16 month old with diahorrea

Help! I have a 16 month boy. 4 months ago he had a bad tummy bug, and was in hospital as he was dehydrated. Since then, about every 3 weeks he has really bad diahorrea, lasting for a week, which ends with him having really bad wind. During the week he is ill he eats very little and dinks just enough to keep him hydrated. I am currently waiting for blood tests and poo and wee tests and go back to the hospital in june but he is still not putting much weight on. He has been on soya milk since he was 4 weeks old as he screamed after every feed, and I have been keeping him on a diary free diet which I though would help, but doesn't seem too. He also was exposed to tb in the special care baby unit when he was born and was put on strong antibiotics. Whe he is well he is a very happy little boy but if this rings bells with any one I would love to hear

Uncontroled bowel movement.

An uncontrolled bowel movement (fecal incontinention) could be normal only in case of severe diarrhea. Otherwise, fecal incontinention is a serious condition probably due to some neurological disorder. The act of defecation (bowel movement) is controlled by 2 muscles of the pelvic diaphragm: the inner and outer anal sphincter. The inner anal sphincter is not under control of our will. It is closed all the time except during defecation. Its task is to prevent feces leakage until the rectum is completely filed. When the rectum is completely filled, the inner anal sphincter relaxes and peristaltic wave expels the stool out. It is the outer anal sphincter that is controlled by our will. We can constrict and relax it whenever we want. Most of the time we keep the outer sphincter relaxed because the inner anal sphincter is closed and stools can’t go out. When the inner sphincter relaxes and stools are ready to come out (urge for bowel movement) we contract the outer sphincter and keep it contracted until there are social circumstances made for doing bowel movement (people are fairly civilized and they don’t defecate at any time or place). This same mechanism works with urination, too. Contraction and relaxation of the sphincters is controlled by the nerve system. The inner sphincters are controlled by the reflex centers in the spinal cord and the outer sphincters are controlled by the brain. You can consult a neurologist about the problem with leakage of bowel. Further, you can take birth control pills as long as you don’t intend to have more babies and you don’t experience any side effect from the pills.

A bowel infection caused by Clostridium deficiele is called " pseudo-membranous colitis ". Pseudo-membranous colitis usually occurs after long term usage of large-spectral antibiotics like Augmentin ( amoxicillin + clavulonic acid ). Large-spectral antibiotics kill sensitive saprophytic bacteria in the bowels allowing only the resistant species such as Clostridium deficiele to remain in the intestines. Clostridium deficiele is an anaerobic bacterium that does not cause intestinal infections under normal conditions because other saprophytic bacteria in the bowels prevent it from happening. Pseudo-membranous colitis could be a life threatening condition if not treated with proper antibiotics. For example, Flagyl (metronidazole) is used for treating anaerobic infections including Clostridium deficiele. You can consult an infectologist about this condition for a proper diagnosis and treatment

Small Bowel Bacterial Overgrowth

Small Bowel Bacterial Overgrowth
A healthy small intestine maintains a constant balance of bacteria to ensure normal digestive functioning. Exposure to antibiotics, decreased stomach acid secretion, diminished digestive enzyme production, gastrointestinal obstructions, radiation therapy, or motility disorders alter the bowel’s environment by reducing the number of protective bacteria. As a consequence, some bacteria normally kept in check by the protective bacteria are allowed to grow without restraint. This leads to a condition known as Small Bowel Bacterial Overgrowth (SBBO) which, if left untreated, can lead to nutrient malabsorption with malnutrition.
SymptomsSymptoms include bloating, gas, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.
Risk FactorsThe elderly are at an increased risk of developing SBBO due to decreased incidence in gastric acid production and increased occurrence of small bowel diverticula. Patients who have undergone surgery that alters the stomach and beginning of the small bowel are also at risk for developing this condition.
TreatmentTreatment of SBBO is aimed at restoring normal gut flora with proper antibiotic therapy, which should lead to a decrease in symptoms and improvement in nutritional health. In a few individuals, surgical treatment can be used to correct the structural abnormality that leads to SBBO; however, under most circumstances, it is not a curable condition and requires ongoing monitoring with therapy