Green poop in a baby: causes, ways to eliminate green stool

The appearance of a child’s first teeth is an important event in every family. It brings with it many troubles that are temporary. Fever, loose stools, problems with the digestive system, and anxiety are accompanying symptoms that will not harm the baby. However, every mother needs to know that everything should be within acceptable limits. It is important to monitor the child and react in time to developing deviations.

Symptoms of teething

The very first tooth appears when the child reaches 6 months. This process lasts about two years, or a little longer, depending on the child’s body. Each baby experiences teething differently. For one, everything will be easy and almost painless, for another it will be painful. Each child is unique, so parents should be attentive and monitor the well-being of the baby. When the crowns of the first teeth begin to erupt, the local immune defense reduces its functions. Therefore, pathogenic microorganisms enter the baby’s body, causing physiological stool disorders.

During this period, it is necessary to be attentive to the child’s condition and recognize in time that the appearance of loose stools is not associated with an inflammatory process caused by an infection. During the natural physiological process of teeth formation, symptoms are identified that do not cause harm to health.

Diarrhea in infants - what causes it and how to treat it

The baby often experiences changes in the color, consistency, and frequency of stool. Since children are different from adults, infant stool becomes the source of many questions and concerns for parents - is this type of stool normal for a newborn, why does the child have green, loose stool? To understand what the contents of a baby’s diaper says about his health, what are the causes of diarrhea in a baby, how to treat diarrhea in a child so that he feels better quickly, will help a candidate of medical sciences, a doctor of the highest category, a pediatrician and deputy head of a children’s hospital. Savelovskaya Alla Anatolyevna Shcherbakova.

— Alla Anatolyevna, please tell us what diarrhea (diarrhea) is in a baby.

— Diarrhea is a disease, a functional disorder of the gastrointestinal tract, which is accompanied by loose stools. There is a Bristol stool scale, according to which diarrhea is considered to be liquid or semi-liquid with solid lumps. Diarrhea is not typical for healthy children.

— What are the symptoms of this problem and how can a mother distinguish diarrhea from normal feces?

— Diarrhea in young children is quite rare. However, according to statistics from the World Health Organization, a functional disorder of the gastrointestinal tract, accompanied by diarrhea, is in second place among the causes of death in children of the first year of life.

• Loose stool in a baby is normal.
  A child of the first and second months of life has stools of a more liquid consistency than an adult. If the baby has stool the consistency of an egg yolk and has bowel movements after each feeding, but gains weight well, eats and sleeps, is cheerful and does not cry, then this should not cause concern to the mother.

Important! Diarrhea is not just loose stool. If a child does not gain weight in the first months of life and has frequent watery, foamy or loose stools with mucus or blood, this is a reason to immediately contact your pediatrician.

— Alla Anatolyevna, what can cause diarrhea in a baby?

— For a child in the first months of life, the main cause of diarrhea is food intolerance; for a child in the second half of life and the second year of life, it is an intestinal infection of a viral nature. But why a baby has diarrhea, a doctor must decide in each case.

Food allergy in an infant

occurs on the food he receives, most often cow's milk protein. Causes of allergies in infants:

• in a child who is exclusively breastfed - consumption of dairy products by the nursing mother;
• in a bottle-fed child - a reaction to cow's milk protein;
• A mixed-fed baby is more allergic to formula milk, and to a lesser extent allergic to mother's milk.

Infection of infants with intestinal infections

occurs through dirty palms and toys (when a child begins to crawl, pick up objects from the floor with his own hands, play outside).

Signs of an intestinal infection in a child:

• refusal to eat;
• decreased appetite;
• temperature increase;
• vomit.

— What does the color of the stool of a breastfed and bottle-fed baby indicate? What are the norms and dangerous situations?

— Bile pigments, which are produced by the liver, accumulate in the gallbladder and are released during nutrition, helping digestion, are responsible for the color of stool. They turn the baby's stool yellow, green, or olive green. Therefore, if the child feels well and gains weight well, and the stool has a greenish-yellow tint, this is the norm for up to a year.

• An infant has yellow diarrhea.
  If a 4, 5 or 6 month old child has yellow stool and the temperature has risen, the stool has become more frequent and watery and profuse, and appetite has decreased - these are signs of an intestinal infection.

• The baby has diarrhea with mucus.
  Mucus in the stool is the product of the activity of intestinal goblet cells, which secrete mucus. Mucus in a child’s stool is a sign of inflammatory colitis of the colon (an indicator of a food allergy or the final stage of an intestinal infection). There should be no mucus in the stool.

- Diarrhea without fever in a child - what can this mean and what should the mother do?

— Do not ignore diarrhea without fever in an infant. This may be a manifestation of pathological conditions. Such as:

1. Food allergy - its cause will be determined by a doctor, who will also tell you what the mother needs to do.
2. Antibiotic-associated diarrhea - in children it occurs during treatment of an infectious disease that is associated with the activity of clostridia and their toxins, which is accompanied by diarrhea with blood. This serious condition requires seeing a doctor.
3. Gluten intolerance - prolonged diarrhea with celiac disease does not respond to traditional treatment and is not similar to the course of an intestinal infection. The assumption of the presence of such a disease requires additional examination, observation and, at a minimum, consultation with a competent pediatrician and pediatric gastroenterologist.

— Alla Anatolyevna, can diarrhea begin during teething?

— During the teething period, there may be a disturbance in stool, but it is not associated with the fact that the baby is cutting teeth. Teething is a normal, physiological process that occurs in all children. Diarrhea is not the norm, but a pathological disorder of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), which is accompanied by loose stools.

— Diarrhea during complementary feeding—what is considered normal and what is a problem in such a situation?

— The first complementary foods are introduced to a healthy child in the second half of life. Starting from 6 months, the mother will gradually introduce vegetable purees, cereals, fruit purees and other complementary feeding products into the baby’s menu.

The introduction of complementary foods to a child may be accompanied by a violation of the stool pattern. But I wouldn't say it's diarrhea. The color of the stool may change in response to the color of the complementary foods, do not worry or worry.

It is necessary to worry and consult a doctor if, when introducing complementary foods, the child’s atopic dermatitis worsens, mucus appears in the stool, or rashes on the skin. It is important to determine the cause of the exacerbation (food allergy, intestinal infection, or simply a reaction to complementary foods). The mother needs to remove complementary foods for one or two days, observe the child and then decide with the doctor what behavioral tactics to choose.

— What medical tests should be taken for diarrhea?

— If a child is not gaining weight well, has diarrhea, stool abnormalities (mucus, blood in the stool), a doctor should examine him and order tests (and then evaluate their results).

What test should be taken if a child has diarrhea?

• Analysis for dysbacteriosis.
  But it is worth remembering that there is no such diagnosis as dysbiosis, and it makes no sense to treat a child for opportunistic microorganisms that are in his intestines.
• Coprogram
  - examination of stool under a microscope. With its help, the doctor draws conclusions about the organoleptic, biochemical and bacterioscopic properties of the stool.
• Intestinal culture
  - a test for intestinal viruses (noroviruses, rotaviruses, bocaviruses) to exclude intestinal infection.
• Complete blood test with leukoformula
  - to determine the tactics for prescribing antibiotics in severe cases (in the treatment of intestinal infection).
• Abdominal ultrasound
  is a comprehensive ultrasound examination to determine the causes of gastrointestinal dysfunction in a child.

— Does my mother need to undergo any tests and when?

— Nursing mothers often ask to schedule a test for staphylococcus and allergies. If a child is sick, then there is little point in examining the mother. Staphylococci are opportunistic microbes that live on the skin and in the ducts of the mammary glands of healthy women. They can cause disease under certain conditions.

In 30% of cases, the breast milk of healthy women contains staphylococci. No treatment required.

There are also no indications for testing breast milk for sterility, because mother's milk should not be sterile. Breast milk contains microbiota that is specific to this mother and with which she will populate the baby’s intestines.

- Consequences of diarrhea - how to deal with them?

— Diarrhea causes a child’s body to lose fluid and electrolytes. This leads to dehydration and loss of 10% or more of body weight. This condition can be dangerous, especially for low birth weight babies and young children. Treatment is carried out in the hospital (infusion therapy or dehydration with a drip).

In addition, serious complications of intestinal infections require hospital treatment and observation in a hospital setting. If the baby pees little or there is no urination, this may be an alarming sign of hemorrhagic syndrome in infants, which is accompanied by renal failure.

Indirect consequences of an intestinal infection sometimes include diaper rash (stool contains digestive enzymes that irritate the skin during diarrhea).

Important!

Signs of diarrhea in a baby that require an appointment with a doctor during the day:

• Loose stools and lack of weight gain.
• The appearance of blood in the stool.
• A combination of diarrhea and vomiting.
• Discolored white stool.

- Anti-diarrhea medications for children under 1 year of age - what does the doctor prescribe, and what can the mother use on her own?

— How to treat diarrhea in an infant or loose stool in a one-year-old child always depends on the condition of the baby and the opinion of his doctor.

The intestinal infection passes (1-3 days), stool and appetite are restored, the temperature most often subsides with symptomatic treatment without additional therapeutic measures. The doctor may recommend a diet without milk, coarse vegetable fiber, or sugar. Enzymes (added to food and help digestion), enterosorbents (taken without food and absorb toxic products of viral breakdown) or biological products (displace pathogenic viruses from the microbiota and populate the intestines with good strains) may be prescribed.

If we talk about food allergies and diarrhea in infants during breastfeeding, then a dairy-free diet may be recommended for the mother. If a baby’s diarrhea occurs during artificial feeding, a special medicated milk formula is selected for the baby. When a child receives nutrition that suits him for a month, he should show obvious positive dynamics (weight gain, significant improvement in well-being).

— How to alleviate a child’s condition with diarrhea?

— 10 years ago, to treat diarrhea due to an intestinal infection, a water-tea break was prescribed - the child was not fed anything and was given only drinks during the day. It is now believed that such pauses are unnecessary and the little patient suffers more from hunger than from an intestinal infection.

If you have diarrhea, you should feed your child in small portions and in smaller doses (shorten the interval between meals and reduce the volume of one feeding). There is no need to give water or supplement the baby. In case of dehydration due to childhood diarrhea, tea, mineral water, jelly, and dried fruit compote are indicated.

A child's stool is an indicator of his health. So don't rush to throw away the diaper and pay attention to its contents. If you suspect your baby has diarrhea, be sure to discuss the situation with your pediatrician, especially if you have a baby in the first months of life. Diarrhea is a pathology and a common sign of an intestinal infection or food allergy in a child under one year old. The care and attention of the mother, consultation with a doctor and appropriate treatment is all that the child needs to cope with diarrhea and be healthy and happy.

Pediatrician Alla Anatolyevna Shcherbakova

*The ideal food for an infant is mother's milk. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months. MAMAKO® supports this recommendation. Before introducing new foods into your baby’s diet, consult a specialist.

Increased salivation

A natural protective property of the body that disinfects the child’s oral cavity. At a young age, children actively put various objects in their mouths that come their way. Thus, bringing various bacteria into the body, which the immune system fights, releasing large amounts of saliva. This is due to the fact that nature has the property of disinfecting wounds and injuries by wetting with saliva, which contains an antibacterial enzyme (lysozyme). Therefore, excessive salivation is not considered a pathology, but, on the contrary, protects the baby from pathogenic bacteria.

Swelling and redness of the gums

Swelling, swelling, and an increase in the size of the baby’s gums are accompanied by discomfort (pain, itching). At this time, children try to chew on what is within walking distance, thereby trying to eliminate the unpleasant sensations that have arisen. All this is explained by the fact that an inflammatory process occurs in the area of ​​the emerging tooth. Bone tissue forms inside the jaw, so it is necessary to push through the gum to appear on the surface. When swelling and redness are accompanied by profuse salivation, and a white bubble is also detected, this indicates that a baby tooth will soon appear.

Changes in behavior

This period is characterized by changes in the baby’s behavior. Children are capricious, sleep poorly, refuse to eat, and show apathy. This is due to the fact that the appearance of a tooth causes itching and pain, which bring great discomfort. At night, all symptoms become more active and cause concern not only for the child, but also for the parents.

Desire to gnaw

The baby has a need to chew as a result of severe itching and discomfort in the gums. The child puts toys and any other things into his mouth that can relieve the itching sensation. The harder the object, the better it eliminates itching when rubbed against the gums. This whole process is temporary, so the child is constantly looking for a new object that will help relieve unpleasant sensations. Many companies produce special teethers with various cooling effects that help babies go through this period with the least discomfort.

A few words about hygiene

Some adjustments should be made to hygiene procedures for diarrhea:

1. Avoid using wet wipes during this time. After each bowel movement, be sure to wash your child.
2. Do not introduce new creams and hygiene products during this period; allergic reactions are possible due to deterioration of immune defense.
3. Be sure to wash all objects that the baby puts into his mouth, this also includes bed stuff.
4. Wet cleaning of the room where the baby is is required.

During this period, the baby is non-contact, go for a walk with him alone. The influx of new people into your home during this period should be limited. As already noted, the immune system will not be able to cope with the new infection.

Increase in temperature, appearance of cold symptoms

This is due to the fact that during this period the body tries to produce the required amount of substances that can facilitate the growth of baby teeth. It is also possible that an infection or local inflammation may occur, during which the glands are activated and muconasal secretion (nasal mucus) appears, disappearing after a couple of days. The local inflammatory process provokes the body, which reacts and leads to fever and malaise. The main indicator that there is no serious illness is a temperature not higher than 38 degrees. When teething, sometimes a rash appears on the skin, nasal congestion, and a slight cough, which is caused by a large volume of salivation. A cold may occur less frequently, but this is due to a decrease in the body’s protective functions during periods of active viral infection.

When does a child's molars come out?

The eruption of a child’s molars is one of the most important periods in the development of a child’s body. It is quite painful, so parents need to be prepared for it and know when their baby’s molars begin to cut.

The first milky shoots are usually formed within 2 years, there are 20 of them in total. As already mentioned, among them there are two pairs of molars. The exact time when the first molar teeth begin to erupt has not been established. This depends on many factors: diet, heredity, climatic conditions of the region of residence, and the quality of drinking water.

If we talk about the first molars, they appear in the baby at the age of 12-17 months. Even if this process is delayed in your case, there is no need to worry. By the 32nd month they will definitely thin out. Second molars begin to erupt at 24-33 months, and the process is completed by 38-48 months. It must be taken into account that the growth and development of each child is individual. This also applies to teething. Even if the timing of the eruption of your child’s first molars is delayed or, conversely, they appear earlier in him than in his peers.

The growth of baby teeth usually stops by the age of three. By the age of five or six, the first signs of their change to radical ones begin to appear (in some children later). The entire process of formation of permanent teeth ends by the age of 12-14 years.

Problems in the digestive system

One of the symptoms of the appearance of baby teeth is loose bowel movements. The stool becomes liquid because the volume of salivary fluid increases, as well as due to the penetration of bacteria that disrupt the microflora of the children's intestines. Regurgitation, flatulence, specific sounds in the stomach that last no more than three days, and bowel movements no more than four times a day are considered normal manifestations of the body. If the symptoms are of a different nature or for a long period, then you should immediately contact your pediatrician.

Important! During the teething period, the immune system weakens its protective functions due to the child's stress reaction. Due to weak immunity, there is a risk of contracting a serious infection, which is why it is worth carefully monitoring the baby and detecting a pathological abnormality in time.

When does the first set of teeth appear?

The process of eruption of the baby’s first teeth depends on his physiological characteristics. But on average, growth begins at six months and ends at two and a half years.

Table. Stages of growth of the first set of teeth.

The main causes of loose stool in a child

Doctors identify the main causes of diarrhea in babies, which are associated with the growth of the first teeth. Normally, all intestinal disorders should not last more than 3 days. If the child’s condition does not improve within this time frame, then it is necessary to urgently show the child to a doctor.

Table. Factors affecting the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

When is medical attention required?

Diarrhea is dangerous due to dehydration

If an infant receives only breast milk, the normal amount of stool may vary. Even if the baby does this after every meal, there is nothing to worry about. But if the child is artificial, then he should walk no more than 2 times a day.

Babies who have reached the age of 6 months have stool about 3 times a day if they are still breastfed but are actively receiving complementary foods. If a baby has stool more than 2 times a day, then we can talk about diarrhea. There is a list of cases when you cannot delay with the help of doctors. These include the following:

1. stool more often than 6 times;
2. watery stool;
3. fetid smell;
4. green color of stool, the presence of a flaky mass of orange shades;
5. red shades of stool, presence of blood;
6. diarrhea is accompanied by an increase in temperature or regurgitation in the form of a fountain.

If loose stools have become a common occurrence, the child often spits up, and weight gain leaves much to be desired, a comprehensive examination is necessary. It is quite possible that there is a serious illness. First, the following tests are prescribed:

Signs that require medical help

Sometimes a baby may undergo internal processes that are not associated with the appearance of baby teeth. These processes are very dangerous and can cause serious harm to a small organism. Since the child constantly puts everything in his mouth to relieve anxiety associated with teeth growth, pathogenic microorganisms can enter the intestines at this time. An intestinal infection is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• frequent bowel movements in liquid form (more than 5 times a day);
• abdominal pain;
• atypical color of stool;
• blood and mucous inclusions in feces;
• the structure of the stool is watery, foamy;
• frequent vomiting;
• high temperature, more than 39 degrees.

In addition to bacteria, a virus can enter the body, then the symptoms will be similar to a cold, only a few more points will be added:

• mucous discharge from the nose;
• coughing;
• heat;
• redness of the throat;
• weakness and increased sweating.

Important! In case of intestinal and viral infections, a pediatrician is urgently called to your home. The doctor prescribes medications after making a diagnosis. You should not give medications on your own without a doctor’s examination.

How can you tell if diarrhea is caused by teething?

In the case of diarrhea in a child, it is important to determine that it relates specifically to teething. This relationship can be identified by accompanying symptoms:

• swollen and swollen gums;
• restless state;
• drooling;
• increase in temperature;
• the need for hard objects to chew on;
• vomiting.

A bottle-fed baby may have constipation instead of diarrhea. During the appearance of baby teeth, the stool is usually watery and the stool is yellow-brown in color. A distinctive feature is the absence of impurities and excessively unpleasant odor. If there is bloating in the abdomen, peristalsis changes, and pain occurs on palpation, then the matter is not only in the appearance of the first teeth. An alarming factor is also the admixture of blood or mucus, the acquisition of a greenish tint in the stool.

Excessive drooling

Increased salivation provokes diarrhea, because only a small part of saliva flows out of the mouth. The main part of the secreted saliva is swallowed by the baby and causes intestinal peristalsis due to the dilution of feces. A supporter of this version is the best pediatrician of all times, the well-known Doctor Komarovsky. This part of the “aesculapians” believes that such diarrhea does not require any treatment. The tooth will erupt and it will go away on its own.

The saliva of living creatures contains a natural bactericidal component - lysozyme, which acts as an antiseptic and completely disinfects the oral cavity.

Swelling gums

It occurs as a result of inflammation, because bone tissue grows from the inside and is forced to push through the gums in order to crawl out. Swelling and local redness of any area of ​​the gums in a child is as undoubted a sign of teething as drooling. It is especially significant if these two symptoms appear simultaneously.

Redness is always accompanied by the appearance of a white bubble - the precursor of a baby tooth. If a bubble has already appeared, it means that in 2-3 days the outline of the tooth will appear, and all the unpleasant symptoms that accompany teething will go away.

Anxiety and nervousness of the child, insomnia

When a tooth just begins to emerge inside the gum, the baby experiences painful sensations in the mouth, similar to severe itching. They really bother him and cause a change in behavior. A calm child suddenly begins to constantly be capricious and not sleep at night. By the way, it is at night that the manifestation of all these symptoms is activated.

Once the outline of the tooth has already come to the surface, anxiety should go away.

The desire to put everything in your mouth

When teething, inflammation of the gums causes itching, and the baby has a desire to scratch the gums. He puts into his mouth everything that comes to hand. And the child does not always get sterile things at hand, but rather the opposite. Therefore, the possibility of introducing an infection into the gastrointestinal tract increases significantly. And the baby’s diarrhea at this time is associated with an infection brought into the mouth by toys, rings, and, in principle, everything that he puts into his mouth. Also quite a digestible version that takes place.

Fever, cold symptoms

Any local inflammation and violation of tissue integrity is always accompanied by a general reaction of the whole body - fever and malaise. During normal teething, the temperature will rise no more than 38°C. It may also be accompanied by skin rashes and nasal congestion, which can also disturb the child's sleep. In rare cases, colds are associated (more often this happens when teething is associated with a period of activation of a viral infection).

Digestive disorders

This may include “fountain” regurgitation, flatulence, “gurgling” in the tummy and liquefied stool. It will last no more than 3 days (for one tooth to come out), and the number of “cleansings” should not be more than three to four times a day.

After analyzing all the symptoms and objectively assessing the baby’s condition, you can decide whether to call a doctor at home, or simply try in every possible way to alleviate the child’s condition and survive these difficult three days of his life.

The main task is to understand whether the “first tooth” is really the cause of the ailment.

Drug therapy for teething

During this period, the main thing is to provide the child’s body with a constant level of fluid so that there is no dehydration. The doctor prescribes medications aimed at pain relief, eliminating inflammatory processes, destroying bacteria and viruses, and maintaining the natural intestinal microflora. It is prohibited to decide on your own what medications to give, since before the age of one year you can cause great harm to the baby’s body.

Complex drugs with analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects

The pediatrician selects a set of products in the form of suspensions, ointments, gels, syrups, suppositories that have antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effects. Medicines are also prescribed to relieve pain and allow the child to eat. Some products can be applied at night so that the baby and parents can rest, but the therapeutic effect will still be active.

Table. Analgesics, antipyretics for the appearance of baby teeth.

Important! It is necessary to strictly observe the dosage of the drugs, as well as follow the doctor’s prescription, only in this way the treatment will be effective and will not harm the baby.

Antidiarrheal drugs

Drugs are prescribed by a doctor to eliminate loose stools, as well as to destroy pathogenic microorganisms. The dosage is prescribed by the pediatrician depending on the severity of the disease. The drugs are given ready-made, some need to be diluted with water, but you should always strictly follow the dosage regimen.

Table. Antidiarrheal drugs.

Important! Some drugs help remove both harmful and beneficial substances. Therefore, it is necessary to take medications to normalize the intestinal microflora, which are prescribed by a doctor.

Medicines for flatulence

To reduce bloating and gas in the baby, medications are taken that help relax the intestinal muscles, reduce and eliminate gas formations.

Table. Drugs that reduce gas formation and normalize intestinal microflora.

Drugs for dehydration

An important point when dealing with loose stools in an infant is to take medications that maintain normal water levels in the body.

Table. Preparations for dehydration.

Medicines for allergic reactions

Sometimes, with an intestinal disorder, the baby develops a rash (urticaria), itching and redness of the skin. Your doctor may then prescribe medications to relieve symptoms of an allergic reaction.

Table. Antihistamines.

What does green diarrhea mean?

Dysbacteriosis is the cause of diarrhea.

If an infant has loose green stools for several days, and the baby is lethargic and restless, then this may be diarrhea, which has developed due to the following reasons:

1. Intestinal infection. Occurs under the influence of E. coli, various microbes, dysentery, paratyphoid microorganisms. The first sign is a high temperature. The baby behaves restlessly, often burps, refuses food, and loose stools appear.
2. Dysbacteriosis. The most common diagnosis is the gastrointestinal tract. This develops as a result of a disturbance in the composition of the microflora, which leads to malfunctions of the digestive system. In addition to green diarrhea, the child experiences bloating, colic, and skin rashes. The specialist prescribes various types of lactic bacteria and yeast.
3. Viral infection. Due to the fact that the child’s immune system is not yet developed, it depends on the state of the intestinal microflora. Therefore, green diarrhea can develop from a viral infection, or even from a simple cold.
4. Allergy. Mothers can be triggered by diet, changing formula, or medications. Also, when antibiotics are prescribed, diarrhea is inevitable in most cases.

Natural remedies

The use of medicinal herbs has a beneficial effect on the baby’s body. Using natural ingredients, you can prepare teas that have an anti-inflammatory and restorative effect. At the same time, the manifestation of side effects is minimal. However, you should know that the use of natural remedies is an auxiliary action in the main therapeutic treatment.

Natural remedies that can be used during baby teething include:

• medicinal herbs (chamomile, St. John's wort, sage, mint, chicory, motherwort, black tea). Infusions are prepared from herbs, which are used to treat the oral cavity, make enemas, and also take orally. Such herbs have anti-inflammatory, antiseptic effects;

• massage the gums with a small amount of honey. Honey is a natural antiseptic, it has an anti-inflammatory effect, and at the same time enriches the body with vitamins;

• berries (blueberries, bird cherry). Dry berries are poured with boiling water, and the resulting infusion is given to the child. The infusion has an antiseptic and antidiarrheal effect;
• rice broth. Has a strengthening effect, soothes irritated intestines, reduces gas formation;

• banana. The fruit must be kept in the refrigerator and then offered to the baby. A cold banana perfectly soothes itchy gums, and also, when entering the child’s body, saturates it with vitamins.

Important! Traditional medicine is used only after consultation with a doctor, since many natural remedies have a high percentage of allergens.

How to help your child

During the period when teeth begin to erupt, the baby needs to be provided with favorable conditions. The main task of parents is to prevent dehydration and prevent the development of infectious pathology.

To relieve symptoms of itching and pain in the gum area, use pain-relieving ointments. To prevent infection from entering the child’s body, strictly follow the general rules of personal hygiene. Carefully keep the house clean, wipe down toys, and review your baby’s diet.

During fever, limit the child’s presence outdoors, since the weakened immune defense of his body is now unable to resist viral diseases.

Other Effective Activities to Relieve Dental Symptoms

• massage the gums
• wipe the gums with a piece of ice wrapped in a cloth (cooling),
• give your child a soft towel to chew on,
• Offer older children to chew on a carrot or an apple.

Read also: The mechanism of action of modern anti-bloating pills, contraindications, indications, side effects and interactions

Drink plenty of fluids

Provide your baby with enough fluids. For example, breastfeed a young baby on demand without being time-sensitive.

For older children, you can offer herbal teas (rosehip, lemon balm decoctions) and prepare homemade berry compotes.

Diet for diarrhea

If the baby is breastfed, there is no need to adjust the diet. In case of dental diarrhea, for older children it is recommended to exclude fatty and fried foods, juices, fresh vegetables, fruits, and meat products from the menu. During diarrhea, give your child light soups and broths, porridges.

Setting Products

The use of strengthening foods helps normalize the consistency of stool. They increase intestinal viscosity, ensuring formed stool.

Products recommended for consolidation of stool during diarrhea

Traditional medicine recipes can be used as fixatives for diarrhea. Medicinal chamomile tea has an astringent effect and has an anti-inflammatory effect. Drinking chamomile decoction by a child is an excellent preventive measure to prevent infectious intestinal diseases. The use of this plant in the treatment of children is allowed from 2-4 months of a child’s life.

Chamomile is one of the best medicinal herbs used in the treatment of diarrhea.

A decoction of mint, hawthorn fruits, starch diluted with water, an aqueous infusion of viburnum, sage and St. John's wort, and a decoction of barley grains have properties that strengthen liquid diarrhea.

Before using medicinal herbs for therapeutic purposes, consult your pediatrician and gastroenterologist.

Compliance with diet and drinking regime

During the teething period, it is necessary to properly water and feed the baby, since dehydration and lack of nutrients are dangerous to the life and development of the baby. The main rule is little by little, but often. In this way, the body constantly receives vital nutrients.

Dehydration can be noticed by some symptoms:

• dry skin;
• peeling;
• pale skin tone;
• lethargic state;
• urine is rarely excreted;
• change in the color and odor of urine;
• There is an odor of acetone in the mouth.

Depending on the degree of dehydration, the doctor prescribes drugs to regulate the water-salt balance in the body, which are administered orally at home or in the hospital under a drip.

Complementary foods should be used very carefully so as not to provoke new attacks of diarrhea. During this period, you can give a little:

• fruits (banana, pear, peach);
• cereals (rice);
• boiled cow's milk (with caution);
• jelly from fruits and berries.

Fresh juices and fermented milk products are temporarily excluded from the diet, and vegetables are given only boiled in the form of puree.

Mom needs to eat nuts, which will have a strengthening effect through breast milk. Breast milk should be fed more frequently to avoid dehydration. If the child refuses, then in addition to the food, give boiled water using a teaspoon.

How to make teething easier

As already mentioned, a special cooling gel and, of course, the main assistant for parents - a teether, can help the baby with teething. There are currently many of the latter, and by the time teeth appear, it is highly advisable to stock up on not one, but several such toys.

The child will most likely choose the teether that he likes.

• Silicone massagers are softer. If you cool them in the refrigerator before using, you can achieve a cooling effect.
• Rubber massagers are stiffer, stimulate the gums better and, as a rule, have less relief.

A child with different teeth may prefer different types of teethers. For example, my son actively used silicone with his upper incisors, and regular rubber with his fangs.

Traditional methods to facilitate the teething process

In addition to special devices that are sold in pharmacies, you can help your baby with “folk” remedies:

• Give a crust of bread to chew if your baby is already eating solid food. The son was gnawing on his favorite treat - children's cookies. The pleasant taste and slight stimulation of the gums helped relieve his condition for a while.
• If the process is very painful for the baby, and the teether seems unattractive to him, you can let him suck your finger and give him a light massage.
• You can wipe your gums with a chamomile solution - it will relieve inflammation and promote the healing of small wounds. I brewed chamomile and left it in the refrigerator for a few minutes, then wiped my son’s gums with a gauze swab dipped in the cool infusion.
• Decoctions of burdock, sage and plantain roots relieve inflammation, which can also be used to lubricate the gums during a massage.
• Honey will help relieve irritation if the baby is not allergic to bee products. You can wipe your gums, or let them suck on a piece of gauze wrapped around your finger and previously soaked in diluted honey.
• You can brew soothing tea with lemon balm, mint, and valerian. The main thing is that the baby is not allergic to such herbs, and their concentration is small. Mothers can also drink this tea if the baby is breastfed and does not refuse the breast. This measure will make the baby calmer and make it easier to fall asleep.

Don't forget about the beneficial effects of cold. If your baby already eats fruits and vegetables, you can chill the pieces in the refrigerator and give them to your baby.

And remember that the main thing for a child during the teething period is the affection and care of the mother. Feeling your support and love, the baby will be less capricious and will go through this stage of growing up more easily.