Parents, seeing obvious signs of the appearance of the first tooth, at first rejoice, but, I must say, not for long. Yes, this is certainly a joyful event. However, it can bring the baby a lot of suffering, such as diarrhea during teething.
Teething in children: symptoms
The appearance of the first milk tooth occurs in about 5-6 months of the child's life. However, parents may notice strange symptoms 3 months after the birth of the baby. In terms of teething, everything is purely individual, so you should not focus only on the standard time frame of this phenomenon.
Symptoms
- swelling and swelling of the gums;
- fever;
- diarrhea;
- vomiting
- refusal of food, lack of appetite;
- constipation;
- increased saliva production;
- restlessness, tearfulness;
- desire to try all the objects "by the tooth."
The appearance of each milk tooth is accompanied by a decrease in the immune defense of the child. Therefore, it is during this period that children are most susceptible to the penetration of foreign bacteria and viruses into the body, which ultimately causes diarrhea when teething. However, before attributing this unpleasant symptom to “teeth”, you need to make sure that there is no more serious reason.
What else can cause diarrhea in children?
In newborn children, in connection with the peculiarities of their digestion and nutrition, in principle, there can be no hard stool. But when the frequency of bowel movement exceeds the normal amount (more than 7 times a day) and the feces have a watery consistency, we can talk about diarrhea. With teething, this is a fairly common occurrence. But, unfortunately, this is not the only thing that can cause a loose stool in a newborn.
Causes:
- bacterial or viral infection;
- errors in nutrition;
- taking antibiotics;
- surgical pathology.
Before looking for how to treat diarrhea during teething, you need to contact your local pediatrician to make an accurate diagnosis. Having written off everything on the appearance of deciduous teeth, one can overlook the penetration of a serious infection into the child's body, which will lead to no less serious complications.
Causes of Teething Diarrhea
Since the newborn cannot yet express in words what exactly bothers him, parents have to independently monitor his physical condition. Noticing a loose stool in a baby, not everyone associates this with the appearance of milk teeth. Although such a reaction of the child's body is quite natural. And there are several reasons for this:
- Increased saliva production.
During teething, the salivary glands work in an enhanced mode. This is necessary for the natural treatment of the baby's oral cavity from harmful bacteria, to which the body is most vulnerable during this period. Saliva in large quantities, getting into the intestine, increases its peristalsis, which, in turn, is the cause of diarrhea during teething in children.
During the formation and emergence of a new tooth, all the forces of the child's body are aimed at passing it through the gum, so the protection of immunity is weakened. Viruses, infections and pathogenic bacteria, taking advantage of this, penetrate the baby's body, becoming the root cause of diarrhea, vomiting and other unpleasant symptoms.
If the baby is completely breastfed, diarrhea during teething in children can cause a product with a laxative effect, which was consumed by the mother of the baby. With artificial feeding, we can talk about an improperly selected mixture that stimulates malfunctions in the enzymatic apparatus of the pancreas.
The human body is distinguished by an individual reaction to certain changes occurring in it. Therefore, the answer to the question of whether there can be diarrhea during teething in a child can be found if you delve into the past of his parents. When mom and dad, as infants, had similar symptoms, a conclusion suggests itself about the individual characteristics of the body that cause malfunctions in the intestines.
Associated symptoms
Unfortunately, loose stools are not the only symptom that may accompany the appearance of deciduous teeth. In addition to behavioral factors (moodiness, nervousness, anxiety), there are a number of physiological factors that most of all plague a baby and worsen his well-being.
The combination of some concomitant symptoms may indicate an infection, which requires immediate medical attention, and possibly even hospitalization. Therefore, during this period it is very important to monitor the general condition of the baby.
Diarrhea and temperature
Diarrhea and teething temperature in children are quite serious signs of infection. Normal is considered to increase the level of the thermometer to no more than 38 degrees. Moreover, the temperature should be kept no more than 3 days.
If the temperature does not go astray, and loose stools persists for a longer time, you need to contact a pediatrician or call an ambulance. The fact is that fever and diarrhea can cause rapid dehydration of the newborn's body until death.
Diarrhea and vomiting
Vomiting is another ailment that often makes parents alert. Diarrhea and vomiting during teething are dangerous at the same time, because they very quickly remove fluid from the baby's body, dehydrating it.
If vomiting in a child is an isolated case, and the general condition of the baby looks normal, do not immediately panic. Perhaps during the crying, the child took in a lot of air, which squeezed the diaphragm. This condition causes the eaten milk or mixture to burst out into the fountain.
Vomiting can also be a concomitant symptom of a disease such as rotavirus. Therefore, if the baby is simultaneously tormented by diarrhea and nausea, it is necessary to monitor the condition of his skin (it should not be dry), the amount and color of urine, the behavior and activity of the baby. And it is best to play it safe and take tests prescribed by the pediatrician.
How many days do teething diarrhea occur?
If the infection has not entered the child’s body, and its appearance is associated with physiological characteristics, diarrhea lasts no more than 3 days. In this case, the stool should not contain impurities, mucus and fetid odor.
When it comes to infection with rotavirus infection, diarrhea, as a symptom, can persist for 4-7 days. Moreover, during this time it can cause irreparable harm to the health of the baby, which will affect further development. A clear sign of intestinal infection is the green color of the bowel movements. Therefore, with each bowel movement of the child, it is important to monitor the color and consistency of the filling of the diaper.
Treatment
The doctor decides on the prescription of medicines, based on a visual assessment of the condition of the newborn and, of course, on the results of the tests. The main goal in treating diarrhea is to prevent the possibility of dehydration.
If we talk about diarrhea during teething in children, how many and which drugs the doctor will prescribe depends on the severity of the disease. Antibiotics are prescribed only as a last resort, when the infection managed to penetrate the body of the newborn.
Otherwise, the body will independently cope with diarrhea as soon as the tooth erupts. Therefore, usually in the treatment of diarrhea prescribed only drugs that make up the deficiency of salts and fluids in the body.
Tactics of medication for diarrhea
When diarrhea lasts for a long time, without the viral nature of origin, children are prescribed a list of drugs that help to make them feel better. This list includes:
- medicines that slow intestinal motility (Smectitis E);
- prebiotics (Linex, Hilak Forte, etc.);
- drugs with an absorbent effect (Smecta, Polysorb);
- plant immunomodulators and vitamins;
- preparations for restoration of water-electrolyte balance (Humana Electrolyte, Oralit, Hydrovit).
For the treatment of concomitant symptoms, such as temperature, antipyretic drugs are prescribed. For children, they are available in the form of syrups. As a rule, the active substance in them is ibuprofen or paracetamol. Also, vasoconstrictor drugs to combat rhinitis, panthenol-based creams to eliminate redness and irritation on the skin, and dental gels to relieve pain and gum inflammation may also be required.
This drug treatment regimen is presented for informational purposes only. Only a doctor can prescribe this or that drug, based on the results of the diagnosis. Since diarrhea is a fairly serious symptom requiring examination by a qualified specialist.
Prevention
If diarrhea occurs during the eruption of the first tooth, then, most likely, this unpleasant phenomenon can also not be avoided in the future. Therefore, after detecting the first symptoms of the appearance of the next tooth, it is necessary to prevent digestive upset.
Experts recommend:
- Strictly observe the rules of personal hygiene, wash hands often and keep things surrounding the child clean.
- Stop the introduction of new products in complementary foods, as well as in the diet of a nursing mother.
- To purchase teething and, if necessary, give the child, previously disinfected.
- Do not insist on eating solid foods. It is better to feed the baby with breast milk or an artificial mixture.
- In periods of acute pain, apply special gels to the baby's gums.
After consulting with a pediatrician, you can also use traditional medicine. For example, decoctions of chamomile and sage flowers can calm the digestive system. In addition, they also have an antibacterial effect, which creates an additional barrier to the penetration of infection into the child's body.