Live Life Team
Gastroenteritis is a condition where the stomach and intestine get infected. Most cases of gastroenteritis in children are mild. The symptoms generally subside in a few days without any treatment. Small children generally below the age of 2 years are at a risk of getting dehydrated in this case. It becomes important to ensure that the child takes enough liquid in such a condition. Severe cases of gastroenteritis may require hospital treatment. The main cause for gastroenteritis in children is rotavirus.
What is rotavirus
Rotavirus is the virus that infects the stomach and intestine. These generally spread by infected people who do not clean their hands properly after going to toilet. These kinds of infections are extremely common in children. Every child is infected by rotavirus at least once before the age of five. Most of the infections occur for children between the age of 3 months and three years. The first infection is most severe as the body develops immunity to the virus afterwards. This virus is very contagious among children. A child infected with rotavirus can be infected second time also. The infected child should be kept in isolation for a period of 48 hours until their last bout of vomiting and diarrhoea.
Symptoms
The symptoms for rotavirus gastroenteritis last between 3 to 8 days and include the following
– diarrhoea and vomiting.
– fever – a temperature of 38°C (101.0°F) or above
– abdominal pain
Symptoms of dehydration
– dry mouth and eyes
– weakness and sluggishness
– no tears are produced when the child cries
– deep and rapid breathing
– passing urine infrequently
Medical advice should be immediately taken in the following cases
– the symptoms of dehydration continue inspite of treatment with fluids and oral re-hydration solutions (ORS)
– diarrhoea is severe and it contains blood
– blood is noticed in the child’s vomit,
– the child shows no signs of improvement within 48 hours
– vomiting continues for more than 24 hours
– there are signs of other illnesses developing like cold clammy skin or foul smelling urine.
Causes
The main cause of gastroenteritis in children is rotavirus. It infects the stomach and intestine of the children. The absorption and distribution of water in the body is interrupted by this virus.
Other causes for gastroenteritis are
– drinking contaminated water
– food poisoning from eating contaminated food
– as a side effect of antibiotics
Treatment
Dehydration: Plenty of water should be given to the child to prevent them from dehydration. A child generally suffers from dehydration if infected with gastroenteritis. The loss of water causes the body to lose important minerals such as salt and potassium.
Oral re-hydration solutions (ORS)
ORS is recommended if the child suffers from rotavirus gastroenteritis. This should be given to the child by dissolving it in water. It replaces the salt, minerals and glucose that is lost due to dehydration.
Treating other symptoms
Paracetamol can be given to relieve the child from pain and fever. Anti-diarrhoea medicine is not recommended for children below 12 years of age.
Word count:515
