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Diarrhoea

Definition
Passage of more than 3 episodes of loose stool in a day

Loose stool
Faecal matter that takes the shape of the container

What are the other signs and symptoms?

  • Your child may have fever.
  • He/she may have vomiting
  • There may be abdominal discomfort
  • You may observe blood in the stool. When this happens, your child may have dysentery.
  • If the child is dehydrated:
    • The skin and the linings of the body orifices may be dry. He/she may be unable to produce tears or saliva
    • The elasticity of the skin may be reduced. This will be apparent when you lightly pinch the skin over the abdomen.
    • The child may be weak and uninterested in the environment. He may be unable to drink anything as a result.

ALL THESE FEATURES MAY BE ABSENT AND THE CHILD MAY JUST HAVE DIARRHOEA ALONE

What causes diarrhoea?

  • Most diarrhoeal illnesses are caused by viral infections and the most common culprit is the rota virus. Most of the time, the illness is self limiting.
  • A few may be as a result of bacterial infections. These bacteria are known as enteric bacteria.
  • Diarrhoea due to infections may be worsened by reduced immunity as in HIV disease.
  • Spread of diarrhoea due to viral or bacterial infection is faecal-oral i.e. through ingestion of food or water contaminated by infected stool.
  • Diarrhoea may also be due to inborn problems in metabolism, abnormal structures of the gut and food intolerance

Children on exclusive breast feeding may produce loose stool and this should not worry you.

What is toddler's diarrhoea?

  • Some children aged between the 1 and 4 years may suffer intermittent bouts of loose stool. The stool may contain partly digested foods.
  • This happens for a few days and then resolves to happen again later.
  • It may be associated with stress of the child.
  • It is thought to occur due to over-activity of the intestinal gut thus not giving the food enough time to be digested.
  • This condition is not dangerous and passes with age.

What should you do when your child has diarrhoea?

  • Take note of the number of episodes your child is passing stool. This will help you determine the severity.
  • Examine the stool for colour, presence of worms and blood stains
  • Look for other signs of illness
  • Provide oral rehydration solution to your child. Oral rehydration salt can be bought from the shop or the nearest chemist. Formulate with clean water according to instructions on the sachet's cover. Aim to give at least 5mls per Kilogram of the child's weight every hour and with every episode of diarrhoea.
  • If your child blood in the stool or has signs of dehydration and is vomiting a lot or unable to take orally, rush him/her to the nearest health facility. Meanwhile, still give ORS.


Alternative terms: Diahorrea, diarrhea, loose stool, "the runs"