Diarrhea, or a soft stool, is determined by the consistency of one's stool rather than defecation frequency. With little children, the most widespread cause of diarrhea is a gastrointestinal infection, food intolerance, a cold, or a reaction to antibiotics. In most cases, the infection causes gastroenteritis. The BRAT diet treatment is a good remedy for nausea and diarrhea in little children.

If the mucous membrane of bowels is infected, recovery will take a lot of time. The mucous membrane contains millions of tiny juts through which liquid nutrients are absorbed. When a membrane is infected, the infection also affects digestive enzymes, resulting in digestion disorders.

Diarrhea originates from the Greek word "diarea" (leaking through). People suffering from diarrhea may notice their stool comes frequent, and is watery with greenish slime, increased odor, and sometimes has blood streaks. Children often show other signs of a viral infection, including a cold or physical impairment. Diarrhea is usually not serious and is cured quickly with plenty of water and a change in diet.

The most serious danger of diarrhea is dehydration. In your child's body there is a certain salt and water balance. Healthy bowels and kidneys are intended to regulate this balance because it is necessary for the normal functioning of other organs. Diarrhea breaks this balance results in water loss and loss of electrolytes, or dehydration. Nausea increases the risk of dehydration.

Now, let's learn about the signs of dehydration. Dehydration can be weak or strong. During weak dehydration the following signs can be observed: about 5% weight loss, calmer behavior, dryness in the mouth, fewer tears, and infrequent urination. During strong dehydration the following signs are observable: 5-10% weight loss, apathetic behavior or heightened irritability, hollow eyes, dryness in mouth, absence of tears, dry, pale, and wrinkled skin, and infrequent urination with dark yellow urine.

In this case, BRAT recipes offer relief. BRAT is an acronym for the main components of the diet. For BRAT recipes the most favorable foods are bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. The American Pediatric Academy recommends a return to a child's regular nutritional diet after one day and a return to the child's usual diet after two days. BRAT recipes are highly recommended for children. BRAT diet products have a good influence on the digestive tract. BRAT diet products don't accumulate liquid; removing diarrhea. BRAT recipes offer relief from diarrhea and nausea. BRAT diet products are easy to digest since they contain no fibers or other components that are hard on the digestive system.

Try to avoid prune and cherry juice because these sour juices can increase diarrhea to an even greater degree. Once you are cured of diarrhea, try to avoid irritating foods like coffee, fried foods, and fatty meals. No matter what, try to consume a lot of water - no less than six pints a day. The BRAT diet treatment takes a few days and you should avoid irritating food later on.