How to treat rotavirus infection in children? Possible consequences for the child

Doctors believe that the most common disease on Earth in children is rotavirus infection. According to WHO, 125 million babies on the planet are infected with rotavirus every day! How much does this microbe infect adults? No such data. However, statistics regarding children are sad. The same WHO reports that every year 500 thousand children under the age of 5 die from complications caused by rotavirus. Microbe is especially dangerous for babies.

Rotavirus does not cause much harm to adults, because their body is stronger and able to withstand the pathogenic activity of the microorganism. In case of stool disorder, many adults tend to consider this a consequence of poor-quality food, they do not associate such a symptom with an infection, do not treat it, continue to do everyday activities, go to work, are among people, not suspecting that they are a source of a dangerous disease.

In children, rotavirus infection manifests itself much brighter, and the symptoms are more severe, since the child’s body is not yet ready to cope with the toxic substances that microbes secrete as a result of their life. Therefore, this disease is often called childhood. There are rules for what to do when infected with rotavirus, what medications to give the child, and what complications there may be with this disease. Information about this is presented in our article.

We will also consider what the diet should be for rotavirus infection in children, what a sick child can do and what cannot be done, how to prevent the disease.

Briefly about the microorganism

For a Russian person, the word "rotavirus" is automatically associated with the mouth. But “company” does not mean part of the face, but “wheel” in translation from Latin. The microbe was so named for the fact that it has a round shape, resembling a wheel with a clear rim and short spokes. In diameter, it does not exceed 75 nm. Rotavirus is surrounded by three layers of proteins (capsid), so it cannot be damaged by gastric juice, intestinal enzymes and many antiviral drugs.

Once in the intestine, the microbe is introduced into the limbic enterocytes located on the cilia of the intestine. These structures perform very important functions - digesting food, absorbing nutrients, and secreting enzymes necessary for the breakdown of food fragments. Having penetrated into the enterocyte, the microbe destroys it. Therefore, rotavirus infection in children is accompanied by a sharp violation of the digestive activity.

Microbes breed at a fantastic rate. At the same time, they secrete toxins and some substances that cause symptoms similar to colds. For this, rotavirus is often mistakenly called intestinal flu. However, he has almost nothing in common with the common cold.

Ways of infection

In the vast majority of cases, rotavirus is introduced into the human body like any other intestinal infection, that is, by the fecal-oral route. Rotavirus infection in children is called dirty hands disease. Very often, mass infection occurs in kindergartens and other institutions where there is a large concentration of babies. To get into the child’s mouth, and from there enter the intestine, the rotavirus can be when using toys that are seeded with microbes, when using household items, when hygiene is not followed, and also in close contact with a sick person.

The famous doctor Komarovsky about rotavirus infection in children says that it doesn’t really matter how often and thoroughly the mother forces the child to wash her hands. This can not protect against infection with a 100% guarantee. Only vaccination helps. It must be carried out if you plan to go to the sea with your child.

It should be said that rotaviruses are very tenacious. They withstand very high and low temperatures, can exist for a long time in the external environment. Outbreaks of infection more often occur in the cold season, which some experts attribute to the weakening of the body's defenses.

Symptoms

The incubation period of rotavirus infection in children can last only one day from the moment of infection. This applies to weakened babies and infants. Why don't microbes immediately manifest about their introduction into the intestines? Because they need to breed there first. While few enterocytes are destroyed, the child’s digestion is close to the norm, and a small number of microbes does not release so many toxins that they can have a strong effect on the functioning of the body systems. The stronger the baby and the older it is, the longer the incubation period of rotavirus infection in children. For many of them, it lasts up to five days, and in some cases it can stretch for a week.

In infants up to 6 months of age, rotavirus infection does not happen, since they are protected by the mother's immunity. After six months, it ceases to act. Such babies are the most vulnerable to rotavirus, since their digestive system is only beginning to function smoothly, and the body is still very weak.

The disease develops sharply:

1. The child begins diarrhea. Campaigns on the pot can be more than 15 times a day.
2. At the same time, vomiting opens.
3. Severe abdominal pains appear.
4. The temperature rises.
5. There is increased flatulence.
6. The child becomes lethargic, refuses food.

Along with the "intestinal" signs of rotavirus infection in children, there are also "catarrhal" symptoms, which often confuses parents.

It:

1. Sore throat, redness.
2. Cough.
3. Runny nose.
4. Pain when swallowing.
5. Conjunctivitis.
6. Plaque on the tongue.
7. Inflammation of the lymph nodes.

Talking about the signs of rotavirus infection in children, the famous pediatrician Komarovsky explains how to distinguish it from other intestinal disorders.

He says that you need to pay attention to the consistency of the feces of the baby. When infected with rotavirus, feces are always watery, grayish in color and smell very unpleasant, and with other problems with stools, they are mushy.

The second sign is that the vomit may have the smell of acetone.

With the development of the disease (approximately on the 3rd day), the stool consistency becomes clay-like, gray-yellow, and the urine acquires a dark shade (as with hepatitis).

In general, the disease proceeds with signs of gastroenteritis and enteritis.

Classification

It is often asked how long rotavirus infection lasts in children. The answer directly depends on the form of the disease:

1. Easy. In a baby, the chair becomes slightly more frequent (up to 3-5 times a day), vomiting happens once, the temperature rises no higher than 37.5 degrees. The general condition remains satisfactory, although there is a decrease in appetite and a child's abandonment of active games. In this form, the disease can last 2-3 days.
2. Medium. Diarrhea in a child is of moderate intensity (up to 10 times a day). Other signs of the disease: rumbling in the abdomen, flatulence, a temperature of 38 degrees, there are symptoms of a cold. With an average form, the disease can last up to a week.
3. Heavy. It is not often observed. The symptoms are as follows: temperature 39-40 degrees, incessant vomiting, diarrhea 13-15 times a day, fecal watery, abdominal cramps, signs of flu (cough, runny nose, hyperemic throat, conjunctivitis), lethargy, dry mucous membranes, rare urination . This form of the disease lasts 10 days or more.

Answering the question of how long rotavirus infection lasts in children, one should not forget about the recovery period. Its length is from 3 to 7 days.

Dehydration

Doctors explain that infection with rotavirus is not as dangerous as its consequences. They are the ones that lead to death. Dehydration is the most dangerous consequence of rotavirus infection in a child 3 years old or younger. At an older age, fluid loss is also a very serious indicator of a child’s condition, but babies, especially babies, have more “chances” to die from this. That is why in infants, treatment of rotavirus infection at home is not carried out, it is necessary to put the patient in a hospital. Signs of dehydration:

1. Weakness.
2. Dry mucous membranes.
3. Crying without tears.
4. Reducing the number of acts of urination.
5. Urine reduction. In infants, this can be determined by the filling of diapers.
6. Sunken eyes.
7. Pointy nose.
8. Loose skin.
9. Tachycardia.
10. Thirst.
11. Low pressure.
12. Thick blood (a sign for doctors).

Such complications are observed not only in infants, but also in weak, very thin babies, especially those who have a history of kidney, heart, and intestinal pathologies.

Other complications

Rotavirus infection in a child 2 years old and younger (whom it is very difficult to get to drink plenty of fluids) without urgent measures can give the following complications:

1. Pneumonia.
2. Disorders of the nervous system.
3. Bacterial intestinal infections.
4. Cramps.

In a hospital, children are immediately given droppers to replenish their water-salt balance.

Pneumonia is a bacterial disease. It joins a rotavirus infection due to a weakening of the protective function of the lungs due to the loss of electrolytes, as well as when blood thickens. The main external sign of this complication is a very high temperature. Further, the diagnosis is confirmed by laboratory tests (blood test) and X-ray results. With signs of pneumonia, the child needs to be urgently hospitalized.

Seizures are also a consequence of dehydration. Most often they occur at high temperature. If you do not provide your child with professional help, he may die due to spasms of the respiratory system.

Diagnostics

As noted above, with rotavirus infection in children, the incubation period lasts from 1 to 7 days. At this time, as a rule, no signs of the disease are observed.

Suddenly vomiting and diarrhea can lead parents to the idea of ​​poisoning the child with any food, and “catarrhal” symptoms - that he has the flu or SARS.

To make an accurate diagnosis, you need to take tests:

1. Blood is common. To confirm rotavirus infection is ineffective. However, it helps to identify the possibility of complications and decide how to treat rotavirus infection in children. In this analysis, the presence of a child is determined: leukocytosis (elevated leukocytes), leukopenia (decreased leukocytes), lymphocytosis (elevated lymphocytes), hematocrit. The latter is an indicator that determines the ratio of blood cells to its liquid part, in children older than 1 month should be 45%. Decreasing gradually, it reaches 37% by the age of 5 years, and then increases again. Deviations can be harbingers of problems with the heart, brain, and kidneys. Pay attention to ESR.
2. Urine is common. It is also not informative, accurately indicating the presence of rotavirus in the body, but it allows to identify violations in the genitourinary system.
3. Coprogram. Allows you to determine how disturbed the absorption process in the intestines of beneficial substances and the level of damage.
4. PRC. Using this analysis, the presence of the virus in the feces is determined.
5. Saliva, vomit, other biomaterial.
6. Express test. It can be carried out at home. This test is sold in every pharmacy. Detailed instructions are attached to it, a cone with a solution and an indicator panel with two windows. The sample is placed in one, the result is shown in the other. Near this window there are two letters "T" and "C". If a red stripe appears against the first, and a green stripe against the second - the result is positive. If nothing appears against the letter “T”, the test is negative. If other options arise, the test is corrupted and should be repeated.

How to distinguish rotavirus infection from other diseases

Determining what to treat rotavirus infection in children, you must first differentiate it from other problems that arise in infants in the intestines:

1. Enteritis and gastroenteritis. With these diseases, fever, diarrhea, dehydration, cramps can also be observed, but there are no signs of a cold.
2. Flu. Common symptoms are fever, cough, runny nose, lethargy, weakness, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes, and headache. However, vomiting is extremely rare (as an individual reaction of the child to the virus), and diarrhea is not characteristic at all.
3. Dysentery. The incubation period of the disease (as with rotavirus) is 2-3 days. The demonstration is sharp. Symptoms: frequent diarrhea, vomiting, fever, weakness, rumbling in the abdomen, abdominal pain. Distinctive signs: in the feces with dysentery, one can observe a characteristic greenish mucus, sometimes with blood streaks, vomiting occurs 1-2 times, no more, and there are no symptoms of a cold.
4. Food poisoning. This pathology makes itself felt already in the first hours after ingestion of poor-quality food, that is, an incubation period of several days, as a rule, is not observed. Symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea, fever, dark urine, weakness, pallor of the skin, rapid breathing, low blood pressure, but no cough, runny nose, sore throat.

To make sure at home the presence / absence of rotavirus, you need to do an express test.

What to give a child with rotavirus infection

When the initial symptoms occur, not all parents rush to call an ambulance, trying first to cope with diarrhea and fever on their own. Talking about the treatment of rotavirus infection in children, Komarovsky explains in detail what cannot be done:

1. Giving your child diarrhea medicines. The fact is that with feces, viruses are removed from the intestines. They can be counted there trillions. If you suddenly stop diarrhea, they will all remain in the intestines, which will significantly aggravate the course of the disease. In addition, stagnation of stool facilitates the absorption of toxins in the blood.
2. Give your child antibiotics. In this case, they only bring harm, since they do not act on viruses, but weaken the immune system even more. These drugs are needed only if pneumonia or bacterial infections of the digestive tract have joined rotaviruses.
3. Buy homeopathic medicines (Anaferon and analogues). Komarovsky believes that they are no use, but they significantly reduce the family budget.
4. Force feed the baby. Only if he insists on eating, should he be offered a light porridge.

Consider what to give a child with rotavirus infection:

1. Drink plenty. If a child refuses to drink water, tea, compote, then he needs to be drunk by force, pouring a little liquid.
2. Rehydrants. Humana Electrolyte, Regidron. If they are not at home and in the nearest pharmacies, you should make such a solution: dissolve sugar (2 tablespoons) in a liter of water, a spoonful of salt with baking soda. These drugs should be given by force if the baby refuses to drink them voluntarily. You can use a spoon or syringe without a needle for this purpose.
3. Sorbents. Suitable "Smecta", "Enterosgel."
4. Antipyretic at high (more than 38 degrees) temperature.

Many doctors, including Komarovsky, consider the need for treatment with antiviral drugs to be not entirely justified, since so far there are no drugs whose effectiveness against rotavirus would be proven.

But many pediatricians prescribe for children with this disease tablets "Arbidol", "Cycloferon", candles "Viferon", "Kipferon".

How to feed a baby with rotavirus infection

We noted above that forcing a child should not be given food. Lack of appetite is a protective reaction of the body, because in the intestines of the patient all digestion processes are disturbed.

Breasts should continue to give their mother's milk. It will help fight infection, although in the acute period it can cause increased diarrhea. If the babies are breast-fed, they need to be transferred to mixtures without lactose, since rotavirus often exhibits lactase deficiency, which means intolerance to this enzyme.

For children of other age categories, there are feeding rules for infection with rotaviruses:

1. Giving food in very small portions.
2. Take small breaks between feedings.
3. Steam everything.

On the first day or two, doctors advise the baby to eat an apple (baked), banana, crackers and boiled rice.

The diet for rotavirus infection in children is that the menu can leave:

1. Porridge on water without oil and sweeteners (semolina, oatmeal, buckwheat, rice).
2. Vegetable broth on water with rice.
3. Steamed omelettes, meatballs, low-fat fish, chicken.
4. Crackers.
5. Baked apples.
6. Boiled vegetables (zucchini, carrots, some potatoes).
7. Homemade fruit marmalade.
8. Dairy products (low-fat cottage cheese, kefir, yogurt) can be offered to a child if his body tolerates lactose well.

How to feed a baby with rotavirus infection? We figured it out. Now let's see what he should not be given:

1. Fatty first courses, broths.
2. Sausages, sausages.
3. Pasta.
4. Sweets.
5. Porridge (pearl barley, wheat, millet).
6. Raw fruits (except banana).
7. Raw vegetables (cucumber, tomato, onion).
8. Nuts.
9. Chocolate.
10. Any salinity and marinades.

During the recovery period, you should also follow a diet. It is not recommended to give children:

1. Whole milk.
2. Ice cream.
3. Legumes
4. Fatty dishes (meat, fish).
5. Rye bread.
6. Millet porridge.

Finally

Komarovsky said that up to 5 years old, as a rule, 98% of children are sick of rotavirus infection in children, and the rest will be infected with this virus later. That is, knowledge of its symptoms and treatment is relevant for each of us. There are no effective preventive measures to protect against rotavirus. The only thing that can help is vaccination. In patients with immunity, immunity is observed only in the first months, that is, you can catch this infection several times.

The main thing that parents should do when characteristic symptoms occur is to call an ambulance and also start giving the child a plentiful drink of room temperature. If the doctor offers hospitalization, you cannot refuse it. If the course of the disease is not severe, you can walk with the child in the fresh air, but you can not allow him to communicate with other children. The baby remains contagious until complete recovery, even if he no longer has dangerous symptoms (vomiting and diarrhea).

In order to prevent rotavirus infection for other children, the parents of a sick child should not be sent to child care facilities until tests confirm that the disease has been completely cured.