Each of us has experienced poisoning at least once in our lives. In children, this problem occurs much more often than in adults. This is due to the fact that a fragile body cannot resist infections and viruses. The task of parents is to protect the baby from possible risks, and if intoxication occurs, it is necessary to identify the cause and, under the supervision of a doctor, begin treatment. Poisoning in children in some cases can be fatal. Therefore, it is very important to provide assistance in a timely manner in order to avoid irreversible consequences.
Classification of poisoning
First, let's define the term. Poisoning is an acute disease that occurs as a result of exposure to the body of chemical or biological substances. There are several types:
- Food. The most common variant in which toxins enter the gastrointestinal tract. Young children are susceptible to various infections, so this problem needs to be addressed as soon as possible.
- Medical. Poisoning can occur as a result of taking medicines by the baby. Parents need to follow the first-aid kit at home, do not leave it in a conspicuous place. Often there are situations when mothers and fathers, giving a child a pill, mixed up the dose, which also leads to poisoning.
- Chemical. Such toxins easily penetrate into the child's body through the respiratory system and skin. Household chemicals should not be left unattended, as the baby will definitely want to taste the contents of beautiful bottles. Chemical poison is very dangerous, so it is better not to risk the he alth of the child.
- Gas poisoning in children. As you know, the gas is colorless and odorless, so its penetration into the body is very easy. It is worth noting that the intoxication of this substance is fatal if the concentration in the air exceeds 0.4%. The main cause of leakage is the improper use of heating appliances. Children often get poisoned in the body during a fire.
- Massive. Not everyone distinguishes this species as a separate one, however, due to the increasing cases of intoxication in children's camps and recreation centers, it has a place to be. Most often this is due to the negligence of staff, as well as poor-quality food and water. For such situations, medical institutions have developed a special treatment program, it depends on the severity of the consequences.
Main reasons
There are a lot of types of poisoning, but in our material we will focus on one of them, the mostcommon. It's about food poisoning. The disease is usually caused in two ways: poisonous food (mushrooms, plants, berries) or foods in which microbes and toxins have appeared. Various infectious agents, such as staphylococcus aureus, can get into food. How? Everything is very simple. If the person who cooked has a festering scratch on his fingers or has a purulent sore throat, then the infection can go into the products. The most favorable environment for this virus is confectionery and salads seasoned with mayonnaise and sour cream.
Food poisoning in a child is a fairly common disease. Due to the fact that the small organism is still weak and unformed, it cannot fight back poisons and toxins. Often situations arise when parents and children eat the same food, and only babies get intoxicated. There are several dangerous foods for children that can cause poisoning. These include: dairy products, eggs, fish, meat, greens, and cream cakes. This does not mean that these products cannot be consumed, just parents need to monitor the expiration date and the safety of their preparation.
Signs and symptoms
Every illness manifests itself in some way. In this case, the first signs of poisoning in a child begin suddenly. Therefore, you should not hesitate, you should immediately provide all possible assistance. Symptoms vary depending on the severity of intoxication:
- Mild degree is characterized by lethargy, general weakness of the body, loss of appetite. Plus to everythingthe appearance of edema and rash directly indicate poisoning in children. Vomiting and nausea are constant companions of intoxication. Quite often, the disease proceeds secretly, and the whims of the child are not always associated with a deterioration in well-being. Parents should pay attention to small details, such as pale skin, dry mouth, and dark urine. An increase in temperature during poisoning in a child in this case is not observed.
- The severe degree of the disease is obvious. The baby has a sharp pain in the abdomen, nausea, chills. Incessant vomiting, terrible he alth are also the main signs of poisoning in children. Diarrhea is found in all cases, and often with traces of blood, mucus and food debris. The body is quickly dehydrated, and in such a situation, timely treatment is necessary.
First aid
All parents should have this information, because no one is immune from such a development of events. If symptoms of poisoning are found in children, you should call a doctor and provide first aid on your own. First of all, it is recommended to do a gastric lavage. First you need to make the baby drink a lot (up to a liter) of water with the addition of a few drops of potassium permanganate or a teaspoon of soda. After that, press the child on the root of the tongue to induce vomiting. Flushing can also be done with an enema.
Another way is to take an enterosorbent, it will suck out all the toxins from the body. The most striking example is activated carbon. Here you need to follow the dosages, you can not make a mistake. Coalcan be taken every 2 hours when vomiting stops.
Food poisoning in a child causes dehydration, this problem must be addressed. Water the baby is slowly, a sip of water every twenty minutes. To saturate the body with water, you can make tea, rice water, glucose solution. This regimen should be observed until the complete cessation of vomiting and diarrhea.
Plus, the whole child needs rest. In the midst of the disease, you do not need to feed the baby, because all the food will come back. The best solution is to leave it until the doctor arrives and stick to the drinking regimen.
What not to do?
Of course, in case of poisoning in children, first aid is simply necessary. But it is not always advisable to carry it out, there are some contraindications. If intoxication has occurred in a child under the age of 3 years, in no case should it be treated at home. In general, it is forbidden to provide any form of medical assistance. In such a situation, it remains only to wait for the doctor and try to calm the baby.
Parents often give their children antibiotics first, thinking it's the best medicine. The medicines needed in this particular case are prescribed by a qualified doctor. Until this moment, it is not necessary to give the child antiemetic and antidiarrheal drugs to drink. The body thus independently tries to get rid of toxins and poisons, you should not interfere with it.
Activated charcoal and other enterosorbents can be given if the baby does not sufferpeptic ulcer. If in doubt, it is better to wait for a specialist. Gastric bleeding is also a contraindication to taking these types of drugs.
When should I see a doctor?
The mistake of most parents is that when the baby is intoxicated, they themselves try to cope with the problem. Contacting a specialist is an essential part of any type of assistance. While the doctor is on the way, you can provide all possible assistance, but no more.
Sometimes acute poisoning occurs in children, and then you definitely cannot do without a doctor. No need to risk the he alth of the child, it is better to play it safe. Calling an ambulance is required in several situations. All of them are associated with certain characteristics. So, the symptoms of poisoning in children, in the event of which you should immediately consult a doctor:
- difficulty breathing, lack of air;
- sharp severe pain in the lower abdomen;
- continuous vomiting and diarrhea;
- small amount and dark color of urine.
These signs indicate that the baby is in the acute phase of the disease, which requires hospitalization and urgent medical care. A team of doctors, having arrived on a call, will be able to immediately determine the nature of intoxication and draw up a plan for further action. If the situation is very bad, the child will be taken to the clinic, where additional diagnostic measures will be carried out, and then treatment will begin. The temperature during poisoning in a severe child can rise above 38 degrees or fall below normal. Do not tryknock it down on your own before the arrival of specialists.
Traditional treatment of disease
As already noted, first aid is aimed at alleviating the general condition of the body. A complete therapy will be prescribed by the attending physician after examination and diagnosis. Only complex treatment, including medicines, folk methods and a special diet, will help the body recover. Poisoning in children under one year old are special cases. It is forbidden to apply even the simplest medical assistance on your own in such situations.
The effectiveness of drug treatment can only be judged in combination with a diet. Most often, doctors prescribe sorbents, probiotics and antibiotics to patients. With food poisoning, Enterosgel is perfect. The drug costs around 400 rubles, and at the same time it is quite effective. This drug helps with diarrhea and vomiting, allergies, infectious intoxication, etc. The only thing is that the drug is powerless in the treatment of poisoning in acute intestinal obstruction.
As for antibiotics, their prescription is rare. In about 10% of cases, specialists decide that such medications can help. In the treatment of poisoning in a child, antibiotics are used, but only the safest and most effective for intestinal infections. We can distinguish among them the drug "Cefix". The drug is available in both adult and pediatric dosages. It is usually sold in the form of a syrup and is excellent for fighting bacteria. The price of the drug - inaround 700-1000 rubles. It should not be used on babies under 6 months of age.
Folk remedies
As already noted, the treatment of poisoning in a child should be comprehensive. Alternative medicine is not always good, but in this case, even doctors recommend using these methods to speed up the healing process. But still, it is best to consult with your doctor before use.
So, the most effective recipes are listed below:
- Ginger decoction. A teaspoon of grated ginger must be poured with boiling water, wait three minutes - and the brew is ready. Recommended to be taken hourly.
- Rice congee. A great way to relieve symptoms of nausea and vomiting. Washed round rice should be boiled in water for about one minute, the ratio is about 1:5. The resulting liquid should be taken several times a day.
- Cinnamon tea. It is used in case of poisoning in children with fish or meat products. Two cups a day of this drink will be enough.
- Decoction of oatmeal. A couple of tablespoons of oatmeal boiled for five minutes, strained and taken several times a day.
- Gentian cross-leaved. A decoction of this plant significantly improves the functioning of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, and also successfully fights vomiting and nausea. Preparing this drink is as easy as shelling pears: the root of the plant is boiled for three minutes and then infused. You can take no more than three times a day, fresh broth, one tablespoon each.
Experts recommend taking a shower after intoxication. Toxins and poisons come out through the skin with sweat. You just need to wash off all unnecessary substances from the child. In addition, massage will be a great way to alleviate the condition. It is better to wrinkle the upper part of the neck and back, this will help the baby relax a little.
Diet for food poisoning in children
Intoxication contributes to the fact that the gastric mucosa is damaged, and diarrhea and diarrhea injure the intestinal walls. In such a situation, a special diet is simply necessary, which, in case of poisoning, is more useful than taking medication. By adjusting the diet, you can achieve complete removal of irritation of the intestines and stomach. For this, the first two days the child should not eat anything, no matter how hard it is. Most of the time this time passes without incident. After this period, the rehabilitation period begins.
After the symptoms subside, children under one year old need to eat. We can say that food in such a situation is vital. An excellent solution would be lactose-free formula or breast milk. The latter option is only suitable if the mother did not consume the toxic product.
If the baby is naughty and does not want to take food, you need to call a doctor and put the child in the hospital for a while. An artificial feeding tube will be installed there. Intestinal infection, especially in young children, is life threatening. Therefore, parents need to do everything possible for the speedy recovery of their babies.
Children as young as two years of age, a few hours afterintoxication, you can give the following products: rice water, milk mixture, white bread crackers, weak black tea, mashed potatoes on the water and vegetable soup without frying and meat. In three years, the list of products does not change. If the child is already five years old or older, you can add more liquid. A decoction of chamomile or green tea is perfect.
Gradually expand the diet is recommended after a week of diet. Treatment can last about a month, and during this time it is better not to disturb the diet. The baby needs to recover, cleanse his body of unwanted substances and toxins. Be patient for a few weeks, and then you can start eating your favorite foods.
Prevention
It is much easier to prevent a disease than to treat poisoning in a child later. What to do for this? Of course, we will not be able to insure ourselves against all troubles, but it is in our power to reduce the risk. As a rule, an acute variant of poisoning occurs when eating food that has not undergone heat treatment. The reasons may be drinking contaminated water or simply not following the rules of hygiene.
In order to avoid intoxication in your child, use the following recommendations:
- always heat and hygienically treat food, wash and peel fruits, vegetables, etc.;
- control the quality of food and water, do not buy goods of dubious quality because of the lower price, he alth is more important;
- dishes should always be clean, washplates, forks, spoons after every meal;
- waste needs to be disposed of as soon as possible;
- biological and chemical fluids, dirty water should not be visible to the baby;
- be sure to observe quarantine at home, in preschool and educational institutions.
Poisoning in children is more common than the common cold. Careful attention to your child, limiting his contact with hazardous substances and observing the rules of hygiene will significantly reduce the risk of intoxication. Remember, if the poisoning did happen, call an ambulance without hesitation, and at this time, provide first aid to the baby.
