steps you can take to relieve your child's digestive issues. And as always, our digestive specialists and staff nurse are only a phone call or Live Chat away!

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Notes:
1. University of Maryland, "Pediatric Digestive Disorders 2/2: An Interview with Dr. Steven Czinn," http://www.umm.edu/media/video/mht_pediatric_digestive_disorders_czinn_1.htm (accessed August 8, 2011).
2. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), "What I need to know about Diarrhea," http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/diarrhea_ez/ (accessed August 8, 2011).
3. Ibid.
4. Mayo Clinic, "Diarrhea," http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diarrhea/DS00292/DSECTION=alternative%2Dmedicine (accessed August 8, 2011).
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid.
7. Ibid.
8. Ibid.