The most common condition with diarrhea is dehydration and loss of electrolytes, causing fatigue and decreased appetite. Since 70% of the body weight is water, if the body is not hydrated enough, the metabolic and circulatory functions will be affected. When blood to the stomach decreases, the absorption and secretion of digestive enzymes also decrease, causing anorexia.
Why do children often lose their appetite after having diarrhea?
Diarrhea is a condition in which a child has more than 3 bowel movements a day, with breastfed babies having 5 to 7 bowel movements a day, the child's stools are liquid, with a fishy odor. The main cause is due to infection with bacteria, parasites, viruses or due to improper use of antibiotics. Diarrhea can be divided into acute diarrhea and chronic diarrhea, where chronic diarrhea is defined when the child has diarrhea for 14 days or more.
The most common condition with diarrhea is dehydration and loss of electrolytes, causing fatigue and decreased appetite. Since 70% of the body weight is water, if the body is not hydrated enough, the metabolic and circulatory functions will be affected. When blood to the stomach decreases, the absorption and secretion of digestive enzymes also decrease, causing anorexia.
When the nutritional status is poor, the body will be depleted, causing a pathological spiral: Diarrhea - reduced absorption - the body is exhausted - reduced immunity and affects the child's development ability.
Children with diarrhea should use digestive enzymes or probiotics?
BS. Ta Tung Duy - Vietnam Institute of Applied Medicine said that digestive enzymes and probiotics should not be used arbitrarily for children without understanding the effects of each type of yeast. Digestive enzymes and probiotics are two different types of yeast and their uses are also different.
Digestive enzymes are enzymes secreted by the body's own glands such as saliva, stomach, pancreas, intestines, which digest and absorb food. In contrast, probiotics are synthetic preparations that help supplement beneficial bacteria to create a balance of bacteria in the digestive system and inhibit harmful bacteria that cause disease as well as toxin secretion.
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With digestive enzymes, except for children with congenital digestive system damage, long-term digestive enzymes must be supplemented. As for cases of acute diseases affecting the digestive system, digestive enzymes should only be used for 1-2 weeks, should not be used for a long time because prolonged use will cause the digestive glands to be inhibited. reduce the secretion of digestive enzymes and lead to affect the normal physiological function of the organs. For normal healthy children who show signs of anorexia, it is necessary to find out the cause to overcome, but not to use digestive enzymes in the form of drugs because of little effect. In case of need, follow the instructions of the doctor.
With probiotics, it should be used in cases where the patient takes antibiotics for a long time. Because antibiotics have the side effect of killing both beneficial bacteria in the intestinal tract and creating momentum for harmful bacteria to grow, especially helping anaerobic bacteria to spread, causing abdominal pain and diarrhea. Raw feces, diarrhea… In cases of acute viral diarrhea, it is also recommended to use probiotics. In these cases, probiotics are added to work and in the true sense of being beneficial bacteria.
One thing to note is that even if you are taking antibiotics for a short time or there are no signs of adverse effects in the gastrointestinal tract, you should not take probiotics immediately. Only after long-term antibiotic use (for 1 week or more) and signs of a gut bacteria disorder should a doctor prescribe probiotics to patients.
In case the patient has no symptoms of gastrointestinal disease but has symptoms of anorexia, poor appetite, probiotics should also be added but should only be used for a short time.
For children with diarrhea, children should use probiotics to overcome intestinal dysbacteriosis, limit digestive infections and to promote intestinal health.
Source: District 5 Medical Center - Ho Chi Minh City
