Toddler has had diarrhoea for 11 days after a viral infection

[AA96]

Hello,

My DD (24 months) has now had diarrhoea for 11 days. She had a viral infection that started Thursday (26/03g) and lasted for a few days. The loose stools started at the same time as the virus but instead of going away has continued for 11 days. I tried to send her to nursery on the following Thursday (7 days in) and was sent home after a couple hours as was getting so distressed and having to use the potty/having accidents constantly. she is also having diarrhea overnight, sometimes just once and sometimes 3 or 4 times overnight.

I took her to the GP the same day who said they were not concerned and to come back on day 14 (this Thursday coming 09/04) If it was still continuing.

apart from the loose stools and being more tired than usual she is completely fine in herself, but I know I won’t be able to send her to nursery for a second week running as this continues which is obviously very difficult with work.

has this happened to anyone else’s toddler and when did it ease up? My gut is telling me this is going on too long and too extreme to just be teething or still due to virus’s. Nothing in her diet has changed at all.

any advice greatly appreciated

Just to add - my main worry with nursery is her getting distressed by the stomach pain, multiple accidents having to change her clothes etc which is what happened when she briefly went in last week

So get back into the doctors, see a different doctor and insist on help.

Does sound to me like an ongoing viral infection though op.

11 days and diarrhoea at night is pretty abnormal for rota or norovirus (the big two causes in little ones). I would be starting to worry about bacterial food poisoning or even something like cryptosporidium - you can catch it from farms and petting animals https://publichealthscotland.scot/population-health/health-protection/infectious-diseases/cryptosporidium/overview/

You can take a dirty nappy along if you see the GP again and insist on stool testing. It's you have been in open water and/or to a farm before the diarrhoea started, you also need to tell them that.

My LO had multiple rounds of D&V around turning one (one of them was actually diagnosed as vaccine breakthrough rotavirus). With diarrhoea without vomiting, they were also concerned about a food allergy or intolerance. Especially if no fever, no one else in the house ill, etc.

We were advised to give probiotics after a bad bout of diarrhoea - because all the good bacteria will have been flushed out, which also leads to diarrhoea, so you need to build them back up again.

Thank you for your replies - I’m going to take her back tomorrow as we have still seen no improvement at all 12 days in. I will insist on a poo sample taken. I have also got some probiotics to start this morning.

We did visit a farm a week before the virus started but none of us touched any of the animals and we did lots of hand washing throughout. She no longer has a fever and is well within her self so surely if it was a bacterial infection from there she woild not have recovered from the fever without antibiotics? My partner caught whatever she had but had a fever for a couple of days and is now fine with no stomach issues. I have not caught it at all. I will mention this farm visit to the doctor though just in case.

Is it starting to feel like an allergy or food intolerance issue seen as no fever, no vomiting, well within herself apart from tiredness.