What may increase your child's risk for problems from diarrhea?

Many conditions, medications, and diseases interfere with your child's ability to heal or fight infection. Your child may be at risk for a more serious problem from his or her symptoms if he or she has any of the following. Be sure to tell your child's health professional.

Conditions

• A newborn or is less than 3 months old. Newborns younger than 3 months of age have a greater risk for developing dehydration than older infants and children.
• Babies born prematurely. This risk continues until the child is 6 months older than when he or she was expected to be born.
• Abnormally slow growth and development
• Developed diarrhea:
  • After drinking untreated water or unpasteurized dairy products
  • During or after traveling, especially in underdeveloped areas of the world
  • During or after a ship cruise
• Exposure to other family members or friends with diarrhea
• History of intussusception
• A family history of HIV or high-risk behaviors, such as drug abuse
• Day care or group living situations, such as dormitories, summer camps, and shelter homes
• Exposure to farm animals

Medications

• Antibiotics, such as amoxicillin or Augmentin
• Corticosteroid treatment, such as prednisone
• Digoxin
• Medications to prevent organ transplant rejection
• Medications used to treat cancer (chemotherapy)
• Radiation therapy

Diseases

• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Digestive problems, such as lactose intolerance
• Heart disease
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
• Inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis
• Kidney disease
• Malabsorption syndromes, such as celiac disease or cystic fibrosis
• Malnutrition
• Previous abdominal surgery