One of the most common diseases of the gastrointestinal tract in a child is gastroenteritis. The disease is dangerous not only because the baby suffers from diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain. With gastroenteritis, digestion and absorption of nutrients are disrupted. As a result, the body does not receive the necessary amount of important components, and the child does not develop.
So that parents can notice the presence of a problem in time, we will consider issues such as symptoms, treatment and prevention of gastroenteritis in children.
The causes of the disease
Many factors can provoke the appearance of gastroenteritis in a child:
- infectious diseases;
- improper processing of foods that are eaten;
- individual structural features of the gastrointestinal tract;
- the presence of concomitant diseases and congenital malformations (immunity disorders, enzymopathy);
- non-observance of personal hygiene rules by children and adults who care for them (washing hands after the street, toilet and before eating);
- long-term use of medications (in particular, antibiotics, bromine and iodine preparations, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, sulfonamides);
- malnutrition;
- general hypothermia;
- heavy metal salt poisoning, radiation exposure and other etiological factors;
- contact with children with acute intestinal infection.
The main cause of symptoms of gastroenteritis in children is infection with infectious microorganisms. It can be:
- Viruses: cytomegalovirus, coronavirus, rotavirus, astrovirus, reovirus, adenovirus and others.
- Bacteria: clostridia, protea, salmonella, staphylococcus, shigella, campylobacter, enteropathogenic Escherichia coli and others.
- The simplest: balandium coli, cryptospordia, dysentery amoeba, giardia and others.
There is also non-infectious gastroenteritis. It, in turn, is divided into four main forms:
- Alimentary. This type of disease occurs with the wrong combination of foods used (for example, cucumbers with milk and so on).
- Allergic It occurs with individual intolerance to certain certain types of products (fish, meat, cereals).
- Helminthic. It is associated with the presence of worms in the body that parasitize in the small intestine and damage its walls.
- Toxic This form of the disease occurs when poisoning with poor-quality food or chemicals.
Symptoms and treatment of gastroenteritis in children may vary depending on the cause of infection. The non-infectious form of the disease in most cases does not require special intervention (with the exception of the toxic form). But infectious gastroenteritis in a child is very important to notice on time and proceed to its treatment.
Disease severity
Depending on the clinical course of the disease, there are three degrees of severity of gastroenteritis in children:
- Easy. With this type of gastroenteritis, the child does not experience an increase in body temperature. Vomiting is absent or occurs once. Diarrhea up to 3-5 times a day. No signs of dehydration.
- Medium. This degree is accompanied by more serious manifestations. Gastroenteritis of moderate severity in a child passes with pain in the abdomen and fever up to 38-39 degrees. Vomiting can be repeated repeatedly, diarrhea intensifies and the number of bowel movements reaches 10 times a day. At the same time, the first signs of dehydration appear: dry mouth, increased thirst. Body weight can be reduced to 3%.
- Heavy. In children, signs of gastroenteritis are very pronounced and pose a great danger. Body temperature rises to 40-41 degrees. The child begins severe repeated vomiting, in most cases with impurities of bile. The number of bowel movements reaches 15-20 times a day. Strong dehydration of the body develops, which is accompanied by a loss of body weight of more than 4%, dry skin and mucous membranes, a decrease in the number of urinations and urine, convulsions, cyanosis, impaired consciousness.
Incubation period
The incubation period of the disease depends on the cause of its occurrence. With the viral form, it is only a few hours. Bacterial gastroenteritis will make itself felt in a few days. If the causative agent of the disease became protozoa, then the incubation period can drag on for several weeks.
Symptoms of acute gastroenteritis
The severity of symptoms of gastroenteritis in children directly depends on the type of disease. The acute form is characterized by the sudden appearance and rapid development of the main features:
- Decreased appetite.
- Nausea.
- Vomiting
- Changes in stool consistency. In the initial stages, it becomes porridge-like, and in the subsequent stages of the disease it turns into watery, in some cases with foam.
- Rumbling in the stomach.
- Flatulence.
- Fever.
- Aching pains in the abdomen, which often do not have a clear localization and are intermittent.
- Headache.
- Fatigue.
Gradually, the body loses fluid, signs of dehydration begin to appear:
- intense thirst;
- dry mouth
- the acquisition of urine in a more saturated dark shade and strong smell, and its amount in this case noticeably decreases;
- pallor and dryness of the skin;
- appearance in the language of gray or brown plaque.
Chronic gastroenteritis
Exacerbation of chronic gastroenteritis may be due to:
- severe stress;
- a recent illness;
- malnutrition;
- the presence of helminths in the body;
- non-compliance with basic hygiene rules;
- the presence of food allergies;
- overeating;
- improper preparation of foods before eating them.
As a rule, most often this occurs in spring or autumn. During the next exacerbation, the same symptoms are observed as with acute gastroenteritis.
At the same time, common signs of the disease persist even in remission.
Diagnosis of the disease
During the diagnosis of the disease, the doctor pays attention not only to the presence or absence of symptoms typical of gastroenteritis. Additionally, it defines:
- the presence of muscle noise of intestinal peristalsis;
- muscle weakness;
- presence of plaque in the language;
- swelling of the pharynx;
- muffled heart sounds.
A series of laboratory tests may also be necessary:
- general blood test;
- general analysis of urine;
- bacteriological examination of feces with an antibioticogram;
- coprograms;
- serological studies;
- hematocrit.
The rotavirus form of gastroenteritis is often accompanied by the development of respiratory diseases, rhinitis, pharyngitis.
If there is a suspicion of the chronic nature of the disease, there is a need for instrumental diagnostics:
- Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity;
- FEGDS;
- intragastric pH meter.
Disease treatment
So, we have already become acquainted with the causes and symptoms of gastroenteritis in children. Treatment of the disease is an equally important issue. We will give him special attention.
Treatment of gastroenteritis begins with a "hungry" regimen. Ideally, its duration should be 1-2 days. But if the child is very small and can not starve for such a long period of time, the period is reduced to at least several hours. It is important to give the digestive organs a rest and recover.
At a time when the baby can not eat, it is necessary to give him drink more warm liquid. It can be tea without sugar, plain or mineral water without gas, or a solution of Regidron. To avoid dehydration, the child should take at least 1-2 sips every 10-15 minutes.
How to treat gastroenteritis in children (medications), the doctor will tell you after determining the cause of the disease. It can be:
- Antibiotics. They are prescribed for the bacterial nature of gastroenteritis. For oral administration, children are most often prescribed drugs such as Polymyxin, Enterofuril, Furazoldin and others. Perhaps the use of antibiotics and in the form of injections. In this case, it can be aminoglycosides (for example, Gentamicin, Amikacin) or cephalosporins (Ceftriaxone).
- Antiviral. Their use is necessary if gastroenteritis has arisen as a result of damage to the body by a virus (for example, rotavirus). Usually, children are prescribed Kagocel, Anaferon, Ergoferon.
- Sorbents. This group of drugs helps to eliminate the signs of intoxication of the body, thereby improving the overall well-being of the baby. As a rule, in childhood prescribe activated charcoal, "Smecta", "Polysorb", "Enterosgel."
- Pro- and prebiotics. Means from this group are necessary to normalize the intestinal microflora. In the treatment of gastroenteritis, the doctor may prescribe Linex, Lactobacterin, Hilak-Forte, Bifidumbacterin, Bifiform.
- Enzymatic preparations. Their main goal is to facilitate the processes of digestion and assimilation of food. During a period of illness, the baby’s digestive tract is very weak and does not fully function, so it cannot do it on its own. In childhood, the use of enzymes such as Mezim and Creon is allowed.
- Drugs that lower body temperature. Usually, agents based on ibuprofen and paracetamol (Nurofen, Eferalgan) are used.
Also, depending on the nature of the course of the disease, it is possible to use additional types of drugs. For example, if gastroenteritis occurs due to an allergy to a certain type of product, the baby is prescribed antihistamines. With an increase in gastric acidity, there is a need for the use of proton pump inhibitors and antacids. If signs of vitamin deficiency are observed, various vitamin complexes will come to the rescue.
The dosage of all drugs depends on the age and weight of the child, as well as the severity of the symptoms of the disease. Therefore, it is determined by the doctor individually. It is forbidden to violate the recommendations of a specialist and replace the preparations prescribed by him without prior approval!
As a rule, the treatment of gastroenteritis in children is carried out at home. The exception is only a severe form of the disease. Due to the rapid development of signs of dehydration, urgent intravenous infusion of glucose and electrolyte solutions may be necessary.
Hospitalization is also necessary in cases where the child is weakened to such an extent that he cannot drink on his own. In this situation, the fluid is injected intravenously.
Diet as part of treatment
Of great importance is the diet for gastroenteritis in children. The menu should consist of those products that will be easily digested and quickly absorbed by the body. We must not forget that heavy food will only aggravate the situation. During the disease, the digestive system is weakened and will not be able to cope with its full digestion. As a result of this, the processes of decay can begin, which will only increase the intoxication of the body, and also create a favorable environment for the active reproduction of microbes.
If the baby is breast-fed, after a period of fasting, you can continue to feed him milk. First, it is necessary to reduce the feeding time, while increasing the frequency of application. The same applies to babies with artificial feeding. In the early days of gastroenteritis treatment, it is necessary to reduce the amount of the mixture, and then gradually bring it to its previous volume.
What can a child eat with gastroenteritis if he had previously eaten the same food as adults? In this case, compliance with treatment table No. 4 is recommended. The menu for gastroenteritis in children will consist of:
- A small number of crackers from white bread (you need to cook them yourself in the oven).
- Soups with cereals.
- Weak broth.
- Steamed lean meats.
- Steamed fish.
- Porridge cooked on the water.
- Weak tea, berry compotes, jelly.
The diet for gastroenteritis in children excludes the use of:
- fresh male products;
- legumes;
- fresh vegetables and fruits;
- fresh milk;
- preservation;
- carbonated drinks;
- sweets, including jam and honey.
It is necessary to feed the baby in small portions 5-6 times a day.
It will be possible to return to the usual diet only on the fifth day, and then provided that the child is better. The only exceptions are dairy products, which will be abstained from using at least a week.
Possible complications
In no case should you let the disease drift and ignore its symptoms. In the absence of adequate treatment, gastroenteritis can lead to:
- violation of the water-salt balance;
- dehydration;
- infectious toxic shock;
- hypovolemic shock;
- sepsis;
- toxic damage to internal organs (kidneys, liver, heart).
Particularly dangerous disease for children of the first years of life. Severe gastroenteritis, which is accompanied by severe dehydration, can even lead to death.
Forecast for the future
If the parents did not delay the treatment of gastroenteritis, the prognosis for their child will be favorable. As a rule, recovery occurs after 7-10 days from the onset of the first signs of the disease.
As for chronic gastroenteritis, with proper diet and timely passage of anti-relapse therapy (in spring and autumn), a stable remission can be achieved.
How to protect your baby?
Prevention of gastroenteritis in children is to follow simple rules:
- obligatory washing of hands before eating, after the street and going to the toilet;
- proper processing of products before using them;
- using only purified or bottled water for cooking and drinking;
- Avoid contact with sick children and adults.
Observance of personal hygiene rules by adults who care for them will help protect a newborn from gastroenteritis (washing hands after changing the diaper, rinsing the breast before feeding). If the baby is on artificial feeding, it is important to control the shelf life of the milk mixture, and treat the bottle and nipple before feeding.