What are the Common Causes of Diarrhea in Infants?
Infant diarrhea could be caused either viral or bacterial infection. An acute diarrhea lasting for a day or two can be the result of a certain type of food ingested by the infant that did not agree with him. The important thing in dealing with a possible episode of diarrhea is avoiding dehydration. • Bacterial – This type of inflammatory acute diarrhea is caused by the consumption of contaminated food or drink. The bacteria could be any of the following: Campylobacter, Escherichia coli (E. coli) Salmonella, and Shigella. Most of these bacteria respond well to antibiotics. • Viral – This type of acute viral gastroenteritis is caused by viruses such as: rotavirus, viral hepatitis, Norwalk virus, herpes simplex virus, and cytomegalovirus. There are no medicines to treat such ailments. It is best to rehydrate the infant by oral rehydration salts or if the case gets worse, bring the infant to the hospital for intravenous rehydration. • Parasites – Parasites or Protozoa can enter the digesti
