Rotavirus in infants is quite common, and almost every child suffers from this disease. The disease manifests itself in the form of vomiting and diarrhea. Often associated with cold symptoms.
In infants, this disease can quickly provoke dehydration, so babies need careful monitoring. In this case, the body loses much more fluid than it receives. This can cause serious he alth problems.
Rotavirus infection spreads quite quickly, standing out with the feces of a sick child. Outbreaks often occur in the winter. The virus is highly contagious and enters the mouth along with dirty hands. If all surfaces are not thoroughly disinfected, it can live on them for several days.
Feature of the disease
Rotavirus in infants appears quite often. This is a very dangerous condition that requires adequate treatment and a certain diet to normalize bowel function.
The virus got its name due to the fact that bacteria,that provoke it look like a circle. This disease is also called intestinal flu. Rotavirus enters the baby's body and multiplies on the mucous walls of the small intestine. It is lined with villi that promote the absorption and breakdown of carbohydrates. The virus, on the other hand, leads to exfoliation of these sections of the mucosa, which leads to a lack of enzymes and disrupts the absorption of milk sugars.
Symptoms of rotavirus in infants are manifested in the form of lactase deficiency. The child cannot digest and assimilate milk normally due to a lack of enzymes. In addition, a rather painful symptomatology joins, which leads to severe dehydration. This condition requires urgent treatment, as soon as the first signs appear.
Causes of occurrence
Rotavirus in infants (1 month or more - it doesn't matter) develops if the virus enters the body. The causative agent can be detected in feces during sowing. Often, the infection comes directly from the mother, as the baby is in close contact with her.
In infants, rotavirus infection cannot be destroyed directly in the stomach or intestines. It easily overcomes low temperatures and does not lose its properties. Therefore, viruses can persist for a long time, and do not lose their harmful properties. In this case, when they penetrate the body, they begin to actively act and multiply.
The source of infection is a person who is a carrierrotavirus infection, or a patient with an acute form of gastroenteritis. Often, infection occurs in the following ways:
- consumption of contaminated water;
- infected products;
- dirty hands, household items, toys;
- through mother's milk.
The virus, having penetrated the digestive organs, affects the small intestine. From the moment the pathogen enters the body and until the first signs of the disease appear, 1-5 days can pass. The duration of the incubation period depends on the level of human immunity and the number of viruses.
Main symptoms
The very first symptom of rotavirus in infants is vomiting, followed by diarrhea and fever. The stool is very liquid without admixture of blood, and a lot of it is allocated. The most severe period of diarrhea lasts 4-8 days, but residual symptoms may persist after feeling better, up to several weeks.
Rotavirus diarrhea, especially when combined with vomiting, can quickly lead to dehydration. Therefore, it is very important to feed the baby with breast milk as often as possible, be sure to drink. Among the main signs of rotavirus in infants, the following symptoms should be distinguished:
- dry tongue and lips;
- lethargy, drowsiness;
- sunken eyes;
- deep fontanelle;
- rapid breathing and heart rate;
- reducing the amount of urine.
In the event of such symptoms, you should immediately call the doctor at home. This can be very dangerous, as it provokes the development of dangerouscomplications.
Symptoms of rotavirus in infants largely depend on the severity of the course of the disease. With a mild form, the child has severe weakness, appetite worsens. Then the temperature rises to 37-37.5 degrees and lasts 1-2 days. After a few hours, vomiting appears, and it does not depend on whether the stomach is empty or full. Almost immediately observed loose stools 2-3 times a day. After two days, the manifestation of symptoms weakens, and by about 4-5 days there is a complete recovery.
The average form of the disease is characterized by an increase in temperature to 37.5-38 degrees. Vomiting precedes loose stools and may recur many times over two days. There are painful cramps in the abdomen, often in the navel. There may also be watery stools up to 7-15 times a day. Moreover, diarrhea can last 1-3 days, subject to proper treatment. As the child begins to recover, vomiting initially resolves and then the temperature returns to normal.
Symptoms of rotavirus in a severe infant are characterized by the fact that the disease has an acute onset. The peak of the severity of the condition falls on the 3-4th day. As a result of severe and prolonged vomiting, and diarrhea, dehydration occurs. Increases the level of acidity in the stomach. The baby is constantly thirsty, dryness of the mucous membranes and skin appears.
Diagnostics
To detect infection, laboratory tests of feces, blood and urine are used. But in general, treatment begins immediately, asonly the symptoms of the disease appear. Analyzes are required for an accurate diagnosis, confirmation or refutation of the presence of a bacterial infection. As a result, complications can be avoided.
There is also a special rapid test for rotavirus that can be done at home. The kit includes a substance that reacts to the virus. The test is similar to a pregnancy test.
Features of treatment
When the first symptoms of rotavirus appear in a baby, treatment should be started immediately to prevent serious complications. The therapy takes place strictly under the supervision of a specialist. If a child has diarrhea with vomiting against a background of fever, then you should immediately call an ambulance and start treatment to prevent severe dehydration. Competent actions will allow the baby to recover much faster.
The ambulance team will examine the child and decide whether he needs hospitalization. If you suspect the development of cholera or another infection, as well as severe dehydration, they can put the child in a hospital, where they will take feces for analysis and inject the required fluid intravenously.
If the disease is mild, then the treatment of rotavirus in infants is carried out at home under the supervision of a local pediatrician. First of all, it is important to fight dehydration. It is necessary to solder the baby, gradually increasing the volume of liquid and the intervals between its doses. If athe child had profuse and repeated vomiting, then you need to give him often and little by little saline solutions. On the first day, you need to water the baby with a spoon every 5-10 minutes.
On the third day, babies are given probiotics to populate the intestinal microflora. Since the gastrointestinal tract suffers greatly from infection, it is important to follow a special diet during the course of the disease and carefully introduce the old complementary foods into the diet of children under one year old.
Treatment at home
As Komarovsky says, the symptoms and treatment of rotavirus in infants may vary somewhat, but there is a certain algorithm of actions that is common to all cases. With diarrhea, you need to leave the diaper with the baby's feces. So the doctor can make a diagnosis faster, and the likelihood of error will be reduced.
With rotavirus in infants, Komarovsky does not recommend taking homeopathic medicines. They do not provide the desired result, and as a result, the therapy process can only be delayed. Also, do not give your baby antiviral drugs. Treatment of rotavirus in infants Komarovsky recommends drinking plenty of fluids.
Therapy is aimed at reducing the intoxication of the body and restoring fluid balance. Parents should provide the baby with all the required minerals. At home, only a mild form of the disease is allowed.
The first step is to eliminate dehydration. For this, the doctor prescribes mainly the drug "Regidron" to the baby. You can also use tools such as Hydrovit and Humana. The powder dissolves in water andgiven to the child in small portions. You can give your baby clean water to drink if he refuses to take medicinal solutions. In case of deterioration in the well-being of the baby, and dehydration, it is necessary to carry out therapy in a hospital, by drip intravenous administration of glucose-s alt solutions.
To eliminate the symptoms of rotavirus in infants, treatment is also carried out with the help of sorbents that help remove the virus. Among them, Karbolen and Smekta are very popular. They can only be used for a limited time. Otherwise, there may be constipation.
Bacterial can join a rotavirus infection. As a prophylaxis, the drug "Enterofuril" is used. Antibiotics should not be used for treatment, as they only weaken the protective functions of the body. They are appointed only in case of emergency, after the examination.
To restore the intestinal microflora, Linex or Hilak is prescribed. You need to bring down the temperature only if it rises above 38 degrees. For this, antipyretic rectal suppositories are best suited. The drug "Cefexon" is well suited, since it can be used from the age of 1 month. The dosage is selected separately for each baby.
It is recommended to breastfeed as often as possible, as mother's milk perfectly compensates for the loss of moisture in the body. However, if the child is severely weakened, the doctor recommends interrupting breastfeeding and giving lactose-free formulas during treatment.
It is important to properly care forbaby's buttocks, as irritation may occur from loose stools. Every time you change a diaper, you should wash your baby with warm water and take care of his delicate skin with baby protective products.
Dieting
It is important not only to know how to treat rotavirus in infants, but also what he can eat. Inflammation caused by rotavirus infection is characterized by the fact that it almost completely stops the production of enzymes required for the normal breakdown and assimilation of food consumed. In children under one year of age who are breastfed or artificially fed, the amount of lactase decreases, and a general enzyme deficiency develops.
It takes quite a long time for the villi on the mucous membrane and the production of the required enzymes to fully recover. In order not to provoke indigestion and not cause disturbances in the functioning of the intestines in a child, it is important to follow a sparing diet throughout the entire period of treatment.
During the active stage of the course of the disease, children under the age of one year are not fed (if there is no appetite). It is enough just to drink them with saline solutions during the day. The next day, when the baby becomes a little easier and appetite appears, the process of restoring the villi and the production of lactase will just begin in his body. Breast milk or milk feeding will only lead to the recurrence of diarrhea. Since the child's gastrointestinal tract cannot break down lactose normally, it is necessary to give him a lactose-free formula to drink.
At the beginning of the second week, you cantry replacing one lactose-free meal with breast milk or formula. At the same time, it is very important to carefully monitor the reaction of the intestines of the baby.
If the child has already begun to receive complementary foods, then part of the lactose-free diet can be replaced with dairy-free rice porridge and mashed potatoes. Gradually, meat puree and dairy products are added to the baby's diet. Fruit puree is introduced last.
Possible Complications
Rotavirus in infants may be accompanied by a bacterial infection provoked by Proteus, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella, Escherichia coli. Then the child's stool becomes very liquid and frothy, gray in color with a fetid odor. The stool often contains blood and mucus. The baby's he alth is rapidly deteriorating. In this case, hospital treatment is required.
Prophylaxis
Prophylaxis of rotavirus in infants is important. Often, adults are carriers of an infection that is completely asymptomatic in them. To exclude the possibility of a child becoming infected with a rotavirus infection, you need to carefully observe personal hygiene, wash your hands with soap, carry out daily wet cleaning and ventilate the room. In addition, it is important to observe sanitary standards when preparing food, and to iron all the things of the child. Cleanliness is the key to the normal he alth of the baby.
If the baby is bottle-fed, then before each feeding you need to thoroughly boil the bottle and nipple. If any of the family members show signs of illness, then you need tourgently isolate the baby so that he does not come into contact with a person who has an infectious disease.
After recovery, the risk of re-infection is unlikely, as the child has already developed immunity to this disease. However, if this happens, the disease will be milder and will not cause any complications.
It is worth remembering that when the first symptoms of rotavirus appear in a baby, you should immediately contact a doctor who can provide qualified assistance in a timely manner and prescribe the required treatment. This will help avoid complications of the disease and prevent the infection from becoming severe.
Vaccination against rotavirus
Vaccination is considered the only effective prevention of the occurrence of rotavirus. Now there are 2 vaccines that have passed all the required clinical trials. They contain a weakened virus, and also have almost no side effects.
The vaccine is taken by mouth. The vaccine is given to a child aged 6-32 weeks.
According to reviews, rotavirus in infants is a very complex and dangerous disease, which is mainly treated in a hospital, as various complications can occur if the therapy is not carried out correctly. All medications and the course of treatment should be prescribed only by a doctor, since the he alth and life of the baby largely depends on this.
