Accepted Answer

Hello; Thank you for writing in today. Some viruses can last quite awhile, 10-14 days even. At this point, it sounds like your daughter is improving. Eating and playing are two very important things to consider when it comes to a child's health. Since she is now eating and playing, she is likely on the mend. As for her stools, they may be loose due to the illness, but they may also be a bit loose since she wasn't eating as well. Children can develop and continue to have loose stools when they eat poorly, such as poor appetite associated with illness. I suspect that your child's stools will normalize as her illness resolves and her eating returns to normal. According to what you have presented, I suspect she'll improve over the next couple of days. Now, as for the temper tantrums, hitting, and the crying, this may be a number of things. Since it is new, I question if this is not related to her recent illness. Illness can cause even an adult to act negatively. Also, considering her age, it's common for children to act out this way. Young children can have a difficult time regulating behaviors, particularly frustration. I wouldn't worry too much about the behaviors just yet. This may pass, as things return to normal. If not, then talk with your pediatric provider. Your provider can sit down with you, discuss the behaviors, and provide you with some insight about whether or not this is age and development related. Also, if her symptoms, such as the diarrhea, continue any longer than a few more days, I would have her evaluated again. I hope this helps. If you have any additional questions, please let me know. Lisa

Expert:	Lisa, MSN, FNP-BC, CCRN
Pos. Feedback:	100.0 %
Accepts:
Answered:	10/20/2009

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