Each of us has encountered at least once in our life poisoning. In children, this problem occurs much more often than in adults. This is due to the fact that a fragile body can not resist infections and viruses. The task of parents is to protect the baby from possible risks, and if intoxication has occurred, it is necessary to identify the cause and, under the supervision of a doctor, start treatment. Poisoning in children in some cases can result in death. Therefore, it is very important to provide timely assistance in order to avoid irreversible consequences.
Classification of Poisoning
First, let's define the term. Poisoning - 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 option in which toxins enter the gastrointestinal tract. Young children are susceptible to various infections, so this problem should be addressed as soon as possible.
- Medication. Poisoning can occur as a result of taking the baby medicines. Parents need to follow the first-aid kit at home, do not leave it in a conspicuous place. Often there are situations when mom and dad, giving the child a pill, mixed up the dose, which also leads to poisoning.
- Chemical. Such toxins easily penetrate into the children's body through the respiratory system and skin. Household chemicals cannot be left unattended, as the baby will definitely want to taste the contents of beautiful bottles. Chemical poison is very dangerous, therefore it is better not to risk the health of the child.
- Gas poisoning in children. As you know, gas has no color or smell, therefore its penetration into the body is very easy. It is worth noting that intoxication of this substance is fatal if the concentration in the air exceeds the figure of 0.4%. The main cause of the leak is the improper use of radiators. Kids often get poison into their bodies during a fire.
- Bulk Not everyone distinguishes this species as a separate one, however, in connection with the frequent cases of intoxication in children's camps and recreation centers, it has a place to be. Most often this is due to 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 most common. It's about food intoxication. The disease is usually caused in two ways: poisonous food (mushrooms, plants, berries) or products in which microbes and toxins appear. Various pathogens of infections, such as staphylococcus, can get into food. How? Everything is very simple. If the person who cooked has a rotten scratch on his fingers or is sick with purulent tonsillitis, then the infection can pass 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 resist poisons and toxins. Often there are situations when parents and children eat the same food, and only the kids get intoxication. There are several dangerous foods for children that can cause poisoning. These include: dairy products, eggs, fish, meat, herbs, as well as cream cakes. This does not mean that these products can not be consumed, just parents need to monitor the expiration date and the safety of their preparation.
Signs and Symptoms
Each disease somehow manifests itself. In this case, the first signs of poisoning in a child begin suddenly. Therefore, you can not hesitate, you should immediately provide all possible assistance. Symptoms vary depending on the severity of intoxication:
- A mild degree is characterized by lethargy, general weakness of the body, loss of appetite. Plus, the 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 child's whims are not always associated with a deterioration in well-being. Parents should pay attention to small details, for example, pale skin, dry mouth and dark urine. An increase in temperature during poisoning in a child is not observed in this case.
- The severe degree of the disease is obvious. The baby has a sharp abdominal pain, nausea, chills. Persistent vomiting, terrible well-being are also the main signs of poisoning in children. Diarrhea is found in all cases, 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 own this information, because no one is safe from such a development. If symptoms of poisoning in children are detected, you should call a doctor and independently provide first aid. 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. Washing can also be done with an enema.
Another way is to take enterosorbent, it will absorb all toxins from the body. The most striking example is activated carbon. Here you need to follow the dosages, you can not make a mistake. Coal can be taken every 2 hours when vomiting stops.
Food poisoning in a child causes dehydration, this problem needs to be addressed. Drinking a baby is slow, a sip of water every twenty minutes. To saturate the body with water, you can make tea, rice broth, glucose solution. This mode should be observed until the complete cessation of vomiting and diarrhea.
Plus, the whole child needs peace. At the height 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 can not be done?
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 be treated at home. It is generally prohibited to provide any form of medical care. In this situation, it remains only to wait for the doctor and try to calm the baby.
Parents often first give their children antibiotics, thinking that this is the best medicine. The medications needed in this particular case are prescribed by a qualified doctor. Up to this point, you do not need to give your child antiemetic and antidiarrheal drugs. The body thus independently tries to free itself from toxins and poisons; do not interfere with it.
Activated charcoal and other enterosorbents can be given if the baby does not suffer from peptic ulcer. If in doubt, better wait for a specialist. Gastric bleeding is also a contraindication to taking this kind of medication.
When is it necessary to see a doctor?
The mistake of most parents is that with intoxication in the baby they themselves try to cope with the problem. Contacting a specialist is a mandatory part of any type of assistance. While the doctor is traveling, you can provide all possible assistance, but no more.
Sometimes acute poisoning occurs in children, and then you just can not do without a doctor. No need to risk the health of the child, it is better to be safe. An ambulance call is required in several situations. All of them are associated with certain signs. So, the symptoms of poisoning in children, in the event of which you should immediately consult a doctor:
- shortness of breath, lack of air;
- sharp severe pain in the lower abdomen;
- persistent 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 attention. A team of doctors, arriving on 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 a clinic where they will conduct additional diagnostic measures, and then treatment will begin. The temperature during poisoning in a child with a severe degree can rise above 38 degrees or fall below normal. Do not try to knock it yourself before the arrival of specialists.
Traditional treatment of the disease
As already noted, first aid is aimed at alleviating the general condition of the body. Full treatment will be prescribed by the attending physician after examination and diagnosis. Only a comprehensive treatment, including medications, alternative methods and a special diet, will help the body recover. Poisoning in children under one year of age are special cases. Applying even the simplest medical care on their own in such situations is prohibited.
The effectiveness of drug treatment can only be judged in conjunction 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 is quite effective. This drug helps with diarrhea and vomiting, allergies, infectious intoxication, etc. The only drug is powerless in the treatment of poisoning in acute intestinal obstruction.
As for antibiotics, their purpose 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 as safe and effective as possible for intestinal infections. We can distinguish among them the preparation "Cefix". The medication is in both adult and pediatric dosages. Usually it is sold in the form of syrup and it helps to fight against pathogenic bacteria. The price of the drug is in the region of 700-1000 rubles. It can not be used in the treatment of children under 6 months.
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, before using it is best to consult with your doctor.
So, the most effective recipes are listed below:
- Ginger broth. Pour a teaspoon of grated ginger with boiling water, wait three minutes - and the brew is ready. It is recommended to take hourly.
- Rice broth. A great way to relieve symptoms of nausea and vomiting. Round washed rice should be boiled in water for about one minute, a ratio of approximately 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.
- A decoction of oatmeal. A couple of tablespoons of oatmeal is cooked for five minutes, filtered and taken several times a day.
- Gentian cross-leaved. A decoction from this plant significantly improves the functioning of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, and also successfully fights against vomiting and nausea. To prepare this drink is as simple as possible: the root of the plant is boiled for three minutes and then infused. You can take no more than three times a day, a fresh decoction of one tablespoon.
Experts recommend taking a shower after intoxication. Toxins and poisons exit through the skin with sweat. You just need to wash away all unnecessary substances from the child. In addition, massage will be a great way to alleviate the condition. It is better to remember 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 wall. In such a situation, a special diet is simply necessary, which is more useful for poisoning than taking medication. By adjusting the diet, you can completely relieve irritation of the intestines and stomach. For this, the child should not eat anything for the first two days, no matter how hard it is. In most cases, this time passes without incident. After this period, a rehabilitation period begins.
After the symptoms subside, children under one year old need to eat. We can say that food in this situation is vital. An excellent solution would be a lactose-free milk mixture or breast milk. The latter option is only suitable if the mother has not consumed a toxic product.
If the baby is naughty and does not want to take food, it is necessary to call a doctor and put the child in the hospital for some time. They will install a probe for artificial feeding. Intestinal infection, especially in young children, is life threatening. Therefore, parents need to do everything possible for the speedy recovery of the kids.
For children at the age of two years, several hours after intoxication, you can give the following products: rice broth, milk mixture, crackers made of white bread, 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 or more years old, you can add more fluid. Chamomile broth or green tea is perfect.
Gradually expanding the diet is recommended after a week of diet. Treatment can last about a month, and during this time it is better not to violate the proper diet. The baby needs to recover, cleanse his body of unwanted substances and toxins. Take a few weeks, and then you can start eating your favorite foods.
Prevention
It is much easier to prevent the 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 ills, but we can 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 banal non-compliance with hygiene rules.
In order to avoid intoxication in your child, use the following recommendations:
- it is always necessary to carry out thermal and hygienic processing of food, wash well, peel fruits, vegetables, etc .;
- control the quality of food and water, you should not purchase goods of dubious quality due to lower prices, health is more important;
- dishes should always be clean, wash plates, forks, spoons after each meal;
- waste must be disposed of as quickly as possible;
- biological and chemical fluids, dirty water should not be in front of the baby;
- Be sure to observe quarantine at home, in preschool and educational institutions.
Poisoning in children is more common than a cold. Attentiveness to your child, limitation of his contact with hazardous substances and compliance with hygiene rules will significantly reduce the risk of intoxication. Remember, if the poisoning still happened, without hesitation call an ambulance, and at this time give first aid to the baby.