Persistent diarrhea can be a frustrating and concerning symptom that may require medical attention. Diarrhea is common in children and is typically caused by bacteria, virus and parasites that enter your child's digestive system. Diarrhea should go away within a few days and may cause dehydration if not treated properly. Call your child's pediatrician for further evaluation to determine the cause.
Defining Diarrhea
Every child experiences a bout of loose stools every so often, but diarrhea is frequent, loose, watery stools that cause your child to have bowel movements more often than usual. Kids Health states that most cases of diarrhea in children do not last long. If you notice that your child has had diarrhea for more than a few days, your doctor may want to assess the child's overall health. A common way to treat diarrhea in young children is rest, a bland diet and having the child drink more liquids.
Toddler's Diarrhea
Toddler's diarrhea is also called chronic nonspecific diarrhea, considered one of the most common causes of chronic diarrhea in toddlers, according to Riley's Hospital for Children. Various reasons can contribute to your child developing toddler's diarrhea, such as too much fluid intake, malabsorption, a low-fat diet and an immature digestive system. If your child is consuming too much liquid, the fluid can overwhelm the child's digestive system, causing diarrhea. If your child isn't eating enough fat, the digestive system may move too fast, expelling waste too quickly. Not all children's digestive systems develop at the same rate, causing difficulty with absorbing certain nutrients.
Viral Gastroenteritis
Viral gastroenteritis is a common gastrointestinal disease that can cause excessive diarrhea and vomiting from a virus that your child has ingested into her digestive tract. Viral gastroenteritis is also referred to as the stomach flu and may be the result of various viral infections, such as rotavirus, astrovirus and norovirus. Your child can develop viral gastroenteritis symptoms from eating or drinking contaminated food or beverages, coming into contact with another human carrying the virus or from placing contaminated objects in the mouth.
Food Poisoning
Food poisoning can cause continually diarrhea in your toddler if he has ingested food or beverages that contain infectious organisms. Food poisoning may occur when your child eats food that hasn't been cooked appropriately or food that contains parasites, bacteria or viruses that attack the digestive system. Most symptoms from food poisoning subside within one to 10 days.
