Intestinal infections in children. How to help?

Intestinal infections include a fairly large group of diseases that manifest themselves in the form of diarrhea, vomiting, intoxication of the body. Pathogens can become bacteria, viruses, as well as a conditionally pathogenic flora. I must say, intestinal infections in children - a common phenomenon. This is because the immune system in infants is still imperfect. In addition, young children do not have sustainable sanitation and hygiene skills. The consequences of such diseases are especially pronounced in infants. The disease can provoke the development of dysbacteriosis, eating disorders and the development of secondary enzymatic insufficiency.

In earlier times, intestinal infections in children often ended very sadly. Fortunately, the use of modern methods of treatment practically excludes cases of lethal outcomes in this disease.

The prevalence of intestinal infections is determined by the resistance of pathogens to various influences, they persist during drying, the effects of cold, remain viable for a long time in soil and water, and when they get into food or ready meals, they multiply with great speed. Flies play a major role in the contamination of food and ready-made food.

Some infections (eg, dysentery) can be transmitted from sick people or those who are carriers of the disease while remaining healthy. Most of the infections are caused by a contact-household way, so such infections are often called "diseases of dirty hands".

Almost all intestinal infections in children have a similar clinical picture. Diarrhea, abdominal pain, febrile conditions, vomiting are characteristic of diseases caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites.

The incubation period with this disease is usually short. Most often, the disease begins to develop after a few hours or 2-3 days after infection. The combination of various clinical manifestations, as well as their severity, depends on the severity of the disease and the age of the child. In addition, the clinical picture depends on which particular GI tract was affected by the infection.

Parents should remember that acute intestinal infections in children require urgent treatment. The sooner a diagnosis is made and the treatment procedures are prescribed, the sooner the child will recover.

Especially intestinal infections in newborns are dangerous. Infants most often suffer from colibenteritis and salmonellosis, less often from dysentery. Due to the fact that the intestinal microflora in infants is still being formed, they carry the disease more heavily than children, in the second and subsequent years of life. Especially dangerous is the infection for the crumbs, which are fed with artificial substitutes for breast milk, as well as for premature and debilitated children.

Treatment of infants is carried out in a hospital, so if the first signs of infection occur, you should consult a doctor or call an ambulance. The basis of the treatment is gastric lavage and restoration of the water-salt balance.

Children older than one year may be offered treatment at home if the illness has not taken a severe course. However, such an exit is possible only if it is possible to provide a strict sanitary and hygienic regime, isolating the sick from contact with healthy children. Naturally, it will be necessary to provide the sick child with full-fledged care and treatment. The district doctor will in this case monitor the condition of the sick child daily.

Treat intestinal infections in children by oral rehydration combined with diet. In some cases, gastric lavage is indicated. And to start taking a glucose-saline solution when revealing an intestinal infection is necessary, as soon as possible, even before the expressed symptoms of dehydration of the body appear.

Already from the first minute of the disease, parents should start giving the sickly baby weakly boiled tea, broth of wild rose, rice broth, then replacing these drinks with standard solutions for rehydration, which the doctor will write out. If the disease is not easy, then the treatment solution can be prepared at home on your own. To do this, take half a liter of boiled cold water and dissolve in it half a teaspoon of salt and 4 tablespoons of sugar. If there is glucose in the home medicine cabinet, then sugar should be replaced by it, the dose for the specified amount of water - 2 teaspoons.