Gastroenteritis is one of the serious illnesses that have a significant impact on infants and babies. It occurs when the stomach and intestines are inflamed. In the case of viral gastroenteritis, inflammation is caused by infection with a virus, often accompanied by vomiting or diarrhea. Learn about infantile gastroenteritis.
Infantile gastroenteritis
Gastroenteritis is an infectious disease that affects the gastrointestinal tract. It occurs when pathogens attack the gastrointestinal tract and cause inflammation of the digestive system. This causes the gastrointestinal dysfunction leading to gastroenteritis.
Infection, especially from the stomach to the colon, can affect all parts of the digestive system. A myriad of bacteria and viruses infect babies.
A gastroenteritis-causing virus
Viral gastroenteritis is not caused by influenza viruses. Instead, it can be caused by a variety of viruses including rotaviruses, toroviruses, adenoviruses, caliciviruses, and astroviruses.
As a result, only about 75% to 90% of the cases of gastroenteritis caused by the virus alone occur. Among them, rotavirus is a major cause of gastroenteritis worldwide. Norovirus is a major example of gastroenteritis in the United States. And the other 5% is caused by parasites.
Gastroenteritis inducer
The main pathogens of gastroenteritis are contaminated food and water. There is also a greater risk of infection among babies who consume a variety of other foods than those who breast-feed. Pathogens are usually excreted through the stool when food and water come in contact with infected stools.
Also, contaminated items such as toys and toilet seats also carry viruses that cause gastroenteritis. The virus flourishes on these surfaces for several days. And if someone in the family has gastroenteritis, touching the baby 's goods without washing their hands can be transmitted. In conclusion, when infants are infected with pathogens or viruses from all these factors, symptoms of the disease soon appear.
Risk factor
Viral gastroenteritis, however, is not a very serious disease. Even if most of them are sick, they usually recover soon after a certain period of time without long-term problems or side effects. In children, the rate of recovery can vary depending on which virus you have.
However, in order to replace vomiting or diarrhea caused by sickness, a sufficient amount of water should be available for drinking. Otherwise, it can develop into a serious disease. Especially those who can not take care of themselves because of their babies, the elderly, or the disabled are at high risk of dehydration and should pay more attention.
People with impaired immune systems may also have more severe symptoms than healthy people. Vomiting or diarrhea is more frequent. This can also lead to dehydration risk. If some symptoms are severe, you may need to be hospitalized to prevent dehydration.
Viral Gastroenteritis Treatment
Viral gastroenteritis in children and adults is usually treated with dehydration prevention. Dehydration means a lot of body fluids are lost. When a child has enteritis symptoms, parents should ask their doctor how to prevent dehydration and get advice.
However, water is not always a sufficient remedy. Of course water is good in itself, but in some cases it may not be enough. For example, water can not replace electrolytes such as salt, sugar, and minerals that can be lost when the body is dehydrated. Beverages that can replace salt or minerals can be purchased at pharmacies, such as electrolytic solutions or oral water supply solutions. Some sports drinks also have the ability to replace electrolytes. Of course, it contains a lot of sugar, but it does not give much to most school-aged children.
On the other hand, milk should be kept away. Milk can make gastroenteritis worse. In addition, it is preferable to avoid beverages or caffeinated beverages containing a lot of acid because they can cause discomfort.
And when you feed such a drink containing water and various electrolytes, it is advisable not to enter too quickly. If it is absorbed into the body too soon, it can worsen vomiting and should be taken as slowly as possible. The best way to do this is with a teaspoon every 4-5 minutes.
Food should also be adjusted to eat slowly. Once you have had a good drink, you should try adding soft foods such as banana, bread, rice, apple sauce or toast. Chicken soup and noodles with noodles are also good. And if the condition improves gradually, you can feed the cooked meat or vegetables. However, fried or spicy foods, greasy or sour foods should not be eaten for a while.
It is good to skip medicines during the treatment period. Although you may think you should take a prescription-free medicine, gastroenteritis can eventually be resolved over time. Most medications also have a different risk of worsening the condition. With vomiting and diarrhea, the body fights infection while eliminating everything in the body. It is desirable to make the process self-healing by retaining sufficient water without stopping with the drug.
