Diarrhea causes 1.5 million infant deaths every year

GENEV

A, October 14, 2009 (AFP) – Diarrhea still claims the lives of 1.5 million children under the age of five a year, UN agencies warned Wednesday, as they launched a new campaign against the ailment.

“It is a tragedy that diarrhea, which is little more than an inconvenience in the developed world, kills an estimated 1.5 million children each year,” said Ann Veneman, executive director of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

“Inexpensive and effective treatments for diarrhea exist, but in developing countries only 39 per cent of children with diarrhea receive the recommended treatment,” she added.

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Diarrhea – 3 times more deadly than first suspected

GENEVA – DIARRHOEA kills at least three times more people than previously thought, the World Health Organisation said on Friday,

citing latest data showing that 1.1 million people die yearly from the ailment.

‘The burden of disease from diarrhoea … is significantly higher than was previously considered,’ said Jorgen Schlundt, who is director of food safety department at the WHO.

Some 1.1 million people who are older than five in Africa and Asia die from the ailment every year, according to new figures from a six-year-long study to be concluded in 2012 on food-borne diseases. (more…)

Baby Diarrhea Info

How can I tell if my baby has diarrhea?

First, you’ll need to consider what’s normal for your particular baby. Newborn babies poop frequently — as often as after every feeding — and their poop is typically pretty soft, especially if breastfed. On top of that, your baby’s stool may change depending upon what you’ve eaten, if he’s nursing. Once he starts eating solid foods, you’ll find that his stool has firmed up a bit — though it may change from time to time, depending upon his diet.

All of which makes it hard to describe how to tell if your baby has diarrhea. Bottom line: An occasional stool that’s looser than normal for your baby is nothing to worry about, but if your baby’ bowel movements suddenly change — that is, he poops more than usual and passes looser, more watery stools than usual — then it’s probably diarrhea.

While a severe case of diarrhea can alarm even the most unflappable parents, rest assured that in the United States most cases of diarrhea are relatively mild and don’t pose a major health threat as long as your baby doesn’t get dehydrated. But dehydration can be very serious, even fatal, in a baby, so it’s crucial that you make sure your baby is getting plenty of liquids. (more…)