Diarrhea in 21 Month old...help!

Have you tried pumping him with probiotics? My dr. (Union Ave. Peds)has always suggested that and we just went through a bad few days of diarrhea from some antibiotics he was taking and the probiotics really helped.

If the diaper rash is angry red with little red bumps, some of them sort of scattered around the edges of the rash, it may very well be a yeast infection. My daughter just had one and the pediatrician told me to use Lotramin cream (the generic, for athletes foot) and it has really done the trick. She said it would take a week or 10 days for it to be completely gone but after 4 days it looks MUCH better. This comes from the diaper area being so wet/damp a lot (like with diarhea).

Since all is better just want to say again BRAT diet is essential.

Also for the diaper rash a bath with baking soda works wonders.

My daughter had something similar and it was about 6 days before it cleared up - keep him away from other kiddos until he is all better because diarrhea is contagious.

Have you tried the BRAT (bananas, white rice, applesauce and white toast)? That's what the doc told me once and it almost always clears it up if you do it for 24 hours. Those foods are easy to digest so it gives his digestion a break so it can recover. I always try this before taking my kids in. Hope he feels better soon! And just to put your mind at ease, my kids and I have all had the swine flu and it actually wasn't that bad at all. I have 24 month old twins who didn't have complications at all. They didn't even need to go to the doctor (I only took my older one in to be tested) and in a few days they were fine. Just telling you this so you're not so worried about going in to the dr if you need to.

JS, I was a GI nurse, unfortunately not a pediatric gi nurse, however, it sounds like your little one has contracted an intestinal virus. Like other viruses it will probably have to ride itself out, but I would still go to the dr because there are things that he can take to prevent the diarrhea but I am unfamiliar with what they give little ones and I am also unfamiliar with what little ones can or can't take over the counter. You really need to contact a pediatrician for that one.
Now.... that leads me to the diaper rash. Anytime a baby has diarrhea, it almost always leads to diaper rash because it is acidic and their little skin is so soft and virgin new. The A and D ointment alternating something that is high in zinc so it is a very thick white cream worked best for me. I forgot the names of the zincs.... something like butt paste or something like that.
Anyway, I think that he has an intestinal virus and he will be ok, but it will just be a pain for a while with the diaper rash, but I would consult a pediatrician if I were you just to make sure.
Good luck.

JS,

I don't know where you are living, but at my doctor's office right now there is hand sanitizer and masks available all over the waiting room.

I'd be taking my child in to the doctor to get him feeling better, flu scare or not. There is something making your child uncomfortable and you don't want to do anything about it because you're afraid you ***might*** get sick? I'd go the store and get my own supply of masks, and then get my son in to be seen yesterday.

Meant kindly,
Melissa

the only time my daughter had bad diaper rash was when she was teething... the doctor said the extra mucus was because her saliva production was so high. We also aired her butt for about 1-2 hrs after each diaper change (figured it was "safer" then). If you're really concerned or if his butt is so raw it starts bleeding, don't hesitate to call your drs office.

Was the nurse concerned about anything in particular?
I'd start with the BRATY diet: Bananas Rice Applesauce (no added sugar!) Toast Yogurt, it's supposed to be the best for dealing with digestive issues like after a stomach bug. There's also pedialyte, although my kids hate it (I tried and did too!) so I give Recharge or Gatorade.
My sons seem to get little viruses at least a few times a year, and I'm sure my older son would be better off with some diet changes but any issues from that are outweighed by his food issues.
I've become less quick to head to the ped, personally...for things like viruses they can't give the kid anything anyway. And our ped office seems to want to give lots of help over the phone, if yours is like that and still suggests going in then i'd go. Definately ask what their concern is that they think he should be seen by the ped.
Make sure you are clear on the signs of dehydration, and certainly take him in if your mommy gut is telling you to do so!
As for the diaper rash, my boys also got/get that very easily...all I could do was as much naked time as possible and slather on the diaper cream when they were diapered (my friend and I found Triple Paste to be particularly effective, for protection and for healing).

My son got terrible diaper rash when he teethed. It started with his one-year-old molars (he hadn't had a rash before then) and was so bad that he was bleeding. And the poor thing had diarrhea every time he teethed, too, which made it all worse, of course. I've heard people say there is no correlation between teething and diarrhea, but I disagree. My son would go as many as four times a day when he was in the throws of teething. And his two-year-old molars (we're just waiting for one more!) were really bad, too. We were trying desperately to get him to go in the potty as then it would ease the diaper rash, but of course it was coming too quickly... Poor thing. Anyway, I would have to say it's teething and I've mentioned it many times before, but I stand by Aveeno Colloidal Oatmeal bath packets. Even with a bleeding bum (which always came on quite suddenly), once I coaxed my son into the water it would clear up almost immediately.

Your little guy may just have a stomach bug of some sort. It's not something to be ignored, but it's not uncommon either. If he's not running a fever (and there are no other symptoms), I wouldn't worry too much; although I would stay in contact with his pediatrician and perhaps keep track of his diaper changes (how many wets and poopy's per day). If he gets a fever, if he starts getting other symptoms, or if it continues for another few days, it may be worth taking him into the doctors office. I'm VERY pregnant too (38 weeks) and have been nervous about the flu viruses this year as well, so I understand your concern there. If you need to take him to the doctors, just take the precautions of wearing a mask (it may look silly, but would you rather look silly or take the risk?), washing your and your sons hands frequently and bringing your hand sanitizer gel with you and use it diligently.

As for the meantime, I suggest getting some Pedialite for your son so his body can rehydrate from the loss of electrolytes. I also highly recommend getting some probiotics to help his digestive system rebuild the protective layer of healthy/good bacteria to help fight off the bad bacteria that's taking over right now. Probiotics are actually something that are really great for all children to take regularly (as well as omegas/fish oils). You can get it from yogurt (look on the label to make sure it contains >active< cultures, as some do not) or other foods high in natural probiotics (you can do lots of research online), or you can purchase a supplement. Unfortunately most probiotic supplements are not active as they claim, so I highly recommend using the Pharmax HLC probiotics brand, as they are proven to be one of the best available. For kids, they have the options of straws (which don't taste like anything), or you can just get the powder to mix in a drink or apple sauce or another soft food. (If you decide to go for omegas/fish oils too, I suggest either Nordic Naturals or Carlson's, as they're both rated the highest in quality and standards for no mercury's, PBA's, etc.)

I also suggest using the A&D ointment (that you can get at your local grocery store) for his diaper rash too. If you apply a generous amount at each changing, it should protect his skin from the acids in the diarrhea to prevent future rashes. While he has a rash, the best thing to use to clean it is a cool and soft rag with NO soaps on it - just water. The soaps (from wipes, etc.) will irritate his skin more and likely cause a bit of pain while you're cleaning him up. Airing his bum when you can (as you've been doing), should also help get rid of his current rash.

Best of luck to you!!! And BREATH! He WILL be OK. :o)

(P.S. Congratulations on your new little one!!!)

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I just saw your note that he's doing better now. (It wasn't visible in the initial window) Yay!! :o)

Hi JS~

Yes, I have had this happen with my son. He's 2 1/2 and was a hard teether. During the peak of these times (which could be days) he had the runniest, nastiest diapers I had seen in a really, really long time. It was like he wasn't digesting anything.

What I realized is that he was swallowing so much saliva from teething that it was changing the acid in his stomach and bowel, thus the diarrhea.

Changing his diet, as many have suggested here, truly does help. Cutting out foods like raisins, corn, peas and fibrous fruit helped tremendously. So did cutting back on dairy, which may be harder for some people to digest. A broth with a bouillion cube and some rice water is also good to add electrolytes in an alluring way. Rice water can also be sweetened with hint of vanilla too.(Rice water, not common these days, is just some water boiled with rice. It adds a starch/carbohydrate to the water.)

If your child is hydrated (at least 3 or 4 wet diapers in a day) and not running a too-high fever, they're probably going to be okay. Please call your doc if it goes above 101.5. That's something to be concerned about. (Teethers will often run low fevers, this is anecdotal;there has been no scientific proof as to a link between the two, but it's often observed nonetheless).

I know everyone has their favorite diaper rash remedies; we like the Weleda diaper cream (not the Baby Cream). This diaper cream has zinc oxide and calendula, which is a healing herb.I also rinse my wipes beforehand to get all the soap out and used a spray bottle with water to make sure his bottom was really clean. Then I used a hairdryer on low to get him completely dry before reapplying diaper cream and diapering.

I hope this help. Your kid's symptoms sound very typical to me (I've worked with kiddos for 18 years) --I hope the teething goes well.

Diarrhea was the way both my girls reacted to teething! It is only while the tooth is trying to break through, once it breaks through, the diarrhea goes away. There is no need for concern unless there is a fever. I would ride this out. Keep putting the cream on his rash, and have lots of diapers on hand! Hang in there, it will get better!

Hi, I just realized that you said you son is better, but I still wanted to let you know that my 18 month year old goes through the same thing every time he is teething really bad. He gets a constant slight fever and diarrhea with mucus (I'm guessing it's because of all the extra saliva that he produces and swallows when he is teething - it used to all come out as drool when he was younger, but when he got older he swallowed it more and it came out the other end), until his teeth finish pushing through and then it all goes back to normal. This last bout has already lasted a couple of weeks as he is working on his first molars. As for the diaper rash, we have always controlled that with a lot of "loose diaper" time using prefolds, but it sounds like you are already airing out some - do it as much as possible! Hope your son is better soon.

yogurt with acidopholus, u can also buy them primadopholus in chewable form tastes like orange mayb harder for him to take. chesse and bannana are also good things to stop his bowls for being so loose. The best thing for the rash is powder. There is this brand in a bright orange bottle just make sure his bottom isn't raw it will burn. I have heard that teething does give babies diareha.

You know, he may have a rotavirus or something like that. Usually these things run their course, and your goal is to keep your kid hydrated while it works its way out. You may want to include some pedialyte to help keep him healthy - but your doc would have the right suggestions there. You can also try things that fall on the brat diet - bananas, rice, apples (??), toast. Maybe try some rice cereal or bananas?

But if it keeps stretching on your doc may be able to provide some medicine to help it end more quickly, depending on what the diagnosis is. If the nurse says to bring him in, i'd probably do it.

(My doctor's office is quarantining people with flu symptoms in the waiting room. They also provide masks and hand sanitizer. You can wear a mask while you're there, and be sure to sanitize your hands after touching surfaces.)

As to the rash - open weepy rashes can be infected, and need stronger treatment than what you do at home. It is worth getting that sort of rash examines - anything that has open skin.

That said, my daughter had diarrhea when she was about a year old, and it was so harsh that it caused one of those rashes. Normal diaper cream didn't seem to do anything, but, i switched to Boudreaux's Butt Paste (spell?), and that immediately started healing it. By the time we got to the doc he said it looked like it was on the mend, so we were able to clear it up with that alone.

i would recomend using vaciline before applying a&d. What my ped recomended. My son has loose bowls all the time, so found that the best way to prevent rash.
Get some pedialyte or gatorade, also have pedialyte popsicles, watch for signs of dehydration.

Does he drink much milk or eat a lot of cheese and/or yogurt? This happened with my daughter when she was about 15 months old. We found out that she's lactose sensitive (not necessarily intolerant - we're going with sensitive for now). The mucus in the stool was the kicker for figuring out the issue. She still eats cheese and yogurt, but has Lactaid whole milk instead of regular whole milk. It was strange because the milk didn't seem to bother her between 12 and 15 months, but it just came on one day. She'd have horrible diarrhea (causing horrendous diaper rash) for a few days and it would go away and come back, go away, etc. Her doctor said that it's not uncommon for it to come on later, even if they were okay with milk before. The mucus in his stool that you mentioned is what made me think of my daughter. Just a thought. Also, for the diaper rash, my daughter really loved to take showers with me when she had it. I think it hurt her to sit in the tub :(. Good luck.

Take him to the doctors. Period. I'm teaching in a school of 950+ kids and we seem to have peaked with our flu outbreak about two weeks ago. We have two pregnant teachers on our staff and neither of them had any issues. Just wash your hands. The masks only help if you have the flu--it keeps the particles close to you. It doesn't protect you from them. The mucous in the stool is what would be bothering me.

As for the diaper rash, full-strength desitin (40% zinc oxide), colloidial oatmeal in the bath is also soothing.

Keep plugging away with the BRAT diet. I had e.coli before and it took a good 3 days after starting antibiotics before the BRAT diet started helping.

It is so hard when they get sick or have problems that we can't "fix" easily! I hope he's doing much better soon!

Water only, might not be the best. You should probably get some pedialyte...

Well, it looks like you have received lots of advice, which is fantastic! I don't have much to help with as far as the diarrhea goes, but I would recommend shea butter for the diaper rash. My daughter on occasion gets horrible rashes tat leave sores; it looks like she's been burned. Shea butter is the best thing I have found to protect and heal these rashes. We also used it this summer on a friend's sunburn blisters and they healed quickly! I hope that everyone is feeling better!

Hey, Take him in immediately. the office can provide you with masks to wear if you are concerned. what is worse going to the doctor during flu season or having your 21 month old hooked up to IV's in the ER because he is dehydrated? You say you feel bad when you change his diaper because you can't help him but you can if you take him in to the doctor. - S.

Both of my kids got major diaper rash and diarrhea when teething. I used bag balm and added a probiotic powder to a little and rubbed it on their little bums. I always made sure their bums were dry before diapering (used the diaper to fan the bum), used wet paper towel instead of wipes because the wipes burn a bit. I also gave my little ones powdered Bifidus or Primadophilous (good probiotics for little systems), they just got it mixed in with yogurt or applesauce, etc. (about a half teaspoon daily)

I found that the bag balm coated the skin better when they would poop/pee in their diaper, where most creams just rubbed away or disolved.

Good luck to you little one, mine is going through a bit of cold and has mucous, loose stool, and diaper rash. He only has a runny nose and cough. I'm not taking him to the doc. because it's just a cold.

Happy bums to you and yours,
D.

My son get this off and on as well. Taking him to the doctor only resulted in them telling me that he had a virus and put A&D Ointment on the rash. That's it... nothing else was said or done. We now make sure he stays hydrated and the second we notice the slightess bit of a rash, he is lathered up with A&D ointment! Don't use Desitin, the starch actually was making it worse. Also, use a cotton wash cloth instead of diaper wipes. We were told this would help and it really did. I don't know what is in the diaper wipe, but it irritated it more. You can give him a minimal dose of Tylenol to help ease his pain. I sympathize with you... it breaks my heart to see my son in so much pain as well.

The reason that the nurse asked you to bring him in is because of the high-risk of dehydration; especially with the very watery diarrhea. Diarrhea doesn't just deplete the water of fluids but also of electrolytes. I definitely see your concern about bringing him in because you are pregnant, but is there any way someone else; such as your husband, can take him in to the doctor's office? Another thing you might want to consider for the rash is bag balm. It works wondefully for diaper rash. A BRAT diet (bread, rice, applesauce, and toast) is the diet recommended by doctors to minimize gastric upset. Is he on any medications? Some antibiotics have a side effect of diarrhea. Definitely watch his mental status for any abnormal changes. Check his capillary refill (press on the white part of the nail and see how fast blood flow returns) and skin turgor (does the skin stay up after being pinched slightly or does it return to its normal place). These are some of the things that you can check at home to assess hydration. Keep a close eye on this. Definitely FOLLOW your doctors suggestions and orders. These are just some suggestions if you choose not to take him in. Hope you gets better soon, but I suggest definitely taking him in if any new signs and symptoms show up. Hopefully your angel gets better soon.

Little boys and girls do get diarrhea from viruses and the only way through is through. But you don't want to get it. If they have it for one day you have it for three. (sigh)

If you go to the doctor's wear a mask and keep your baby isolated as possible.

Airing out his bum is good. Try to do it often. Get a really good diaper rash cream for him.

Stay well.