Diarrhea is an intestinal condition characterized by the production of loose, watery stools. When it occurs in infants and newborn children, the condition can cause rapid dehydration, which can in turn lead to serious health complications or death. With accurate information, you can learn how to detect signs of newborn and infant diarrhea.
Detection
Under normal conditions, healthy babies naturally produce stools that are loose, soft and frequent, according to the U.S. Library of Medicine's Medline Plus. As a result, you may have difficulty detecting the presence of abnormal diarrhea. To uncover diarrhea symptoms, you will need to know your child's typical stool production pattern and recognize changes from that pattern. Medline Plus lists potential signs of diarrhea-related changes that include the production of more than one stool after a single feeding, unusually watery stools and a rapid increase in the number of times your child defecates.
Causes
Your newborn or infant may experience either long-term or short-term diarrhea, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC). Potential causes of diarrhea symptoms include viruses, bacteria, parasites and bowel disorders. Medline Plus lists additional potential causes that include use of antibiotics by either your child or a breastfeeding parent and changes in the diet of your child or a breastfeeding parent.
Rotavirus
If your child has short-term diarrhea or a severe diarrhea-causing infection, the most likely cause is a virus called rotavirus, according to the Nemours Foundation. Nearly all children develop a rotavirus infection by the age of five, and may experience additional symptoms that include nausea, vomiting and fever. Normally, rotavirus runs its course in 3 to 9 days, the NDDIC notes. If your child is between the ages of 6 and 32 weeks, use of a vaccine product called Rotateq may prevent or diminish rotavirus symptoms.
Dehydration
If your newborn or infant has diarrhea, dehydration can occur in as little as 1 to 2 days, the NDDIC reports. Without treatment, death may occur within several days. Potential signs of dehydration include crying without tear production, high fever, irritability, abnormally slack skin, dry tongue or mouth, lack of a wet diaper for 3 hours or longer and a sunken appearance to the cheeks, eyes or abdomen. Contact your child's doctor immediately if you notice these signs. If your newborn or infant's dehydration is moderate or severe, he may require hospitalization and the use of intravenous fluids, the Nemours Foundation notes.
Additional Symptoms
You should also call your child's doctor if certain other diarrhea-related symptoms arise, Medline Plus reports. These include diarrhea that contains mucus, blood or pus; the production of more than 8 stools in 8 hours; diarrhea with fever that lasts longer than 3 days; vomiting that lasts more than 24 hours; ongoing diarrhea in older infants; and any form of diarrhea in a child under the age of 3 months.
Treatments
Your child's doctor may recommend continued breastfeeding or use of a rehydration solution to treat dehydration at home, Medline Plus reports. To prevent diarrhea-associated diaper rash, Medline Plus recommends frequent diaper changes and use of protective ointments.
