Many mothers have encountered a problem like rotavirus infection. The baby's health is deteriorating sharply, the disease is accompanied by vomiting, upset stomach. This raises the logical question of how to feed children with rotavirus infection. In the article you will find a complete list of recommendations, a list of allowed and prohibited products, an example menu.
What is rotavirus infection?
The source of this disease is a virus carrier. The infection attacks the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines, while a sick person can spread the virus by airborne droplets.
A feature of rotavirus infection is that in the initial period it is similar in symptoms to respiratory diseases. Its first manifestations are coughing, sneezing, fever. Because of this, diagnosis is difficult, which contributes to the further spread of infection.
Rotavirus infection in a child. Symptoms and treatment
The baby can become infected not only through close physical contact with the sick person, but also through infected household items, toys, food and water. Once in the body through the oral cavity, the virus enters the intestines and causes severe diarrhea. The disease is accompanied by fever, acute abdominal pain, and vomiting. Due to dehydration, the child becomes weak, lethargic.
Rotavirus infection in children is dangerous precisely because of the threat of severe dehydration, which can lead to serious consequences, even death. Moreover, the smaller the weight and age of the child, the greater the risk he is exposed to, the faster the deterioration. Therefore, a diet with rotavirus infection is so important. Menus and recipes suitable for sick children can be found in this article. For a successful recovery, proper diet is of the utmost importance.
A child's rotavirus infection, the symptoms and treatment of which we are considering, is drug-resistant. There are currently no drugs that kill rotavirus. We can only help the child’s body cope with the disease itself. This will help diet and eliminate the threat of dehydration.
Features of the diet for intestinal infection
With rotavirus infection, it is important to follow a diet not only in the acute period, but also to maintain restrictions on some foods for another two to three weeks, otherwise unpleasant symptoms may return. Moreover, even if the child has a good appetite, you can not let him overeat. It is better to eat often and little by little.
Follow the same principle when taking fluid. Drink the baby as often as possible, every half hour, but in small portions of 50-70 ml. A large amount of eaten or drunk can provoke vomiting.
If the child has no appetite, then you cannot force him to eat, but you need to drink it. If the baby refuses any drinks, dehydration begins, and you need to immediately consult a doctor.
All dishes for the patient must be prepared in a special way. No fried, spicy, salty, fibery or coarse food! Better to boil or steam. At the same time, it is preferable to grind food and offer it in the form of mashed potatoes.
Features of the diet for breastfeeding
How to feed a baby with rotavirus infection, if he is breastfeeding? Rotavirus causes an inflammatory process in the intestines and inhibits the production of enzymes that break down lactose. Therefore, many doctors recommend breastfeeding to reduce or completely stop for two to three weeks. Lactose-free or soybean mixtures are introduced into the diet.
Clinical nutrition for children with intestinal infection
So, what can you feed your baby with rotavirus infection? Often children refuse food on the first or second day of illness. At this time, offer your baby liquid cereals on the water, jelly, mashed boiled dishes. But regarding fermented milk products, doctors disagree. In some children, they cause deterioration, diarrhea and vomiting. To other kids, cool sour-milk products bring relief, relieve spasmodic reactions, and vomiting. Therefore, when improving, you can give the child a little kefir, if he loves it, and carefully monitor the change in state.
During the illness, it is very important to give the child a drink more often. In this case, the portions should be small so as not to provoke vomiting. As a drink, you can offer water, tea. You do not need to add a lot of sugar to drinks, just sweeten a little.
How to feed a baby after rotavirus infection? Even when all the unpleasant symptoms are in the past, the intestines have not yet returned to normal, so the restrictions on dairy products, fresh vegetables and fruits, fried, spicy should be maintained for two to three weeks.
What to do if a child refuses food
What to feed a child with rotavirus infection if he refuses to eat? In the first, most difficult days of the disease, the baby can completely refuse food. No need to force him to eat, it will only cause vomiting and will not bring any benefit. Only insist on fluid intake to avoid dehydration.
On the second or third day of illness, offer your baby light meals, preferably in the form of mashed potatoes. These can be low-fat meats, chicken, fish, boiled, stewed and steamed vegetables, liquid gruel in water.
Rotavirus infection usually goes away on its own and without serious consequences. However, do not treat this condition irresponsibly. Intestinal infection can cause dehydration, loss of nutrients, weaken the immune system.
What products are prohibited
To understand how to feed a baby with rotavirus infection, you need to know the list of prohibited foods. Introducing restrictions, it is important to consider the age of the child and the severity of the course of the disease. A newborn can not do completely without breast milk, so one or two feedings are left, supplementing the diet with a lactose-free mixture.
But older children can easily survive the ban on dairy products for several weeks. How to feed a baby after rotavirus infection? The menu of the ill child is similar to the diet prescribed for gastritis - no products that irritate the mucous membrane.
When rotavirus infection is prohibited:
- raw vegetables and fruits, especially cabbage, radish, radish;
- whole milk;
- bakery products, black and white bread;
- sweets;
- spicy dishes;
- sausage of any kind;
- roast;
- smoked.
It is not recommended to eat some types of cereals - mannered, pearl-barley, millet.
What products are allowed
Children who already eat at the common table follow the same diet as adults. How to feed a baby with rotavirus infection? It can be:
- mucous soups on meat and vegetable broth;
- mashed cereals on the water - rice, buckwheat, oatmeal;
- low-fat kefir, cottage cheese;
- lean chicken, fish, boiled or steamed;
- weak unsweetened compotes from blueberries, currants, apples;
- jelly and jelly;
- crackers.
Proper nutrition greatly facilitates the course of the disease and accelerates recovery, helps to avoid complications.
Dish recipes
Here are some recipes that are allowed for rotavirus infection.
Rice broth is a drink that helps ease the course of the disease. Take four tablespoons of rice per liter of water and cook for about two hours until the cereal is completely broken. Then wipe the mixture to get a homogeneous mass, add half a teaspoon of soda and the same amount of salt, stir. Ready broth can be stored in the refrigerator. If necessary, separate small portions and heat.
Carrot and apple puree is a tasty and healthy dish that a child with a poor appetite will eat with pleasure. Take half a kilogram of apples and carrots, wash, peel. Rub them on a fine grater, add 5 tablespoons of sugar, bring the mixture to a boil. Ready mashed potatoes can be poured into glass jars or bottles with a wide neck and stored in the refrigerator.
Menu for a rotavirus infected child
In conditions of a limited diet, it is important to create a menu so that the dishes are varied and do not bother the child. We give an example.
For breakfast, you can give steamed omelette, low-fat cottage cheese with tea and breadcrumbs, rice or oatmeal.
For lunch, offer the baby vegetable soup, broth, steamed meatballs with rice or buckwheat, boiled fish. As a drink - a decoction of wild rose.
Dinner can consist of steamed fishcakes, cereals, carrot and apple puree.
As a dessert, baked apples, bananas are suitable. As the state of health is restored, dried white bread, low-fat boiled meat and fish, meatballs, steam cutlets, soufflé can be introduced into the diet.
Boiled vegetables are given in the form of mashed potatoes. Zucchini, pumpkin, broccoli are appropriate. Sour-milk products should be low in fat. Kefir, fermented baked milk, yogurt, yogurt are suitable. Offer whole milk only three weeks after recovery.
Saline water
Thinking about whether it is possible to feed a child with rotavirus infection with certain products, parents often forget that the most important thing in this period is drinking, especially in the early days. To avoid dehydration, you need to give your child a water-salt solution. It can be purchased at the pharmacy in bags or prepared yourself.
Dissolve 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of soda in a liter of boiled water. Instead of water, you can take a decoction of raisins. It is necessary to give a solution every 2 hours of 50 ml. In addition to the solution, offer your child tea, rosehip broth, rice broth, water, chicken broth.
If a child gets rotavirus infection, nutrition is very important. The rate of recovery also depends on the diet.