The disease, such as gastroenteritis in children, is becoming more common. The reason for this is various viruses and infections, as well as the quality of the products. Environmental impact, dysbacteriosis, improper diet can also trigger the development of the disease. Gastroenteritis is an inflammatory process of the mucous membranes of the intestine or stomach. Having the infectious origin of gastroenteritis in children, the child can also be contagious, so prevention and treatment are of great importance.
Gastroenteritis in children may occur due to irritations of the mucous membrane of the internal organs of the digestive system caused by an inappropriate menu or excessively hot and spicy food that can not always be eaten by children, as this contributes to the appearance of symptoms of the disease.
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The most common cause of gastroenteritis in children under 3 years of age are influenza viruses, rotaviruses that cause diarrhea and promote the spread of the disease and make it difficult to treat.
In older children, gastroenteritis appears due to the presence of various harmful elements in the body. It can be an E. coli, Staphylococcus or Salmonella. Basically, these bacteria enter the children's body through spoiled food, dirty hands.
In addition, the causes of pediatric gastroenteritis can be:
- protozoa - lamblia, amoeba dysentery, cryptosporidia;
- viruses - astroviruses, reoviruses, adenoviruses, etc.;
- bacteria - shigella, clostridia, enteropathogenic E. coli, etc.
Factors of development of gastroenteritis in children
The disease appears not only because of the infectious effect, but also because of non-observance of the rules of personal hygiene. Very often they neglect washing their hands, since in childhood this habit has not yet been fully worked out.
Treatment can be complicated by the fact that, due to early age, the mucous membrane of the digestive system is very susceptible to various irritants. The immune system of the infant is not yet fully able to protect his body from infections, and the prevention of gastroenteritis in children does not always have the desired effect.
It is very important that adults also observe hygiene. It is not advisable to contact patients who have an intestinal infection to prevent the risk of infection and the occurrence of gastroenteritis.
Food processing plays an important role in the health of babies. Care should be taken to wash vegetables and fruits. The thermal treatment of meat and fish should be sufficient for safe nutrition. The child should be fed only quality and natural products.
Symptoms of gastroenteritis in children
The most frequent manifestations are severe pain in the navel region, flowing over the entire abdominal area. Pain sensations can be unstable, appearing during meals and disappearing after defecation. But do not lose sight of the presence of this symptom. It is necessary to try to cure the disease while it is at the initial stage.
The onset of the inflammatory process is characterized by a disorder of the stool, attacks of nausea and diarrhea, vomiting. In addition, there is rumbling in the region of the cecum by palpation. Defecation can be accompanied by bloody discharge. With a gastroenteritis patient a child can go to the toilet more than 10 times, which is an alarming sign that requires urgent treatment.
With the development of gastroenteritis in children, the following manifestations are noted:
- fever of up to 38 degrees and fever indicate a complication of the disease;
- increased gas production;
- bloating;
- appearance of symptoms of child organism intoxication - headaches, general weakening, feeling of lethargy and irritability;
- dehydration - in this case the skin acquires a grayish hue, the tongue becomes dry, a thick white coating appears;
- loss of appetite, refusal to eat.
These are the most dangerous symptoms for very young children, as dehydration of the child's body and weight loss occur rapidly, which requires immediate treatment.
Diagnosis of children's gastroenteritis
It is impossible to find the right treatment without revealing the cause of the disease and not considering all the symptoms. The physician should find out when the first symptoms and signs of gastroenteritis first appeared and how they were accompanied, how they flowed.
To find out the cause of gastroenteritis, it is necessary to conduct a number of studies. The analysis of feces, its sowing on nutrient media is carried out. The coprogram is able to reveal functional pancreatic insufficiency in children. Often in the analyzes you can find a lot of mucus, fiber, soap. The red blood cells present in the stool indicate the presence of bleeding in the organs of the digestive system, which requires a correction of the diet.
A general blood test is necessary to provide treatment and determines the level of white blood cells, as well as the possible shift of the leukocyte formula.
Treatment of gastroenteritis in children
In the presence of even one of the symptoms, it is important to contact a qualified specialist to prescribe a course of treatment, select the proper diet, medicines, taking into account all the individual characteristics of the child's body.
The treatment of symptoms of gastroenteritis in children should begin with taking measures to reduce pain in the abdominal area. It is necessary to eliminate diarrhea and vomiting. With dehydration resulting from the development of gastroenteritis, it is best to use special medicines, and also to solder the child with a large amount of water. Thus, it is possible to restore the disturbed water balance in the child's body. The child is better to be outdoors, to walk.
A very important component of gastroenteritis treatment in children is proper diet, nutrition and the appropriate menu.
Treatment of gastroenteritis should begin with refusal of food. It is advisable to stick to a hungry diet within a day from the onset of the disease, it is recommended to give more liquid. This will help restore the work of the gastrointestinal tract. The next day it is allowed to feed children with low-fat broth, vegetable or fruit puree. Gradually, if the child's well-being improves, add bread, eggs, boiled chicken meat to the menu. Already on the fifth day the food becomes ordinary and you can eat the usual food. The main thing is not to include dairy products for a while yet.