Behavioral and cognitive disorders, including difficulties with learning and memory, hyperactivity, and lowered stress tolerance have been linked to paternal alcohol ingestion. The compromised stress management skills of animals whose male parent was exposed to alcohol are similar to the exaggerated responses to stress that children with fetal alcohol syndrome display because of maternal alcohol use. These birth defects and behavioral disorders were found in cases of both long- and short-term paternal alcohol ingestion. In the same animal study, paternal alcohol exposure was correlated with a significant difference in organ size and the increased risk of the offspring displaying ventricular septal defects at birth. Toxic substances
Substances whose toxicity can cause congenital disorders are called teratogens, and include certain pharmaceutical and recreational drugs in pregnancy, as well as many environmental toxins in pregnancy.A review published in 2010 identified six main teratogenic mechanisms associated with medication use: folate antagonism, neural crest cell disruption, endocrine disruption, oxidative stress, vascular disruption, and specific receptor- or enzyme-mediated teratogenesis.An estimated 10% of all birth defects are caused by prenatal exposure to a teratogenic agent. These exposures include medication or drug exposures, maternal infections and diseases, and environmental and occupational exposures. Paternal smoking has also been linked to an increased risk of birth defects and childhood cancer for the offspring, where the paternal germline undergoes oxidative damage due to cigarette use. Teratogen-caused birth defects are potentially preventable. Nearly 50% of pregnant women have been exposed to at least one medication during gestation.
travel)Evaluation of past medical history includes:
Family history
Conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, cystic fibrosis, and celiac diseasePhysical examination involves:
Abdominal examination (tenderness, distention, and/or bowel sounds)
Genital examination (rashes, anal fissures, and/or ulcerative lesions)
General assessment and vital signs (any signs of dehydration such as tachycardia and low blood pressure)
Examination of extremities and head (any signs of dehydration such as dry mucous membranes and skin turgor)

Diagnostic Tests
The following tests can also be performed to assist in the diagnosis of toddlers diarrhea and evaluation of any associated complications/underlying conditions:
Stool tests provide further information about bleeding, infectious agents, and/or anatomical problems. Blood tests allow assessment of inflammatory markers and/or other criterion for causative diseases. X-rays provide evaluations of any problems that may originate in the gastrointestinal tract/liver/etc. Upper endoscopy or colonoscopy allows visualization of the gastrointestinal tract to assess location of inflammation. Breath hydrogen tests are utilized to determine lactose, fructose, and/or sucrose intolerance. Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) may also be indicated by this test. Genetic Testing
Most commonly, chronic diarrhea in infants and children are classified as acquired diarrhea, identified with the general diagnostic tests mentioned above. The other classification of chronic diarrhea, congenital diarrheas and enteropathies (CODEs), are rare diagnoses of exclusion. With recent advances in genome sequencing, the addition of targeted genetic testing to diagnostic algorithms has been proposed to allow faster diagnoses and earlier treatment of CODEs. While certain genes and mutations have been associated with various CODEs, further research and studies are necessary to support the role of diagnostic genetic testing.