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- CNSD, also known as toddler's diarrhea
- the most common cause of chronic diarrhea in childhood
- possibly a variant of irritable bowel syndrome, family history of IBS is common
- children are 6-58 months of age, most commonly 11-24 months old)
- otherwise in good health with normal weight gain, without signs of malabsorption syndrome or enteric infection
- morning stool is the most formed, with the stools becoming progressively looser through the day that are malodorous with food particles
- most often due to dietary factors causing altered gastrointestinal motility such as reduced fat intake or excessive fluid intake, especially sucrose-containing fruit juices
- treatment is based on modification of the contributing dietary factors
References
Davidson M, Wasserman R. The irritable colon of childhood (chronic nonspecific diarrhea syndrome). J Pediatr. 1996;69:1027-1038
Kneepkens CM, Hoekstra JH. Chronic nonspecific diarrhea of childhood: pathophysiology and management. Pediatr Clin North Am. 1996;43:375-390