Baby has gastroenteritis

La gastroenteritis is a digestive disease of the child very frequented. Especially since its viral form is extremely contagious! Fortunately, barring special circumstances, baby’s gastroenteritis is usually mild.

How does a baby get gastroenteritis?

Childhood gastroenteritis, more commonly known as “gastro”, is an inflammation of part of the digestive system. The walls of the stomach and those of the intestines are thus severely irritated. The causes of this inflammation are very numerous. Most often the baby gastroenteritis is caused by a virus of the type Rotavirus, but other viruses can be involved (Adenovirus, Astrovirus). Children can catch this virus from a contagious baby, for example. The Baby’s gastroenteritis can also result from food poisoning : a bacterium such as Escherichia coli or Salmonella then infected it via food. Parasitic infection is also possible, but remains rare in mainland France.

Diarrhea, fever, vomiting: symptoms of gastroenteritis

The main symptoms of gastro are diarrhea, painful stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting.

Baby also often has fever, headache. He is grumpy, tired and sulks his food.

How is gastroenteritis diagnosed in babies?

The diagnosis of gastroenteritis in babies is usually very easy. Symptoms, characteristics, are often sufficient to establish the diagnosis. The existence of an epidemic of gastroenteritis in the area also often helps the doctor to recognize the disease. Additional examinations may sometimes be necessary, when it is really virulent and resists treatment. It is then a question of precisely determining its cause in order to better treat it. Common examinations are a blood test and a stool culture. The latter consists of culturing baby’s stool in order to discover the presence of possible bacteria.

How to prevent and treat gastroenteritis in babies?

Hygiene and vaccination against gastro

With regard to the prevention of gastroenteritis in children, several measurements are possible. The first is impeccable hygiene. In particular, it is advisable to wash your hands thoroughly and frequently to eliminate germs. This greatly reduces the risk of contamination.

Another effective preventive measure is to simply have the baby immunized, although the anti-gastro vaccine is not part of the immunization schedule. There are currently two vaccines to protect it from Rotavirus: the Rotarix® vaccine and the Rotateq® vaccine.

Duration and treatment vary depending on its cause

If your baby already has gastro, treatment may vary depending on the cause. Viral gastroenteritis normally goes away on its own after 2 or 3 days, but the symptoms still need to be treated.

Treat the fever, if it has any, either with aspirin or paracetamol.

When to worry and consult in case of gastro?

If the gastroenteritis is of bacterial origin and not due to a rotavirus, it will generally be necessary to add appropriate antibiotics to the treatment, hence the need to consult quickly. Call the doctor if the child does not get better within 24 hours.

It should also be noted that clay-based drugs of the Smecta type are no longer recommended for children under five years old.

Gastroenteritis: what food for babies?

Against diarrhea, baby must follow a specific diet.

Baby is breastfed:

Offer to feed him every three hours, even if he isn’t asking. Breast milk could indeed play a protective role against diarrhea. But that is not enough, you must also give him rehydration solutions, reimbursed by Health Insurance when prescribed on prescription.

Baby drinks infant milk: which milk to favor in case of gastro?

If your child is less than 3 months old, the doctor will prescribe a hydrolyzate without cow’s milk proteins, more digestible than her usual milk, to be used for two or three weeks. If he is over 3 months old, there is no reason to change his diet.

Baby is diverse and eats with a spoon:

After the first six hours when it is preferable for him to drink only water or rehydration solutions, he can again make a light meal: prefer rice, vegetable soups, banana and apple compotes. or bifidus yogurts.

Gastro: what to do against dehydration?

La baby dehydration can indeed occur very quickly and have serious consequences that may require emergency hospitalization, especially in children under 3 months. It is essential to have your baby drink very often, from a bottle or with a pipette if he really refuses to drink, in order to prevent dehydration.

Do not hesitate to put it in a bodysuit or even just a diaper because with the fever caused by gastro comes additional water losses when the child sweats. Change it often to keep the diarrhea from “attacking” her buttocks. Wash them with soap and water, then dry them by dabbing them with a soft terrycloth towel or even with a hair dryer (at low temperature). Then apply a non-greasy paste like Aloplastine.