Chronic diarrhea of infancy

Chronic diarrhea of infancy, also called toddler's diarrhea, is a common condition typically affecting children between ages 6–30 months, usually resolving by age 4.^[1] Symptoms include multiple loose bowel movements per day, sometimes with undigested food visible; normal growth with no evidence of malnutrition; and no evidence blood in the stool or infection. The condition may be related to irritable bowel syndrome.^[1]

Differential diagnoses

Before a diagnosis of toddler's diarrhea is made, the following conditions should be ruled out:^[2]

• Celiac sprue (wheat gluten intolerance)
• Cystic fibrosis
• Sugar malabsorption
• Food allergy

Treatment

Treatment is primarily through diet. Dietary fiber and fat can be increased and fluid intake, especially fruit juice intake, decreased. With these considerations, the patient should consume a normal balanced diet to avoid malnutrition or growth restriction.^[1] Medications such as loperamide should not be used.^[1][2] Studies have shown that certain probiotic preparations such as Lactobacillus rhamnosus (a bacterium) and Saccharomyces boulardii (a yeast) may be effective at reducing symptoms.^[3][4]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Joel Schwab, M.D.. "Toddler's Diarrhea (online course materials)". http://pedclerk.bsd.uchicago.edu/toddlerDiarrhea.html. Retrieved 2010-03-11. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Diarrhea in Children at Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy Professional Edition
3. ^ Guarino, A., et al. (2009). "Probiotics as prevention and treatment for diarrhea.". Current Opinion in Gastroenterology 25 (1): 18–23. PMID 19114770. 
4. ^ Roggero, P., et al. (1990). "Crystalline lactulose and oral preparations of micro-organisms for the treatment of chronic aspecific diarrhea in children. A controlled clinical study". Minerva Pediatrica 42 (4): 147–150. PMID 2115970.