Infantile diarrhoea falls into a separate category and is a serious illness. Contaminated milk or infection in the alimentary canal may cause diarrhoea in infants. if an infant is breast fed, some of the digestive disorders of the mother may be transmitted to the child. Vomiting or griping pain in the stomach may accompany infantile diarrhoea. It is a common disorder at the time of teething. The child refuses milk, is given to crying, and also cannot sleep. Care should be taken in such a condition as continued diarrhoea may lead to dehydration.
Medicines & Prescriptions: The `gripe water` generally marketed for infants contain carminatives, which are harmful if administered for a long time. Ayurvedic treatment for infantile diarrhoea consists of administering 150 mg of a paste made out of the root of musta i.e. Cyperus rotundus plant, three to four times a day. If taken in powdered form, 75 mg of the substance, mixed with a teaspoonful of honey, should be given three to four times a day. In case the stools are watery and there is vomiting, 75 mg of the powder of the seed of jaiphal i.e. nutmeg should be given. The essential oil in the nutmeg relieves the griping pain of the infant instantly.
An Ayurvedic preparation marketed as Gorochanadi Vatika is of particular use in this condition. A 25 mg pill of this medicine is recommended four times a day till diarrhoea stops. The medicine also helps relieve fever, cough, and cold. Another preparation is Balachaturbhadra Churna, of which 200 mg should be taken daily with honey.
Diet and Other Regimen: The diet of the infant suffering from diarrhoea should consist of milk with less fat. Cow`s milk or goat`s milk should be given. In case of non-availability of cow`s or goat`s milk, any milk that is available should be diluted with water. In some cases, infantile diarrhoea starts because the child may be feeding on the milk of a woman who is pregnant. In such a case, he suffers from a disease known as Parigarhhika in Ayurveda. The first step to be taken in such a condition is to switch over to other milk. The fluid lost through diarrhoea must be replaced immediately with fluid by mouth or an intravenous drip.
