Toddler's diarrhoea is a benign condition that causes the child no problems.

It is due to the fast transit through their digestive system and often contains undigested food. It requires no treatment. It is prudent to plot their height and weight to ensure no severe underlying diagnosis is present such as coeliac, which would present with the child falling centiles on the growth chart.

Gastroenteritis wouldn't last for months and it is likely that others in the household would be suffering from it too.

Lactose intolerance would also have abdominal pain and bloating as symptoms and the diarrhoea would be linked to eating dairy.

Giardiasis is a parasitic infection, and the child typically has watery stools, nausea and fever.


 

Diarrhoea in children

Gastroenteritis :-
main risk is severe dehydration
most common cause is rotavirus - typically accompanied by fever and vomiting for the first 2 days. The diarrhoea may last up to a week
treatment is rehydration

Chronic diarrhoea

Infants most common cause in the developed world is cows' milk intolerance

toddler diarrhoea: stools vary in consistency, often contain undigested food

coeliac disease

post-gastroenteritis lactose intolerance