Rotavirus in infants occurs quite often, and almost every child is sick with this disease. The disease manifests itself in the form of vomiting and diarrhea. Often combined with signs of a cold.
In infants, this disease can quickly provoke dehydration, so babies need careful monitoring. In this case, the body loses much more fluid than it receives. This can cause serious health problems.
Rotavirus infection spreads quickly enough, standing out with the feces of a sick child. Outbreaks often occur in winter. The virus is very contagious and enters the mouth with dirty hands. If you do not thoroughly disinfect all surfaces, then he can live on them for several days.
Disease feature
Rotavirus in infants appears quite often. This is a very dangerous condition that requires adequate treatment and a certain diet to normalize the intestines.
The virus got its name due to the fact that the bacteria that provoke it look like a circle. This disease is also called intestinal flu. Rotavirus penetrates the baby's body and multiplies on the mucous walls of the small intestine. It is lined with villi, which contribute to the absorption and breakdown of carbohydrates. The virus also leads to exfoliation of these sections of the mucosa, which leads to a lack of enzymes and disrupts the absorption of milk sugars.
Symptoms of rotavirus in infants manifest as lactase deficiency. A child cannot properly digest and assimilate milk due to a lack of enzymes. In addition, rather painful symptoms join in, which leads to severe dehydration. This condition requires urgent treatment, immediately after the first signs.
Causes of occurrence
Rotavirus in infants (1 month or more is not important to him) develops if the virus enters the body. The causative agent can be found in feces when sowing. Often, infection occurs directly from the mother, since the baby is in close contact with her.
In babies, rotavirus infection cannot be eradicated directly in the stomach or intestines. It easily overcomes low temperatures and does not lose its properties. Therefore, viruses can persist for a long time, and do not lose their harmful properties. In this case, when they enter the body, they begin to act actively and multiply.
The source of infection is a person who is a carrier of rotavirus infection, or a patient with an acute form of gastroenteritis. Often infection occurs in the following ways:
- consumption of contaminated water;
- infected products;
- dirty hands, household items, toys;
- through breast milk.
The virus, penetrating the digestive organs, affects the small intestine. From the moment the pathogen enters the body and until the first signs of the disease appear, 1-5 days may elapse. The duration of the incubation period depends on the level of human immunity and the number of viruses.
Main symptoms
The very first symptom of rotavirus in infants is vomiting, after which diarrhea usually begins and fever rises. The stool is very liquid without an admixture of blood, and a lot of it stands out. The most severe period of diarrhea lasts 4-8 days, but its residual manifestations can persist even after improvement of well-being, up to several weeks.
Rotavirus diarrhea, especially in combination with vomiting, can quickly trigger dehydration. Therefore, it is very important to feed the baby with breast milk as often as possible, be sure to drink. Among the main signs of rotavirus in infants, the following symptoms should be distinguished:
- dry tongue and lips;
- lethargy, drowsiness;
- sunken eyes;
- in-depth fontanel;
- rapid breathing and palpitations;
- decrease in the amount of urine.
In the event of the appearance of such symptoms, you should immediately call a doctor at home. This can be very dangerous, as it provokes the development of dangerous complications.
Symptoms of rotavirus in infants largely depend on the severity of the course of the disease. With a mild form, the child has severe weakness, and appetite worsens. Then the temperature rises to 37-37.5 degrees and lasts 1-2 days. After several hours, vomiting appears, moreover, it does not depend on whether an empty stomach or a full one. Almost immediately, loose stools are observed 2-3 times a day. After two days, the manifestation of symptoms weakens, and by about 4-5 days a full recovery occurs.
The average form of the disease is characterized by an increase in temperature to 37.5-38 degrees. Vomiting precedes the appearance of loose stools and can be repeated many times over two days. Painful cramping appears in the abdomen, often in the navel. There may also be watery stools up to 7-15 times a day. Moreover, diarrhea can last 1-3 days, subject to proper treatment. When the child begins to recover, vomiting occurs initially, and then the temperature normalizes.
Symptoms of rotavirus in infants, proceeding in a severe form, are characterized by the fact that the disease has an acute onset. The peak severity of the condition occurs on 3-4 days. As a result of severe and prolonged vomiting, and diarrhea, dehydration occurs. The level of acidity in the stomach rises. The baby is constantly tormented by thirst, dry mucous membranes and skin appear.
Diagnostics
To detect infection, laboratory tests of feces, blood and urine are used. But basically, treatment begins as soon as the symptoms of the disease appear. Analyzes are required to accurately diagnose, confirm, or refute the presence of a bacterial infection. As a result, complications can be avoided.
There is also a special rapid test for rotavirus, which can be done at home. The kit includes a substance that responds to the virus. The check is carried out by analogy with a pregnancy test.
Treatment features
When the first symptoms of rotavirus in a baby appear, treatment should be started immediately to prevent the occurrence of serious complications. The therapy takes place strictly under the supervision of a specialist. If a child has diarrhea with vomiting against a background of fever, then you need to immediately call an ambulance and begin treatment to prevent severe dehydration. Competent actions will allow the baby to recover much faster.
The ambulance team will examine the child and decide if he needs hospitalization. If you suspect the development of cholera or another infection, as well as severe form of dehydration, they can put the child in a hospital, where they will take stool for analysis and inject the required fluid intravenously.
If the disease proceeds in a mild form, then the treatment of rotavirus in infants is carried out at home under the supervision of a local pediatrician. First of all, it is important to combat dehydration. It is necessary to solder the baby, gradually increasing the volume of fluid and the intervals between its doses. If the child had profuse and repeated vomiting, then you need to give him often and a little bit of salt solutions. In the first day you need to drink the baby from a spoon every 5-10 minutes.
On the third day, infants are given probiotics to colonize the intestinal microflora. Since the digestive tract is very much affected by infection, it is important to follow a special diet during the course of the disease and carefully introduce the same complementary foods into the diet of children up to a year old.
Home treatment
According to Komarovsky, the symptoms and treatment of rotavirus in infants may vary slightly, but there is a certain algorithm of actions common to all cases. With diarrhea, you need to leave the diaper with the feces of the baby. So the doctor will be able to diagnose faster, and the likelihood of error will be reduced.
With rotavirus in infants, Komarovsky does not recommend taking homeopathic medicines. They do not have the desired result, and as a result, the therapy process can only be delayed. Also, do not give your baby antiviral drugs. Treatment of rotavirus in infants Komarovsky recommends using abundant drinking.
Therapy is aimed at reducing body intoxication and restoring fluid balance. Parents must provide the baby with all the required minerals. At home, only mild illness is allowed.
The first step is to eliminate dehydration. For this, the doctor prescribes the infant “Regidron” mainly. You can also use tools such as Hydrovit and Humana. The powder dissolves in water and is given to the child in small portions. You can drink your baby with clean water if he refuses to take medicinal solutions. In the event of deterioration in the well-being of the baby, and dehydration, therapy should be carried out in a hospital, by drip intravenous administration of glucose-salt solutions.
To eliminate the symptoms of rotavirus in infants, treatment is also carried out with the help of sorbents that help remove the virus. Among them, Karbolen and Smecta are very popular. They are allowed to be used only for a limited time. Otherwise, there may be constipation.
A bacterial infection may join rotavirus infection. Enterofuril is used as a prophylaxis. For treatment, antibiotics should not be used, as they only weaken the protective functions of the body. They are prescribed only in case of emergency, after the examination.
To restore the intestinal microflora, "Linex" or "Hilak" is prescribed. You need to bring down the temperature only if it rises above 38 degrees. For this, antipyretic rectal suppositories are best suited. The drug "Cefexon" is well suited, since it can be used from the age of 1 month. Dosage is selected separately for each baby.
It is recommended to breastfeed the baby as often as possible, as mother's milk perfectly makes up for the loss of moisture in the body. However, if the child is greatly weakened, then the doctor recommends interrupting breastfeeding for the duration of treatment and giving the mixture without lactose.
It is important to properly care for the baby's buttocks, as irritation can occur from loose stools. Each time you change the diaper, you need to wash your baby with warm water and take care of his delicate skin with the help of children's protective equipment.
Dieting
It is important not only to know how to treat rotavirus in an infant, but also what it can eat. The inflammation caused by rotavirus infection is characterized by the fact that it almost completely stops the production of enzymes required for the normal breakdown and assimilation of food consumed. In children up to a year who are breastfed or artificial feeding, the amount of lactase is reduced, and general enzyme deficiency also develops.
In order for the villi on the mucosa and the production of the required enzymes by them to fully recover, quite a lot of time is needed. In order not to provoke indigestion and not cause disturbances in the functioning of the intestines in the child, it is important to follow a sparing diet throughout the treatment period.
During the active stage of the disease, children under one year of age are not fed (if there is no appetite). It is enough to give them saline solutions throughout the day. The next day, when the baby becomes a little better and has an appetite, the process of restoration of the villi and the production of lactase will only begin in his body. Breast milk or milk nutrition will only lead to the resumption of diarrhea. Since the digestive tract of a child cannot normally break down lactose, you need to water it with a lactose-free mixture.
At the beginning of the second week, you can try to replace one lactose-free feeding with breast milk or the usual mixture. It is very important to carefully monitor the reaction of the intestines of the baby.
If the child has already begun to receive complementary foods, then part of the lactose-free food can be replaced with rice, milk-free porridge and mashed potatoes. Gradually, mashed potatoes and dairy products are added to the baby’s diet. The most recently introduced fruit puree.
Possible complications
Rotavirus in infants can be accompanied by a bacterial infection provoked by a protein, staphylococcus, Klebsiella, Escherichia coli. Then the child’s stool becomes very liquid and foamy, gray in color with a fetid odor. In feces, often impurities of blood and mucus are present. The baby's health is deteriorating sharply. In this case, treatment in a hospital is required.
Prophylaxis
Of great importance is the prevention of rotavirus in infants. Often, adults are carriers of infection, which is completely asymptomatic in them. To exclude the possibility of a child becoming infected with rotavirus infection, personal hygiene must be carefully observed, wash your hands with soap, conduct daily wet cleaning and ventilate the room. In addition, it is important to observe sanitary standards when cooking, and iron all the things a child needs. Cleanliness is the key to the normal health of the baby.
If the baby is breast-fed, then before each feeding you need to carefully boil a bottle and a pacifier. If one of the family members has signs of the disease, then you need to urgently isolate the baby so that he does not come into contact with a person who has an infectious disease.
After recovery, the risk of re-infection is unlikely, as the child has already developed immunity to this disease. However, if this happens, the disease will proceed in a milder form and will not cause any complications.
It is worth remembering that when the first symptoms of rotavirus appear in an infant, you should immediately consult a doctor who will be able to provide qualified assistance in a timely manner and prescribe the required treatment. This will help to avoid complications of the disease and prevent the transition of the infection to a serious form.
Rotavirus vaccination
The only effective prevention of rotavirus is vaccination. Now there are 2 vaccines that have passed all the required clinical trials. They contain a weakened virus, and also have almost no side effects.
The vaccine is taken orally. The vaccine is given to a child aged 6-32 weeks.
According to reviews, rotavirus in infants is a very complex and dangerous disease, which is mainly treated in a hospital, as with improperly conducted therapy, various kinds of complications can occur. All medications and the course of treatment should only be prescribed by a doctor, since the health and life of the baby largely depends on this.