Diarrhea and Constipation in Infants and Children

Osmotic Diarrhea Secretory Diarrhea Motility Disorders Acute Diarrhea
Malabsorption of solute that creates an osmotic load in the distal small bowel and colon and increases fluid loss. The volume of the diarrhea is affected by feeding. Not related to substances in the intestinal lumen. The volume of the diarrhea is not affected by feeding. Congenital chloridorrhea – a congenital abnormality of transport that produces secretory diarrhea.
Lasts less than 2 weeks. Most often caused by enteric infection.
Caused by laxatives, milk of magnesia, apple juice or anything that has a high carbohydrate content. Malabsorbed carbohydrate is metabolized by colonic bacteria, and the pH is often less than 5.5 Caused by gastrointestinal peptides such as vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, and is associated with tumors such as ganglioneuroblastomas or Zollinger-Ellison syndrome. Other substances may cause fluid secretion such as bile acids, fatty acids and laxatives. ...