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Chronic Diarrhea in Children
Chronic Diarrhea in Children
in Children
National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse
What is chronic diarrhea? and goes away on its own. Read more about
acute diarrhea in these publications at
Diarrhea is loose, watery stools. Chronic, or
www.digestive.niddk.nih.gov:
long lasting, diarrhea typically lasts for more
than 4 weeks. Children with chronic diarrhea Diarrhea
may have loose, watery stools continually,
What I need to know about Diarrhea
or diarrhea may come and go. Chronic
diarrhea may go away without treatment, or
it may be a symptom of a chronic disease or What causes chronic
disorder. Treating the disease or disorder diarrhea in children?
can relieve chronic diarrhea.
Many diseases and disorders can cause
Chronic diarrhea can affect children of any chronic diarrhea in children. Common
age: causes include
infantsages 0 to 12 months infections
toddlersages 1 to 3 years functional gastrointestinal (GI)
disorders
preschool-age childrenages 3 to
5 years food allergies and intolerances
grade school-age childrenages 5 to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
12 years
Infections, food allergies and intolerances,
adolescentsages 12 to 18 years and IBD may cause chronic diarrhea along
with malabsorption, meaning the small
Diarrhea that lasts only a short time is
intestine does not absorb nutrients from
called acute diarrhea. Acute diarrhea, a
food. If children do not absorb enough
common problem, usually lasts a few days
nutrients from the food they eat, they may
become malnourished. Functional GI
disorders do not cause malabsorption.
Infections Functional Gastrointestinal
Infections from viruses, bacteria, or parasites Disorders
sometimes lead to chronic diarrhea. After In functional GI disorders, symptoms are
an infection, some children have problems caused by changes in how the GI tract
digesting carbohydrates, such as lactose, or works. The GI tract is a series of hollow
proteins, such as milk or soy proteins. These organs joined in a long, twisting tube from
problems can cause prolonged diarrhea the mouth to the anusthe opening through
often for up to 6 weeksafter an infection. which stool leaves the body. The GI tract
Also, some bacteria and parasite infections digests, or breaks down, food and processes
that cause diarrhea do not go away quickly solid waste.
without treatment.
Children with a functional GI disorder
Read more about infections that have frequent symptoms, yet the GI tract
cause diarrhea in these publications at does not become damaged. Functional GI
www.digestive.niddk.nih.gov: disorders are not diseases; they are groups of
Viral Gastroenteritis symptoms that occur together.
Foodborne Illnesses
Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth may
also cause chronic diarrhea. Normally, few
bacteria live in the small intestine, and many
bacteria live in the large intestine. Small
intestinal bacterial overgrowth is an increase Mouth
in the number of bacteria or a change in the Esophagus
type of bacteria in the small intestine. These
bacteria can cause diarrhea, gas, cramping,
and weight loss. Small intestinal bacterial Liver
overgrowth is often related to diseases or Stomach
disorders that damage the digestive system
or affect how it works, such as Crohns
disease or diabetes. Small intestinal bacterial Duodenum
overgrowth is also more common in people Colon
who have had abdominal surgery or who Small (shaded)
have slow-moving intestines. intestine
Large
intestine
Ileum
Rectum Anus