What to eat for gastroenteritis? What are the symptoms of acute gastroenteritis in children? Some people believe that this disease often occurs in children under 5 years old, and its main symptoms are vomiting and diarrhea. Gastroenteritis is a gastrointestinal disease characterized by inflammation of the stomach and small intestine. Generally speaking, bacterial gastroenteritis is more severe and more likely to cause gastrointestinal bleeding, intestinal perforation, and even complications such as peritonitis. This knowledge briefly describes the symptoms of acute gastroenteritis in children. Today, I will talk to you about the symptoms of acute gastroenteritis in children, the treatment methods for pediatric gastroenteritis, and the care for babies with acute gastroenteritis. I hope that what I mentioned can be helpful to everyone.
What are the symptoms of acute gastroenteritis in children?
1. Diarrhea: Sudden onset, frequent nausea, frequent and severe abdominal pain, frequent watery stools, may contain undigested food, small amounts of mucus, and even blood.
2. Fever: Often accompanied by fever, headache, general discomfort, and varying degrees of poisoning symptoms.
3. Nausea and vomiting: Severe vomiting and diarrhea can cause dehydration, acidosis, and even shock.
4. Abdominal cramps and tenderness: The signs of the child are not obvious, there is tenderness in the upper abdomen and around the umbilicus, no muscle tension or rebound tenderness, and increased bowel sounds.
5. Decreased appetite, crying and restlessness.
Treatment methods for pediatric gastroenteritis
1. Pay attention to diet and continue breastfeeding. For infants who are breastfed, it is recommended to continue with the usual feeding method. For infants who are formula-fed, continue formula feeding immediately after oral rehydration therapy (ORT). You can try mixing half-strength milk (i.e., diluting the concentration by half). If the diarrhea does not improve within 3-7 days, it may be necessary to switch to lactose-free powdered milk (i.e., commercially available medical milk powder) under the guidance of a doctor.
2. Antiemetic drugs. Antiemetic drugs may help treat vomiting in children, but they must be taken strictly according to the doctor's instructions. Ondansetron can be useful and can reduce the need for intravenous fluid administration, hospitalization, and vomiting with a single dose. However, the use of ondansetron may be associated with an increased likelihood of readmission of children. If clinically necessary, intravenous ondansetron can also be taken orally. Gastric complex may be effective.
3. Antibiotics. Antibiotics are not usually used for gastroenteritis, but they are recommended when symptoms are particularly severe or when susceptible bacteria are found or suspected of bacterial infection. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the use of antibiotics for children with bloody diarrhea and fever.
4. Antidiarrheal drugs. Antidiarrheal drugs should not be used in children as they may be dangerous. There is a theoretical risk of complications with antidiarrheal drugs, although clinical experience suggests that this possibility is unlikely. It is not recommended to use antidiarrheal drugs in cases of bloody diarrhea or diarrhea accompanied by fever. Loperamide is an opiate-like substance commonly used for symptomatic treatment of diarrhea.
Care for babies with acute gastroenteritis
1. For babies who are breastfed, do not stop breastfeeding when they have diarrhea. You can reduce the amount of milk, shorten the feeding time, and extend the interval between feedings. The mother should eat a low-fat diet and drink plenty of water before breastfeeding to dilute the milk, which is beneficial for the baby's digestion.
2. For babies who are formula-fed or mixed-fed, do not add new supplementary foods during diarrhea. When the baby has severe diarrhea, stop feeding milk and fasting for 6-8 hours. During the fasting period, you can feed carrot soup, rice soup, rice soup, and apple puree. Carrot soup has low calories, low fat content, and contains malic acid and vitamins, which can help form stools. Apple fiber is fine, less irritating to the intestines, low in fat, and contains malic acid, which has an astringent effect.
3. For older babies, they can eat yam porridge, egg drop soup, and soft noodles, but the amount should be reduced.
4. If the baby has problems such as reduced urine output, thirst, and dry lips, they should drink oral rehydration solution or sugar-salt solution.
The knowledge mentioned by the author is for babies with mild illness. If the baby has severe symptoms mentioned above, it is necessary to seek medical attention promptly. Specific problems require specific solutions. The above is the content of the symptoms of acute gastroenteritis in children, treatment methods for pediatric gastroenteritis, and care for babies with acute gastroenteritis. Your additional input and discussion are welcome.
