Gastro in baby and infants: symptoms, duration, treatments, diet
What is gastroenteritis?
Gastroenteritis is a generally viral and benign disease that spontaneously heals.It causes inflammation of the intestinal mucosa at the origin of sometimes abundant diarrhea, vomiting and fever (without the latter being automatic).
Infants are a very vulnerable population, as the risk of dehydration is significant.
Gastroenteritis can also be bacterial or parasitic and then requires specific treatment.In the baby, the majority of gastroenteritis are viral.
Gastroenteritis: an epidemic that affects babies especially in winter
Almost all children will have an episode of acute gastroenteritis between 6 months and 2 years.Gastroenteritis in children under 2 years old is mostly rampant during the winter months, from December to March.
More than 150,000 infants are affected each year, mainly when kept in community, due to the great contagiousness of this virus.In Europe, each child under three is 0.5 to 2 episodes of gastroenteritis per year.According to the WHO, the disease leads to 2 million hospitalizations per year.
The most frequently involved virus is rotavirus.It mainly causes acute diarrhea.This virus, responsible for the majority of babies gastroenteritis, spread in the form of epidemics, in particular in communities (school, crèche, daycare, etc.).
How to recognize the symptoms of baby's gastroenteritis?
The symptoms of gastroenteritis in baby / infant are:
Gastro in infants: what are the causes?
The main viruses in question are adenoviruses, enteroviruses and especially rotavirus, the main viral agent found during infant gastroenteritis.The inflammation they cause destroys the intestinal wall and cause diarrhea and vomiting, when the gastric wall is also reached.The contagion of Rotavirus is very large, which is why epidemics of gastroenteritis in communities and frequent crèches.
Baby gastroenteritis: What are the risk factors?
The main risk factors for infant gastroenteritis are:
Gastroenteritis: What are the babies more at risk?
The 6-month-old infant is a subject at risk of gastroenteritis, given the immaturity of his immune system.
A healthy infant risks less complications than an infant who has already presented diseases or having a history of prematurity.
Gastroenteritis in children: what to do? Gastroenteritis epidemics affect many children each year.Often of viral origin, it is most of the time benign and heals spontaneously, but in some rare cases of complications are possible....
What is the duration of gastroenteritis in the baby?
Apart from complications, the child's gastroenteritis can last between 3 and 7 days.
It normally heals spontaneously, when it is of viral origin, which constitutes the majority of cases.
In case of dehydration, hospitalization may loss necessary for intravenous rehydration.Fatigue can then persist longer, at least, until the child regains normal diet.
Contagion: How does baby catch gastroenteritis?
The main viruses causing gastroenteritis are very contagious.Prevention measures must therefore be strict.
How is gastroenteritis transmitted in infants?
The virus is transmitted by:
Other factors explain the occurrence of gastroenteritis in babies:
Incubation time: How long does baby stay contagious after gastroenteritis?
The viral gastroenteritis of the infant lasts between 3 and 7 days.The baby is contagious for the duration of the disease and the next few days.Watch out for the transmission of the virus especially if the sick child has brothers and sisters.
Who, when to consult in case of infant gastroenteritis?
Who to consult?
When symptoms of acute gastroenteritis appear in an infant, it may be necessary to consult your general practitioner to ensure the absence of signs of gravity.The pediatrician can also be seen in an emergency.
It is recommended to consult if:
Additional examinations will be prescribed, but in the absence of complications, they are rarely necessary.
Gastroenteritis: when do you have to consult in an emergency?
You must go immediately to the doctor or to the pediatric emergencies if your baby has signs of dehydration and the following complications:
Among toddlers, dehydration can be very serious, so it is essential to treat it as quickly as possible.You have to ensure that your baby does not suffer from dehydration by administering him rehydration solutions, which contain essential mineral salts, and encourage him to drink a lot.
Dehydration: main complication of gastroenteritis in baby?
The main complication of infant gastroenteritis is dehydration, which can be severe at this age, until it requires emergency hospitalization.
The signs of dehydration that must alert are:
What to do to avoid dehydration?
A baby can be dehydrated in just a few hours, sometimes in less than 3 hours.
Baby has a gastro: what are the exams and analyzes to do?
Apart from complications, no additional examination is necessary during gastroenteritis.
If signs of dehydration appear or if the symptoms persist for more than a week, the examinations listed below may be necessary to search for a bacterial or parasitic cause, and assess the impact of dehydration on the other organs, especially the kidneys:
In case of significant abdominal pain and persistent swelling of the belly, an abdomen radiography without preparation or an ultrasound may be necessary in order to eliminate a diagnosis than simple gastroenteritis.
It is also advisable to care for the baby's buttocks after each change, given the skin irritation due to diarrhea.
What treatments to treat baby's gastroenteritis?
The main risk of infant gastroenteritis is dehydration and this is the essential point of treatment.Taking medication is not useful in infants and can even be dangerous, apart from antipyretics like paracetamol in case of high fever.Monitoring the child's weight is essential because the baby can lose up to 15% of his weight during viral gastroenter.
If the baby suffers from dehydration: oral rehydration solutions
In infants, loss of water due to diarrhea must be offset by sufficient oral hydration.We must offer to the infant, at regular intervals, oral rehydration solution (SRO).
These oral rehydration solutions (SRO) contain the electrolytes necessary for infants: they are composed of water, carbohydrates (sugars), sodium (salt) and other mineral salts.Your baby can drink it at will as long as the symptoms last and normal diet cannot be resumed.These solutions are available in pharmacy, without prescription and are reimbursed by the Primary Health Insurance Fund.
How to use these oral rehydration solutions (SRO)?Fill in a 200 ml bottle of water, pour a whole sachet of SRO and agitate.The dosage can vary from 30 ml to 250 ml per hour depending on the age of the child and the severity of the disorders.The solution is kept 24 hours in the refrigerator.
If the infant does not drink, it is then necessary to hospitalize it so that rehydration is carried out intravenously.Short hospitalization, until symptoms disappear and resumption of drink, avoids serious complications in infants.
If the baby vomits and has nausea: what to do?
If diarrhea continues in baby, what medications to use?
To reduce the duration of the baby's diarrhea in the event of gastroenteritis, your doctor or pediatrician may prescribe the following drugs:
What treatments in the gastroenteritis of bacterial origin?
According to the health insurance site: "Antibiotics are only indicated when diarrhea is accompanied by significant general signs.Nifuroxazide (Ercefuryl and its generics), anti-infectious bacterial intestinal, is contraindicated before the age of 18 due to the risk of allergic reaction (anaphylactic shock, edema of quincke, eczema...) "
Infant diet: What to give food in case of gastro?
Food during infant gastroenteritis is an essential part of treatment.However, it is difficult to force the baby to eat.
Gastro: What to make your baby eat under 2 years old who still drink milk?
Gastro at baby: What to make him eat if he has a diversified diet?
The hospitalization of the infant during viral gastroenteritis is necessary when signs of dehydration appear and the weight of the child decreases.For exemple:
Prevention: How to avoid gastroenteritis to a child?
Hygiene measures to be respected
Hygiene measures are the essential element of the prevention of gastroenteritis in infants.It's about :
Gastro: When should the child be excluded from the community?
In case of gastroenteritis in an infant usually kept in crèche, the eviction of this is compulsory in order to avoid contaminating other children, until complete healing.
Likewise, it is advisable to avoid travel in public places or public transport with an infant, during the strong epidemic.
Can gastroenteritis vaccine: can babies benefit from it?
There is a vaccine against the gastroenteritis virus (rotavirus), but it is no longer recommended in the child's vaccination calendar since 2015, because cases of acute intestinal invagination, surgical urgency of the 'child, have been reported.
