With the onset of fall, babies and children have more fall diarrhea, and every year from mid-August to December is the most frequent season for fall diarrhea in babies, so young parents should not forget to help their babies do a good job of preventing diarrhea.
Rotavirus gastroenteritis is an acute infectious disease of the gastrointestinal tract caused by rotavirus, also known as autumn diarrhea. The pathogen is mainly transmitted through the digestive tract and the main clinical manifestations are acute fever, vomiting and diarrhea, most of which are of short duration. It is one of the most common causes of diarrhea and can be epidemic or pandemic, occurring mainly in infants and young children, often caused by group A rotavirus, with peak incidence in autumn, hence the name “autumn diarrhea in infants”. Rotavirus infection causes diarrhea in approximately 125 million infants and children worldwide each year, mostly in developing countries, and group B rotavirus can cause diarrhea in adults.
Etiology
Viral infection (45%).
The ability of rotavirus to cause disease after entering the body depends on the amount of infected virus, and a high amount of invading virus contributes to virus invasion. rotavirus causes diarrhea through two ways after entering the body: first, rotavirus directly damages the epithelial cells of the small intestinal villi, triggering pathological changes; second, the metabolites of rotavirus during replication act on the endothelial cells of the small intestine, disrupting the normal physiological function of the cells in the intestine causing diarrhea. A small amount of virus will be dropped by the body’s own immunity and will not develop.
Physiological factors (10%).
The physiological characteristics of the body itself can lead to the development of the disease. The body is susceptible to rotavirus infection when the amount of lactase (as rotavirus receptor) in the brush border of the intestinal epithelium is high, for example, in infancy. With age, the amount of this enzyme decreases and susceptibility decreases.
Immunocompromised (10%).
When immunity decreases for various reasons, it helps rotavirus to invade and induce disease.
Pathogenesis
After rotavirus invades the human body and reaches the small intestine, it enters the epithelial cells by binding to lactase on the intestinal mucosal villi epithelial cells through its shell protein Vp4 (adsorption protein), proliferates and damages them in the epithelial cytoplasm, and sheds them. Subsequently, the cuboidal epithelial cells from the bottom of the crypt move up and replace the detached villous epithelial cells, which are still in a state of high secretion and low absorption due to their immature cell function, resulting in the retention of intestinal fluid and prolonging diarrhea. NSP4, a non-structural protein synthesized during rotavirus replication, acts as an enterotoxin in the pathogenesis of rotavirus, causing an increase in intracellular Ca2 level and prompting an increase in cAMP level in the small intestinal mucosa.
The disease is reversible pathological changes, the mucosa often remains intact, the main damage site is in the small intestine, biopsy can be seen in the small intestine villi shortened and blunt, the lamina propria mononuclear cells infiltration, epithelial cells irregular, square, with vacuoles or necrosis.
About breastfeeding mothers
If your baby is still breastfeeding, this is not a good time to wean your baby. Since breast milk is rich in immunoglobulins, it helps to enhance the immunity of infants and children’s gastrointestinal tract, and contains a variety of digestive enzymes and antibodies needed by children. Diet for breastfeeding mothers is extremely important!
About formula-fed babies
If the baby is still in the stage of drinking formula. We recommend that mothers, according to the baby’s growth and development reference, choose small cans of milk powder suitable for the baby’s big brand. Because in the summer and autumn, rain, bacteria are more likely to breed in large cans of milk powder. Small cans of baby drink fast, less bacteria, is a healthy choice!
Baby food should be handled properly
Refrigerated baby food should be boiled before consumption and should not be refrigerated for too long; leftover milk stored at room temperature should not exceed 4 hours, more so in hot weather.
Keep a strict eye on your baby’s hygiene
Since fall diarrhea in babies is mainly caused by rotavirus, which is found in common foods, the best way to prevent this disease is to keep the “disease from the mouth” barrier. In addition, mothers and fathers should pay close attention to whether the baby’s bottles and spoons are thoroughly washed, and diligently disinfect baby’s food utensils, change clothes, and pay attention to the cleanliness of hands.
Adding supplementary food should not be mixed
Whether breast-fed or artificially fed babies should add complementary foods on time, reasonable feeding, regular rationing, gradually add complementary foods, do not add several complementary foods at the same time, causing the baby’s gastrointestinal burden.
Pay attention to abdominal warmth
As the summer heat leaves and the climate turns cooler in autumn, the cold will strengthen intestinal peristalsis and aggravate diarrhea in children.
Reduce access to public places
Parents should take their babies to public places and other crowded places as little as possible, and keep indoor air fresh and air circulation to reduce the chance of virus infection.
Avoid close contact with babies
Due to the incomplete development of babies, the normal bacteria in the mouth of adults may be pathogenic to babies. Therefore, whether you are testing the temperature of the milk in your baby’s bottle or measuring whether your baby’s complementary food is hot, you should not touch it directly with your mouth to avoid causing your baby to be infected with bacteria.
Choose vaccination
In order to prevent rotavirus from attacking humans, scientists at home and abroad have researched effective vaccines, and the spread of fall diarrheal disease will be effectively controlled.