Gastroenteritis: What Should You Know About This Infection? – Being Parents

Also called the stomach flu, gastroenteritis is a common illness in children and adults. We recognize it by the presence of pain, colic, diarrhea or vomiting. In the case of young children this may be easier to treat, but it still requires some care.

In the remainder of this article, we present some important facts that every parent should know about gastroenteritis in children.

The most common symptoms

One of the most common symptoms in young children is the presence of very severe diarrhea. Stomach pain and vomiting are also symptoms that often accompany it.

It is important to stress that even if the child has an inflammation of the intestines, it will not necessarily be accompanied by vomiting.

Nausea and fever usually add to the list of symptoms, although they can be different in different people. In addition, children who face this pain also have secondary problems like irritation of the skin of the posterior or anal area.

Sometimes the infection goes away on its own. However, adults should watch for changes like a rise in fever or dehydration. These symptoms can have serious consequences for the patient and lead to complications for the health of the child.

Multiple reasons

Gastrointestinal inflammation in children can have multiple origins. When we observe that the toddler has abdominal pain, diarrhea or vomiting we usually think of it as a virus. However, be aware that this can have several possible causes.

Obviously, gastroenteritis can originate from rotavirus, adenovirus, or other similar infection. However, bacteria like salmonella and campylocter bacteria can also cause these same symptoms in children.

In addition to these many reasons we can also find dietary reasons, inflammatory diseases or the result of another disease. This is less common in toddlers but it can also come from: ulcerative colitis, hypertiroidism, Crohn’s disease etc.

The different types of gastroenteritis in children

To have more information on the origin of the disease in children is possible through the observation of diarrhea. For example, when it is a bacterium ingested by a decomposing food, the excrements are generally liquid and represent a loss of water in significant quantity for the little one. The latter will often go to the toilet.

In the event that a salmonella is at the origin, the stool will be accompanied by phlegm and will be a little solid. In these cases the child may feel very unwell and be prone to a high fever.

Some steps to take

If the child is vomiting it is best to wait 60 to 90 minutes before giving him anything to eat or allowing him to ingest a liquid. The goal is not to irritate the intestine more so that it stops expelling. This rule should always be applied when the child is not dehydrated.

There are medicines and foods specially designed to rehydrate the child when he is in a stable phase. That is to say once the vomiting and diarrhea have been stopped. Physiological saline is probably the best option in these cases. It can be administered orally or intravenously.

How do you know if a child is dehydrated?

The amount of liquid expelled and the time that the child spends without having ingested solid or liquid food gives us a clue to know his level of dehydration. However, the body also gives us many very clear signals to find out more about the situation.

The most obvious signals are a dry, parched mouth and lips, white or pale skin, dark circles, or a small amount of urine. Faced with this evidence, it is recommended to start administering physiological serum, water or even rice cooking water. During illness we must avoid acidic juices.

Treat the diet during and after illness

An important aspect during the illness and during its recovery is the nutritional aspect of the child. You must eliminate fatty foods, fried foods or lactose  throughout the illness and the days following it.

Acidic products and sweets are also may be recommended as they can increase irritation to the intestines. Gastroenteritis in children is mainly treated with a healthy diet.

Rice cooking water is used in these kinds of situations and can bring incredible results. When a child’s gastroenteritis is finally cured, we can notice that his appetite increases significantly.