Diarrhea that is continuous or comes and goes in a young child can
have many causes, including:
- Food
intolerance.
- Stress.
- Parasitic, viral, or bacterial
infections.
- Inflammatory bowel disease.
- Abnormal
intestinal structure.
- Side effect of a medication.
It is not uncommon for a child with ongoing diarrhea to have
abdominal pain with the diarrhea.
Many babies may seem to have cramping abdominal pain that is
continuous or comes and goes and causes them to be fussy and irritable (usually
in the evening) for 2 to 3 months.
Colic may occur at the same time that the child has
abdominal pain and diarrhea. While the cause of colic is unknown, passing
stools seems to relieve some of their abdominal pain and may help the colicky
behavior. Occasionally a more complete evaluation will be done to rule out more
serious problems.
