Here are six signs of gastroenteritis in Children:

• Vomiting

Vomiting is one of the most common symptoms of gastroenteritis in children. If your kid has been vomiting for more than two days, you should take them to see a doctor.

• Diarrhea

Diarrhea occurs when there’s frequent passage of loose, unformed stool. It’s often accompanied by an urgent need to defecate and cramping within the abdomen.

• Fever

A high fever is another sign that your child may be suffering due to a gastroenteritis infection.

• Nausea

Children with gastroenteritis often feel nauseous and may even throw up. They may also be unable to eat or drink due to nausea.

• Loss of appetite

It is quite common for children suffering from gastroenteritis to lose their appetite or experience a decrease in appetite because of nausea or persistent vomiting.

• Frequent bowel movements

If your child has frequent bowel movements that are loose or watery, they could be suffering from gastroenteritis.

Treatment Options for Gastroenteritis in Children:

If your child has mild symptoms of gastroenteritis, you can often treat them yourself at home by following these steps:

• Give plenty of fluids to drink including ORS solution
• Make them rest as much as possible
• Let them eat when they feel up to it
• Give medication to relieve pain and fever (such as paracetamol)
• Avoid foods that may worsen their symptoms until they feel better

Remember to take your child to the doctor if they don’t improve with these measures!

Conclusion

Here, we’ve provided six tell-tale signs of gastroenteritis in children, and we also gave you some options to help them get relief. We believe you found this article useful to your knowledge and understanding of gastroenteritis in children.  For more information, contact Dr. Vishesh Dikshit at Pune.

About Dr. Vishesh Dikshit

Dr. Vishesh Dikshit graduated from Govt. Medical College Calicut, Kerala, in 2004 with an MBBS degree in medicine. MS in General Surgery from Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College in Sion, Mumbai, in 2012, and MCh in Pediatric Surgery from Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College in Sion, Mumbai, in 2015.

In particular, he is interested in Pediatric Minimal Access Surgery (through Laparoscopy, Thoracoscopy, and Genitourinary-scopy), Pediatric Colorectal diseases (including Hirschprung’s disease and Anorectal Abnormalities), and Pediatric Urology Disease.

• Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome or IBS and Inflammatory Bowel Disease or IBD

These disorders can cause intense and persistent stomach aches.  The most common symptom is diarrhea. Two common types are Ulcerative colitis and Chron’s disease. They can generally be treated with the help of medications. Very rarely surgery may be required.

• Celiac Disease

Children who have Celiac disease face a severe reaction when they have gluten-rich food. This is a protein present in rye, barley, and wheat. If the child does not avoid gluten, it can damage their small intestine. It may even prevent the body of the child from absorbing any nutrients from their food.

• Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders

EGIDs are disorders that occur due to the presence of excess white blood cells in the digestive tract of your child. This causes swelling and inflammation and can result in discomfort and pain. They may further experience difficulty swallowing.

There is no cure for this type of condition. But, certain medications can reduce the white blood cells in your child’s gut to relieve symptoms.

• GERD

GERD stands for. It is usual for babies to spit up several times during the first months of their life. But, in case, your child faces difficulty in eating and becomes irritable, it can be due to GERD. It is a condition where the stomach acid goes up and creates irritation in the esophagus, the tube that goes from the mouth up to your stomach.

• Lactose Intolerance

Lactose is a form of natural sugar that is present in milk. Children who suffer from lactose intolerance do not have the enzyme that breaks this sugar down. This is why they cannot digest it. Symptoms consist of bloating or gas, stomach cramps, and diarrhea.