Dr. Babatunde Ogunbosi, a Consultant Paediatrician with the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State, says that more than three million children worldwide die yearly of diarrhoea.
Ogunbosi made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Ibadan on Thursday.
He said: “According to World Health Organisation data, about one billion cases of diarrhoea in children are recorded yearly worldwide and in most cases the diarrhoea will resolve by itself within one week or so.
“Still, more than three million of these children die yearly with about 400 to 500 in the US and over a million from Africa.”
Ogunbosi said diarrhoea was a deadly disease in children and difficult to be noticed at the onset by mothers.
The doctor advised mothers to be vigilant about their babies’ stool textures, colour and frequency in a day.
He said: “To detect whether a baby has diarrhoea is not difficult as the bowel movements suddenly become much looser or more watery, frequent and profuse.
“Diarrhoea can alter the normal balance of water and salts (electrolytes) and when too much water and electrolytes are lost in diarrhoea, babies can become dehydrated.
“Dehydration can suddenly develop in babies and can lead to very high fever, which may be as high as 102 degrees Fahrenheit and this can be dangerous in new-borns.
“Also, each baby has her own stool frequency pattern that changes slowly over time and if it changes noticeably within a few days, she may have diarrhoea.
“A baby who has more than one stool per feeding should be suspected of having diarrhoea even if it is not a sudden change.
“Mothers should also look for a sudden increase in the content of the stool of the baby, signs of illness like a congested nose or a fever with high temperature are likely signs of diarrhoea in babies.”
Ogunbosi said diarrhoea in babies was caused by a change in mother’s diet if the baby was breast-fed, by infection, anti-biotic use or a number of rare diseases.
He said treatment of diarrhoea should be aimed at preventing dehydration and added that most children with diarrhoea could be treated safely at home.
He said: “Breast feeding should not be stopped if the baby is breast-fed as it helps prevent diarrhoea and also speeds recovery and prevents hospitalisation.
“If the baby still seems thirsty after or between meals, you can supplement with an oral rehydration therapy, which are common in drug stores and many health centres in Nigeria.”
Ogunbosi advised mothers to improve on their personal hygiene as it was the easiest way a mother could infect her baby with diarrhoea.
“The best way to treat any ailment or diseases is by working hard to prevent it from happening,” he said.
NAN.
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