Manage diarrhea symptoms in children: Stay hydrated, keep surfaces clean, get your child vaccinated

The rotavirus vaccine can help prevent rotaviral diarrheal infections. Ensure your child’s vaccines are up to date. (Image: Canva)

Diarrhea remains a major health concern, particularly in developing countries where access to clean water and proper sanitation is limited. This condition can lead to severe dehydration, malnutrition, and, in extreme cases, death. Children are especially vulnerable due to their lower body weight and developing immune systems. The primary causes of diarrhea include bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections often spread through contaminated water, food, or poor hygiene practices. Additionally, timely medical interventions, such as oral rehydration solutions and zinc supplementation, are crucial in managing the condition and preventing complications.

Apart from these, here are some tips for parents to help prevent and manage diarrhea in children suggested by Dr Ravi Kyadegerri, MBBS, MD, Fellowship in neonatology, Apollo Cradle and Children’s hospital, Jayanagar, Bengaluru.

Stay hydrated: Ensure that children take enough fluids to avoid dehydration whenever they have diarrhea.

Keep it clean: Parents should teach their children good hygiene practices. They should know why washing hands with soap and clean water is important, particularly before eating food and after using toilet facilities. Parents must keep an eye out for this.

Food safety management and proper food handling practices: The reason for most of the cases of diarrhea in the past years has been enteropathogens transmitted through food. Therefore, ensuring safe preparation of foods and hygiene are important components of foodborne infection prevention. Rinse all raw fruits and vegetables properly under running water before eating, cutting, or cooking them. Never serve raw meat, poultry, fish, or eggs respectively.

Vaccinations: The rotavirus vaccine can help prevent rotaviral diarrheal infections. Ensure your child’s vaccines are up to date.

Ensuring safe sanitation practices: Lives can be saved through proper hygiene practices. Keep the toilet clean and teach children how to use it.  Emphasise the importance of cleaning themselves with water or wash after using the toilet.

Keep surfaces clean: Children put their hands and things into their mouths more often than adults. So, they have higher chances of swallowing germs as well. Lower your kids' chances of exposure by cleaning their hands regularly with soap and water germinators decrease cleanliness with soap and water.

Responding right away to diarrhea: If your kid has diarrhea, encourage them to drink plenty of fluids. Ask them to drink a glass or two after each passage of loose stool. Oral rehydration solutions (ORS) can help replace lost fluids and electrolytes. Avoid sugary drinks, which can worsen dehydration. Have plain water and soups. In extreme cases, please seek medical help.

By following these strategies, parents can significantly reduce the risk of diarrheal diseases and help their children stay healthy. Ensuring good hygiene, safe food practices, clean water, adequate nutrition, and timely medical care are key to preventing and managing diarrhea.